Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE => Topic started by: Natalie on January 21, 2009, 01:43:39 pm
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Has anyone else here raised any olive eggers. I have some easter eggers and mine lay a green egg, I also have some black copper marans that lay what is referred to as the chocolate egg because they are so dark.
If you haven't seen a marans egg you should look them up, they are the darkest coppery brown or at least a good one should be.
Anyway, I have been told that when you breed the two of them you get a dark green, or olive colored egg.
I have seen a couple of pictures of them online before and its a pretty cool color.
The reason I ask this is that I saw one of my 4 month old black copper roos doing the deed with my easter egger hen so even though I have absolutely sworn off incubating for a long time I am thinking I will toss her eggs in the bator, if she ever gets out of the darn nestbox and see if I can get myself some olive eggers.
Just wondering if anyone else has done this and if it all worked out. There is no telling for sure how successful you will be or what you will get.
Keeping my fingers crossed though.
I found a picture of some eggs to show you what I am talking about.
The real dark one is the copper marans egg and it also shows the olive egg among some others.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=49598
She has been in there for at least an hour already and I keep going out to check so it doesn't freeze on me.
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OOOh Natalie, those will be beautiful! What a great experiment! You will have to keep us posted! I'm looking to get some marans or welsummers for the dark egg color. People love getting different colored eggs. Hopefully can find someone around here who has some pullets or hens cause I don't really need 25 for the minimum order from the hatchery. May have to bite the bullet & order anyways hoping someone else around here wants some! J
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Hey, Natalie, you know I want a colorful egg basket - I may have to rescind my vow to not learn how to incubate chicks, there's a guy on BYC who is going to offer Blue Copper Marans and true Araucuna eggs this spring.....colorful is getting closer and closer! Some Welsummers, too? Poor Greg is going to need to put an addition on the coop! :lau:
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Oh Ann you know I will hook you up. I tell ya, I usually don't get so excited to see my hens getting some action but I was this morning when I saw it was the marans and the easteregger.
That guy with the blue coppers, is he the one importing them from england?
I have been keeping my eye on that thread. He took a little heat from the marans club a while back for his endeavor so he stopped posting about it on that forum and now bev is helping him out.
I will get some blue coppers but I am weighing my options. I have a guy who is going to sell me some wheaton marans, they are very pretty too, kind of look like welsummers.
I almost bought some welsummers a few months ago but at the same time I was offered the marans so I jumped on those.
Now here I said I was all done raising babies for the winter, me and my big mouth spouting off that there will be no more chicks living in brooders in my house and here I go.
BUT, I think it will be worth it to get the olive eggers.
Ann will get her colorful egg basket yet!!
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I used to have quite a assortment of colors of eggs. From white, to pink, to yellow to green to blue. But I had an assortment of chickens too.
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I think it is so interesting that there are so many colors of eggs. I guess before you have chickens you just assume its the basic brown and white because thats all the stores sell.
And the size range, mine are all different sizes and colors, they look really cool in those clear plastic cartons.
The thing is you do need a wide variety of chickens to get that wide variety of eggs. Right now I have over a dozen different breeds and some of those breeds I have in a couple of different colors and they all have something really cool about them. I am pretty partial to the blue chickens, blue orpingtons, blue cochins, bluelaced red wyandottes etc. So pretty.I even have some of those lawn ornaments that are just good for a laugh, the silkies, sizzles and frizzles. It takes about 3 of their eggs to make one normal size one, but they are very sweet little things, I actually got them for the kids but I fell in love with them.
So Michael, do you still have any chickens?
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Hey is that red egg for real :?
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Yeah, isn't that cool?! They are from a Black Copper Maran, the chicken itself is mostly black with copper coloring on their heads, neck and back.
I have ten of them right now and they lay very dark brownish coppery tone eggs. Some have more red than others, so you can get an egg that looks almost black and then you can get one that is real copper.
They also have a wide range where they will be heavily speckled with brown over copper and vice versa.
The coloring on the eggshells can actually be scraped off with your fingernail.
They were imported a few years ago from France and they are still relatively hard to get here unless you want to spend $100.00 for 12 eggs to incubate.
I saw a dozen chicks go on e-bay for $465.00 a couple of months ago.
While I do love the marans breed anyways because they are very sweet tempered, and I love those dark eggs, I certainly would not spend that kind of money on them.
However, lucky for me I worked out a real nice deal with this guy and I got them for an extremely low amount.
He is the one that sells them on e-bay. He had a list of people he was selling to on the byc forum for the cheap price and then he made his money by selling the on e-bay and eggbid.
The chicken breed I am talking about is the same one that I had mate with my easter egger hen today so I am hoping for the olive colored eggs next.
Its just fun to try and see how many colors you can get. I am hoping to offer my customers a variety at the market this summer. People love it when they see all the different colors in one egg carton.
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Here is a couple of more links that will show some more of the marans eggs, they have a wide variety of colors and serious breeders have to compare their eggs to the egg chart in order to qualify for as a true marans.
I am not a serious breeder so I hope to get any of those eggs.
http://www.bevsmarans.com/TRUE%20Marans.htm
http://marans-club.club.fr/echllang.htm#echelle
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Talking about all this chickens, particularly the Marans, and it makes me wonder what ever happened to Angi.
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That's true, Brian, I've often wondered what happened to her, too. I saw her a few times on that other bee site, but she's also missing from BYC, too, and she was posting there quite a bit.
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Brian, Ann, I am going to try to solve a mystery here, as I have often wondered what happened to Angi too. I have her e-mail address, so I am going to e-mail her and tell her we miss her. If I don't hear back, I do so hope that her life is OK.
Oh, all this speaking of the different chicks that everyone wants, it makes my heart long. I can't do anything but downsize my chicken stock a bit until we move to our new place, whereever that may be. I can't get more. Sad, but that is life. Have a wonderful and awesome day, attract and keep great health. Cindi
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>So Michael, do you still have any chickens?
The chickens went wild and I couldn't keep them in the chicken yard anymore. Something, I used to think coyotes, but now I'm begining to suspect the Great Horned Owl pair that lives here, has been thinning them until I'm finally down to one ten year old Aracana Hen. I'm waiting for her to die of old age so I can fix up the chicken yard and see if I can't keep them where whatever is eating them can't get to. :)
But yes, I've had chickens about the same stretch of time I've had bees except I had to give up the chickens for a few short stints in the city while the bees I could always keep somewhere. Now I'm out in the country and would like to have them free range, but I'm afraid to keep them alive I'll have to keep them in the chicken yard and the coop.
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Way back when it was still legal to fight chickens.... yes I did some of that. Didn't feel bad either as all our (my buddy and mine) rooster won every fight. :-D
Anyway..... You have to keep these guys tied to a stake in the ground. Give them their own little coop and all because they would fight all the time. This other chicken fighter had an owl swoop in, grab a rooster, and took off with it pulling the leg off that was tied to the ground. The leg was all that was left. You have to wonder at the power in those owl's wings.
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Yeah, its tough with the predators. Our biggest thread in my area is the hawks.
I lost one of my favorites this summer and I was working right in the yard.
They are very brazen, they swoop right down over your. I had one that swooped over my head, within a few feet and went up to the tree, then did it again and again. He was after my chickens who were free ranging out in the yard, I tried to scare him off but they don't have any fear.
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Yeah, its tough with the predators. Our biggest thread in my area is the hawks.
I lost one of my favorites this summer and I was working right in the yard.
They are very brazen, they swoop right down over your. I had one that swooped over my head, within a few feet and went up to the tree, then did it again and again. He was after my chickens who were free ranging out in the yard, I tried to scare him off but they don't have any fear.
Then just shoot the hawk :evil:
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There are hawks out here soaring around everyday. Don't pay any attention to the chickens but you always see them diving for mice.
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Not sure what to say about the hawks. Here at the gamebird farm the hawks and owls are bad. 4 red strobe light, kind of like the one you would put on the back of the bicycle, was put up on a telephone pole. It seems that night killing of the birds from the owls as droped dramatically. The hawks are a different story. The only Hawks that really cause a problem are the Coopers Hawk. They love bombing the nets, breaking through, and taking their fill of the quail. They are stuck in the pins but I perfer to let them go, try to help keep donw on the mice. Red tail hawks and Kestrel Hawks are no problem. I do know Hawks and Owls are mortal enemies so if you like one over the other than protect the one so they can keep the others away.
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I do know Hawks and Owls are mortal enemies so if you like one over the other than protect the one so they can keep the others away.
Since hawks are daytime predators and Owls are nighttime predators, I guess they don't run unto each other much.
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Yeah, its tough with the predators. Our biggest thread in my area is the hawks.
I lost one of my favorites this summer and I was working right in the yard.
They are very brazen, they swoop right down over your. I had one that swooped over my head, within a few feet and went up to the tree, then did it again and again. He was after my chickens who were free ranging out in the yard, I tried to scare him off but they don't have any fear.
Then just shoot the hawk :evil:
But don't announce your intentions in an open internet forum, because that's a federal offense that can land you bigtime in jail, with heavy fines. Seriously! (http://annzoid.com/images/smileys/shootshovelshut.gif)
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Are hawks protected? How is it a federal offense?
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All birds of prey are protected (http://nwco.net/03-LegalIssues/3-1-3-MigratoryBirdTreatyAct.asp), as are many other birds.
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All birds of prey are protected (http://nwco.net/03-LegalIssues/3-1-3-MigratoryBirdTreatyAct.asp), as are many other birds.
Yes, the Migratory Bird Act, as it is known, has made it a federal offense to kill most migratory birds. It was passed in an effort to help save birds on the Endangered Species list such as the California Condor, Bald Eagle, Whooping Crane, Whistling and Tundra Swans, and the like. It was felt that making all but the exceptions protected would also help Threatened species rebound, which it has, that's why we have had such a large population of raptors develop over the last decade.
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Yeah, its tough with the predators. Our biggest thread in my area is the hawks.
I lost one of my favorites this summer and I was working right in the yard.
They are very brazen, they swoop right down over your. I had one that swooped over my head, within a few feet and went up to the tree, then did it again and again. He was after my chickens who were free ranging out in the yard, I tried to scare him off but they don't have any fear.
Then just shoot the hawk :evil:
But don't announce your intentions in an open internet forum, because that's a federal offense that can land you bigtime in jail, with heavy fines. Seriously! (http://annzoid.com/images/smileys/shootshovelshut.gif)
I believe here in Oregon if something is killing your livestalk you can kill it. I will ask my friend that is a game warden about the hawk thing.
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Irwin, I would love to hear that answer, ask your friend. There is nothing worse in my mind than watching something swoop down and nab some food from the chickenyard. I am not so kind a person when it comes to certain things and protecting my own, whatever it shall be. Have a great day, health. Cindi
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True the Hawks and Owls fly at different times of the day, thats why they can get each other. Owls can see the hawks roosting at night and can take them out. The Hawks see the Owls resting during the day and try to get them. I leared this during my studies to be a falconer. Its the same as you dont fly your hawk in areas where Eagles are known to be because the eagles will go after the hawk especailly when the hawk is sitting on its prey.
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I read on the byc site that its actually illegal to even scare the hawks, I forget the terminology but its something like harassing the hawks, some lady sprayed a hawk with a garden hose and she was scared she would be in trouble.
I mostly have a bad time here with them as they migrate in November. That month is particularly bad and then they are gone.
But for the few weeks preceding that I see them most every day.
I don't know what there is for owls here, I haven't seen any, thats not to say there couldn't be some, I just don't know. Lots of bats though, they don't seem to bother anyone (except my daughter ;) she don't like them much)
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You're right, Natalie, it is illegal to harass hawks, or any other bird, for that matter, other than the ones made an exception in the law. I think starlings, blackbirds and english sparrows (I call them pigs, they're a real PITA!) As for owls, we had a Great Horned Owl sitting in the tree right over the coop, silhouetted in the sunset, very impressive - thank goodness it went away!!! I hear Barred Owls and Screech Owls every year (it's just about mating season now for them, so listen closely at night, you'll hear them calling back and forth).
Irwin, there are provisions for capturing and relocating raptors, the use of pole traps (http://www.fws.gov/permits/PoliciesHandbooks/MBM%204.pdf) is one way, but the permitting process is pretty daunting. The federal laws apply across the country, so yes, it is illegal to shoot raptors in Oregon.
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With all the mice I have around here, A few chickens is a small sacrifice. I prefer the hawks and owls...
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Here I thought my hawk troubles were over for the winter and yesterday one comes back.
I went into the kitchen to grab a drink and stopped to look out the window at the chickens when I see this huge shadow fly over the snow, I knew from the 6-8 foot wingspan that it was a hawk flying over the yard.
The chickens knew it too and went wild squaking and hiding.
I go out back and sure it enough its perched in a tree.
I stayed out there until it flew away but I know now to be on the lookout for it.
It was a big one, its body was kind of wide and its head was kind of owlish. It appeared to be all gray.
We usually get the redtailed hawks around here but this one was different, either that or it was more mature than the ones I usually see.
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Wow,
I would love to get my hands some some Marans. My neighbor is an Araucana fellow. He telles me he has some Marnas as well. This is what he said about the eggs:
You will virtually never get eggs as dark as she shows. It takes a double dose of egg paint to get the really dark colors that she shows. In other words, the egg remains in the egg tract too long and gets painted twice before being laid.
I used to have Bantam Silver Seabrights and White headed Blue Polish...darned things lived for 10 years!
No chickens now, but you all are getting me "in the mood"...My poor DH is going to cringe when he hears I would like a nice coop built, hahaha
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I am not sure what you mean when you say not getting eggs "as dark as she shows," if you are referring to the picture of the dark copper marans, you absolutely will get eggs that dark.
That is why they are known as the breed that lays the "chocolate egg".
He may have marans but they could be cuckoo marans, golden cuckoo marans etc. there are several varieties of marans that lay a semi dark egg.
The Black Copper Marans however lay a consistently dark egg with a copper tint to them.
There is a very high standard of egg color acceptable by the marans breeders, there is a color chart and anything lower than a 4 doesn't qualify and everything else should really be a 6 or above.
This is why BCM are so expensive and good quality is hard to get.
The next darkest egg layer in the marans family is usually the Wheaton variety, very pretty birds the eggs are dark but not with the copper tint the Black Coppers give.
I have some cuckoo marans and they lay a decent enough dark egg but nothing like the black coppers lay.
If you do decide to get chickens and I really think you should :), but I think everyone should own a chicken or two or 50 in their yards, you might want to consider the marans, they will eventually be going down in price when there are enough breeders here in the states.
The demand is high right now, the breed was brought over here from Europe and there isn't that much availability so the breeders are getting top dollar for their eggs but I think in time the prices should drop.
The marans(all varieties) are a hardy breed with a good temperment and customers really like to get those colored eggs.
If you get some green or blue egg layers you will be able to offer customers a rainbow dozen.
See, I already have you selling eggs so you need to build that coop and get your chickens. ;)
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Natalie, I am also looking @ Maran's & was wondering why the cuckoo were less expensive now I know why. Am also wanting Welsummers, they are the same price @ Estes as the BMaran. You are so right, people love the different colored eggs & it makes it fun for me to see them also! Havn't found anyone near me that has them, at "egg layer" prices, I don't plan on nor have any interest in breeding or showing but would like the darker eggs. I did find someone that will butcher the roo's for me. They will keep the dark meat & I will get the white (no one here will eat dark meat), That way I can get straight run & just keep the prettiest roo to replace my hens for years to come. One of my EE's lays an olive egg & the other is light turquoise, one is pale pink & the other cream. Yes Sharon, get hubby to make you a house & get some. They are so fun! Today mine were taking Chelsea's footies out of the laundry basket & playing keep away with each other while I wast TRYING to hang laundry...needless to say they got washed again! J
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Jody, alot of people don't realize there are so many varieties of marans and there is a huge difference between the black coppers and the rest.
Hatcheries aren't even selling the black coppers yet and I will be surprised if they do.
I have never gone through the hatcheries, I order from breeeders. There are alot of breeders on the BYC site and I order the eggs and incubate them.
I actually have some welsummers in my bator right now, I set them yesterday, along with some golden cuckoo marans and ameraucanas.
The welsummer eggs are pretty, not as dark as my BCM eggs but still darker than what most people expect to see and they have very pretty speckles so customers should like them.
I like the variation of all the different patterns of speckles on each one.
I think their eggs are prettier than the Cuckoo Marans.
If you have anyone near you raising black copper marans see if they will let you buy their culls.
Breeders are very particular and will not keep anything that is below standards, but what is below their standards may exceed yours.
I know that I would take most any of these breeders culls. They usually cull because of non conformity to standard, not enough feathering on the shanks, too much copper in the breast, they show any kind of white feathering, all of these traits will get them booted from any breeding program.
BUT, they still may lay the darkest eggs you have ever seen and have the sweetest temperment around.
If you are interested, and you have a bator I can send you some eggs over the summer when my girls are laying and the boys are doing their job.
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Thanks Natalie, I'll post over there to see. I already have 16 chix, just want a few more, maybe 25 or so to round out my colors. I'd like more EE's too, they are so comical with their tufts! Thank you also for the offer of eggs but I don't have a bator. Not sure if I want one as I would then be hatching all sorts of stuff! :roll: J
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Oh I can't stand it!!! We haven't even sold or moved yet and I am wanting to raise more chickies here. I cannot do so and I must control these impulses. I have that incubator, just sitting there, waiting for eggs to be placed within, it holds 120 eggs of the chicken size. But sit it must, guess I can go there in my dreams, smiling. I have absolutely no clue what is going on with our y future, so I MUST not even think of raising more birds. If anything, I must downsize considerably and only keep a certain amount, pending this move. This has made my life constricted in these ways, and it is killing me hearing of the incubating, new birds that I know that people will be getting, raising, and so on, oh dear.....oh well. When we settle I will be going gung ho and gungbusters on things, eventually and I can't wait!!! Have that great, most awesome day, health. Cindi
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Day 7 and I candled the eggs in the bator and they all have veining, so far so good.
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Oh Cindi, you make me laugh! (in that good, understanding, almost laughing at myself way) I so know how you feel, the joy of living things all around you old & new longing for more. they give me energy & life, make me happy & calm. I don't have a bator or I would be in big big trouble! :roll: Not gonna get one either..nope nope nope!! I'll have to settle for seeing what colors my pigeons come out as & Rosie's calf!! I do need a few more koi colors though..don't have an all black one yet.. :evil: They spawned last year & I found a baby at the end of fall, bright golden yellow, looked to be a butterfly type it was still there a month or so ago in the shallows. The bushes are starting to bud out, bees are bringing in pollen & busy little girls going out there.Spring is on it's way!
Natalie, YAYS on the eggs! Keep us posted & pics for sure when they hatch...that will push Cindi right over the edge!! J
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Natalie, YAYS on the eggs! Keep us posted & pics for sure when they hatch...that will push Cindi right over the edge!! J
Jody, oh you brat girl!!!
Natalie, how exciting about the veining, so good, yeah!!! I have to agree though, bring on those pictures when they hatch, we would LOVE to see them, and yes, I'll be right over that deep edge, smiling. Have an awesome and wonderful day, health. Cindi
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I have been lurking over at BackyardChicken's forum and it might be me but those folks seem mean! Maybe they are just opinionated but there are some pretty inflexible folks over there!
It makes me very grateful for BeeMaster - and the flexibility to have "off topic" and non-bee threads like this one! Plus - I just like you folks!
I figure you will actually be excited when I say my first ever chicks are arriving on March 11th!
Decided on Ameraucana, Barred Rock and Welsummer.
I was tempted by the Marans too but after checking out some websites etc. it seems their temperament can be unpredictable and I can't have that in my suburban yard.
I am so looking forward to raising some chicks and can't wait to see those lovely blue and brown eggs!
I am aware that this was a dangerous venture to start...but can it really be any more addictive than bees!?
- Jess
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Yup, their mean. Not all of them but alot. They have many off topic threads over there though. They post about fights with their husbands, relatives and neighbors.
They post about their drug addicted kids, their jobs etc.
Believe me, lurk longer and you will know way more than you ever wanted to about those people.
Having said that, they are a wealth of information and I would not hesitate to post any question over there.
I am surprised that you found info that marans are tempermental, mine are so laid back and sweet.
If you don't think chickens are addicting you will find out. I only wanted 6 or 8 and I have way more than that now.
Pretty soon you will see another beautiful breed and want a couple of those, and then you will see another one and another one..................
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I was surprised to see that going on over there. I mean, what is the point of participating if you really just want to complain and/or berate others? I guess I just assumed that they would be as encouraging as beefolk are but maybe chickenfolk are different! I will def continue to keep going there for info though - even when the opinions are conflicting I am learning something!
The stuff I saw on Marans didn't necessarily say they were a problem just indicated that the breeding is not completely "done" so that you have a chance to get some that are a bit more edgy than others depending on the line they come from. This is probably true of every breed but it just made me a little nervous that it would be mentioned specifically.
Maybe when I am ready for more chicks I can get an egg from your flock?! Maybe by then you will have perfected that olive egger, too!
And what you say is, of course, true - I am already planning for other breeds when my first girls "give out" and they haven't even been born yet! And of course there's the go-for-broke path to more chicks but that involves moving!
- Jess
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I've read a few times (on BYC) that Marans would be one of the breeds to survive a predator attack, because they are very wiley and have a strong survivalist drive. I guess other breeds aren't quite so feisty.
As for people on BYC being mean, I think you can find that, but you can also find some very helpful folks well worth asking questions of. I've got other thoughts, but since I'm a moderator over there I have to behave myself ;)
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Chix & Bees, Bees & Chix...both are addicting! I love all mine, one in particular, Rosie, she was the weird one, sposed to be a blk sex link but was chox brown chick, now looks sort of like a partridge rock. I love the EE's, they are all so different in coloring & those tufts are just too cute. You will love your chix, it is amazing that they can cram em all into such a small box, with room left over! J
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I ordered a dozen ameraucana eggs from a woman who breeds them and she sent me 3 dozen with a note that said she had saved 2 dozen for herself to incubate but since they lost power in the ice storm she couldn't hatch them so she sent them along with my order.
So I now have another 3 dozen blue/black/splash and mottled ameraucanas.
Thank goodness I have a monthly swap meet to go to and there are actually 2 extra scheduled from another chicken group, so I won't have to look to hard to rehome the extras and I will make some money and recoup what I spent.
No one ever has to give away chicks at these swaps, you can always get a few dollars for them.
I told reinbeau I would give her a couple if she wants, plus I still have the olive eggers and some golden cuckoos and wellsummers in the bator.
I just hope I get enough pullets out of the wellies and olive eggers
Now if I don't get a bunch of pullets out of all those ameraucanas then something is really wrong!
Its been a joke in my family that every time I get this breed I get all roosters, which is pretty much true.
The eggs she sent are so pretty, such a nice shade of blue so I would love to get hens that lay the same.
Jessaboo, just let me know when you want to hatch and I can send you some eggs when you are ready.
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Jess, oh, you ain't seen nuthin' yet. You think that you got addicted to bees, the chickenyard critters are almost as the same. What a blast, I kid you not, you'll love every minute of it!!! Good luck with the babies that will be coming your way, yours to raise, to be mamma too, how cool. Have a great, most wonderful day, attract great health. Cindi