The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: darkbrowneggs on August 12, 2010, 02:05:56 pm
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Hi - All
Just introducing myself, but I see from the last poster that this is a Scottish based site. Oh well! I've got this far so....
I am in Worcestershire, have been doing a bit of the self-sufficiency thing for quite a while, though it has never been self-supporting ::)
I have been keeping my English Cuckoo Marans since the 1980's, but mainly just for good eggs for the house, and nice chicken to eat (hope that's not frowned on)
I have also kept many types of animal - milking cow, suckler cows, sheep, pigs of many sorts, ducks, guinea fowl etc etc plus growing all sorts of fruit and veg. So over the years have picked up many hints and tips, but feel you can never have too much info
I love the internet and have just set up a website, which I thoroughly enjoyed doing. Love the countryside and watching all the wildlife (as long as it doesn't eat too much of what I think is mine ;) )
Hope to be able to watch learn and maybe participate a bit
All the best
Sue
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Hi Sue and welcome. Sure there are a lot of Scottish people on this site and yes the founders too are based up here but there are members from all parts of the world. I am in Fifr, one minute very heavy rain today and then brilliant sunshine. :wave:
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Hi Sue
I am from Oxfordshire, there are people from all over the world on here so welcome from Worcestershire!! Many of us eat our livestock too so no that is not frowned upon :) I have just recently bought Cuckoo Maran chicks, never had them before, I also have Buff Orpingtons and Light Sussex as well as a couple of Silver Dorking and Welsummers, I am sure your experience will be very useful to the forums, glad to have you onboard.
Dawn
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Hi Sue - welcome from sunny / rainy Angus.
We're Scottish based but outward looking so welcome to you in Worcestershire.
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Hello & welcome from Lanarkshire, in Scotland.
Yes, I suppose the site is based in Scotland, and does have a number of Scottish members - but it has to be based somewhere! There are many members from all parts of the UK and further afield. The big advantage of an internet based group is that it is not restricted - you can get advice & help from anyone, and there's probably other members who are not too far from you.
Enjoy it and don't hesitate to ask for help,
John
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hello and welcome!! Don't worry, everyone is welcome on here wherever you live. They have let me on here, and I am not from Scotland :D
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Hi and welcome from Suffolk.
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From your neighbouring county - Herefordshire :wave:
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I'm in Brittany, France, welcome.
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hello and welcome from Derbyshire
I love Marans - mine are black copper, and want some more eventually... :)
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Hi from Durham,
There are people on here from all over the UK and further afield, are your eggs pictured from Cuckoo Marans , i'm a bit isolated here when it comes to chickens, but like the look of the eggs and he thought of having a decent bird for meat. I've got a bit of a mix at the moment and thinking about getting a lot of one breed, would you recomend Maran?
Rob. ;D
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Hi from North Yorkshire. :wave:
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Hi and welcome from the Scottish Borders :wave:
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and welcome from Dorset!
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Hello
I'm in worcestershire too!! we are near Evesham (hence all the blinkin plums lol!!)
we also have some dark egg layers - love 'em!!
Lisa
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Welcome from Fife, dry and cold this evening, hopefully it stays dry :hshoe: :wave:
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Hello from North Yorkshire. 8) 8) 8) 8) Don't worry Sue we aint all Scottish ha ha ha ::) ::) ::) ::)
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Welcome from another Fifer ;)
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Hello All and Many Many thanks for all the welcomes :wave:
Pottsie asked about Marans. I have only ever kept the traditional English Cuckoo Marans, and have found them excellent utility birds. The best of mine lay about 6 eggs a week.
The flavour of the meat is excellent and it is a nice white colour with a fine texture. In fact I think the birds were originally valued as a meat bird, and it was only later the colour of the eggs was a factor. The cockerels dress out at around 5.5 to 6 lbs and the cocks a bit bigger.
The good things about them are
-Beautiful egg shell colour - it always makes eating a boiled egg that much nicer
-Lovely deep orange/yellow yolks and a very good flavour. I kept some Marsh Daisies for a while, and they were run together with the Marans, and had the same food, but the yolks were much much paler.
-Because of the thickness of the shell the eggs keep fresher longer, and the yolks stand up much higher than normal eggs. Also they are safer when travelling, or in the fridge due to the extra thick shells
-I don't find them "peckers" and in nearly 30 years of keeping them I have never had an instance of feather pecking or bullying and I always run different ages together. The adolescent cockerels are kept together and again no fighting, but there are no females with them.
-My cockerels are calm and quiet, though I have heard that others have had trouble with aggressive males. I wonder if it is the ones with a more "gamecock" look such as the Copper Black Marans that perhaps have retained more of the genes of the fighting cocks from which the breed was developed that have given them this reputation. My current cockerel always talks to me and normally gives me something even if it only a bit of straw.
-You can eat the surplus males.
-They are very hardy, and don't mind the wet having originally been bred in swampy area
-Long lived and very healthy, and have a long laying life
-Very good and careful broodies (I have even seen the cockerel brooding half grown chicks on the perch at night
-Not flighty and can easily be penned in or out of places as they dont fly well.
The not so good things about them are
-They won't lay as many eggs as a high laying hybrid such as Warrens
-The cockerels won't grow as fast as Ross-Cob type meat hybrids
-They eat more than the modern smaller hybrids
-They are not very good winter layers unless you give them some extra light
Over the years I have tried many varieties of hen, but now I only keep Marans AND I JUST LOVE THEM.
I could go on ;D But for more Marans stuff check out my site
All the best
Sue