The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: darkbrowneggs on September 20, 2013, 09:02:27 am
-
Hi all - I know you seem to be a bit short of quality stock up there, but you are really no different from anywhere else in the country and there is a dearth of Marans which have been specifically bred to produce good eggs so when it comes to breeding on your stock you will have problems. If you are interested in overcoming these obstacles there is a large unfulfilled demand for quality stock laying dark brown eggs.
If anyone already has female Marans which are laying tinted rather than dark eggs and they get one of the spare males from the batch of chicks I sent up he should help darken the egg colour.
There at least 13 genes involved in creating dark shelled eggs, and these have not been properly researched so it is hit and miss. The best advice is to breed dark egg laying females to males hatched from even darker eggs, but this is easier said than done. My line is already closely bred which is not ideal but was the only way I could do it with the lack of suitable outcrosses
To use a completely unrelated outcross is a very scattergun approach if you already have reasonable egg colour. I would not like to work out the potential combinations between two lots of 13 genes, but it is certainly going to reduce your chances compared with a part outcross
For the moment I would suggest you try buying hatching eggs from Kevin Bowkett at Barrels Farm Poultry, he is interested in the egg colour and we have swapped stock at various times so there should be some link between the birds. Now I have given up he is going to try posting out more eggs, but do bear in mind that the postal journey to Scotland will do them no favours.
One of the best ways to start a good flock is to buy in a couple of Marans hens which are still laying well coloured eggs in the late summer. This proves that the egg colour is maintained rather than just a few dark eggs in spring, and also proves that they are reasonable egg producers. If you then breed these to a male you have hatched yourself from a very dark egg at least the genetics are then, then it is just luck as to how the genes mesh
If you do find a pair which "clicks" then keep repeating the mating and hatch as many eggs as you are able. You will only know this if you can identify which birds produced the dark egg laying pullets (not an easy task) Then breed these dark egg laying pullets back to their father to strengthen the genes, and if all goes well the grandaughters back to the original male.
Don't breed brother to sister and dont continue this line breeding for more than a couple of generations
And definitely don't ever breed anything which shows any signs of weakness, illness or deformity, but presumably I don't need to tell you that. There is nothing wrong with nursing back to health some sickly chicken, but do make 100 percent sure that this NEVER gets into yours or anyone else's breeding stock as you will only be storing up problems for yourself and others in the future.
-
We are going purely rare breed in 2014, I do have a maran or 2 but which strain of maran produce dark eggs ?
-
Well my strain did, :eyelashes: and some spare males are around in Scotland I think - contact Bloomer for their whereabouts. Its a real problem not only here in the UK but apparently in many other countries as well, but all it needs is someone who is prepared to put the effort in to careful breeding :thumbsup:
-
right come on bloomer get yourself on here :(
Dark brown eggs, thanks for that but do you have any idea what they actually were as I have brown marans, cuckoo marans & rennes marans, I do get a few slightly darker eggs but nothing like yours.
To be honest if it needs someone who is a little anal about keeping records not cross breeding I'm your man :roflanim:
-
Whereabouts is Bloomer located roughly?
-
I kept my English Cuckoo Marans since the early 80's when I moved back to Herefordshire. They didnt lay such dark eggs when I got them but by careful breeding the egg colour can be improved.
I tried about 5 times with various French types and wasnt happy with any of them. The eggs were dark at the beginning of the laying cycle, but even then the colour tailed off throughout the clutch, and really their clutch number was appalling 3 or 4 at most and often the birds would then take several days off before commencing another clutch :o
But I was very lucky in tracking down some eggs from a recently imported Belgium strain and kept the best trio from those. I also used them for crossing onto my Dark Cuckoos with the intention of re-creating the Black Marans (a lot of the ones which went north are from that first crossing and will lay good coloured eggs and also should be very good layers)
But they are not yet "Black Marans" and it was a project which I anticipated would have taken about 6 years to complete to get them breeding true
I have tried to re-locate my pure bred breeding stock with those who I hope will take it forward and all being well intend to add contact details to the www.darkbrowneggs.info (http://www.darkbrowneggs.info) site once they are in a position to supply eggs/birds, so watch that space.
By the way what are rennes marans?
-
Whereabouts is Bloomer located roughly?
10 minutes from me in Central Scotland. We have a local Smallholders Association www.centralscotlandsmallholders.org.uk (http://www.centralscotlandsmallholders.org.uk)
My two hen chicks from Sue are going to Roscobie North of Saline/Steelend as I'm not able to cope with more just now. I'll get progeny back sometime. Carol also has a cockerel - one of the 5 hatched from eggs very kindly given to me by Sue. Our Chairman, Stuart has one, and the others are all local too.
-
Rennes marans are a French strain slightly taller and thinner than the others
My brown maran looks similar to a hybrid 103 but taller & thinner then I have these others that are black & grey mottle / speckled
I am going to run my rennes with a legbar cock to see what that produces, should be a good egg count interesting to see the colour though (I reckon off white)
I would definitely be interested in 2 cockerals from dark eggs :excited:
-
I have heard of a Cocou de Rennes
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=coucou+de+rennes+chickens&oq=coucou+de+r&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l2j69i60j0.10616j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 (https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=coucou+de+rennes+chickens&oq=coucou+de+r&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l2j69i60j0.10616j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)
and Cocou de Malines
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=torrox+costa&oq=torrox+costa&aqs=chrome..69i57j5j0l2.6027j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=Cucou+de+Malines (https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=torrox+costa&oq=torrox+costa&aqs=chrome..69i57j5j0l2.6027j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=Cucou+de+Malines)
Both of which played a part in the background of the Marans -
Other French breeds that played a part in the development of the Marans included the
feather legged Cocou de Malines including the pea combed ‘turkey head’, the clean
legged Cocou de Rennes, & the Gatinese.
There is lots of info about Marans on the Marans Club website www.themaransclub.co.uk (http://www.themaransclub.co.uk) but from what you say you may not even have Marans as such, there are many many birds sold as Marans which are not what they seem
A Marans fowl should always be chunky for its size as they are a dual purpose bird originally bred for its meat qualities, but nowadays the egg colour is paramount so as well it should lay at least a colour 4 egg on the chart for most of its laying life, and the better ones will lay mostly a 5 or higher.
Gosh - what a Marans bore I am :innocent:
-
My cuckoo marans look like the cocou de malines
& my rennes look like the rennes
You maybe right my brown maran may not be a maran but looks identical except for the colour, its the same shape as the rennes
Looking closely at them today I have 2 darkbrown/black with brown flakes as well
Hoping bloomer comes up trumps with a cockeral
-
If you can post some good photos plus piccies of the eggs they lay that might be helpful :)
-
1. I'm pants at uploading anything though I will try
2. I have no idea which eggs are from which hens so I will pick out the darkest
So I can get a cockerel collected from Scotland in about a weeks time if that suits Bloomer
-
Tesco have Marans eggs don't they? Look pretty dark to me. Mine came from hatching eggs from:
http://www.southyeofarm.co.uk/poultry/our_breeds.html (http://www.southyeofarm.co.uk/poultry/our_breeds.html)
so they might be worth contacting? Considering you're in the centre of the country, I guess leads in Scotland, Kent and Devon are about the least helpful but mine certainly hatched out of dark eggs!
H
-
One of my friends might well be interested in a cockerel, I will ask her and PM Bloomer.
-
Tesco have Marans eggs don't they? Look pretty dark to me. Mine came from hatching eggs from:
http://www.southyeofarm.co.uk/poultry/our_breeds.html (http://www.southyeofarm.co.uk/poultry/our_breeds.html)
so they might be worth contacting? Considering you're in the centre of the country, I guess leads in Scotland, Kent and Devon are about the least helpful but mine certainly hatched out of dark eggs!
H
Interesting about Tescos - I checked that out. A fair bit of artistic licence there I suspect - Marans are originally from Marans in France and Chestnut is not a Marans type
Tescos have labeled their eggs Chestnut Maran (note the mis-spelling) which I assume is some sort of hybrid like a Burford Brown where a Copper Black male is used to produce sex linked chicks. Maran Cuirve is yet another hybrid which folk buy thinking it is a Marans. I know I don't keep Marans anymore but it does annoy me a bit when the name is purloined to such an extent - it makes it very hard for breeders of genuine Marans,
I have heard good things about South Yeo's other stock, so if they are selling good coloured Marans hatching eggs then they are certainly worth hatching some, though this time of year may not be the best.
-
I think they sell birds too although it's quite a trip down for you guys. Or worth asking whether they've sent any hatching eggs in your direction. Maybe somebody closer has a spare cockerel.
Interesting about the Tescos eggs too. I must admit I didn't check closely - I was really looking at the price point of duck eggs and happened to notice the dark eggs next to them.
H
-
Hester interesting that I show up in the midlands as we now live in Devon Yeo is a bit far but that wouldn't put us off, I 'll be on the phone Monday they are advertising speckled Sussex I 've been trying to add to my bloodline for 12 months without success.
I have a few marans though no cockerel and as there seems to be a shortage I'm happy to add them to my breeding plans.
-
Don't forget there is no shortage of Marans per ser - but a great shortage of good Marans.
The breeding of high quality coloured egg laying stock has to be one of the most difficult things to achieve as it cannot be judged by eye alone, but the results of ones efforts only become apparent when the offspring come into lay. That is why I personally would hesitate to introduce a cockerel from a new bloodline into my flock.
Fine if your birds are laying medicore eggs and you think he cockerel is from a dark egg laying stain as you have nothing much to loose, but once your flock is established only introduce females as you can monitor what they actually produce. Even a cockerel hatched from a dark brown egg may have been sired by an indifferent father and in any case as I said in my opening post, not every pairing of birds will "nick" as the old poultrymen say
-
Hi,
I currently do not have a maran cockerel so any cockerel would be hit & miss, if I where paying good money for one it would need a guarantee of at least a 5 :roflanim:
My thoughts were I would introduce 2 cockerals as I have a few marans and some copper blacks they could service both after 2 services I would swap them over service twice again, and monitor all off spring all would be numbered, I understand that its the cocks that are important and therefore the cock offspring would then be bred.
The dog loves cockerel for dinner no matter how old (feathers removed)
-
Ah, OK, Devon is easier that midlands then - definitely try South Yeo. I first came across them looking for West of England geese. They didn't have much joy with them this year but I did get Araucana, Marans and Cayuga hatching eggs from them and the fertility was good on all of them (only got four eggs for the chickens) plus I've the birds are lovely looking (to an untrained eye!). My Marans hen is yet to lay so not sure what her eggs will be like - will post back next year on that! If the good stock is so hard to come by, maybe I should keep my cockerel alive - husband will be happy!
H
-
Thanks for the yeo, I have sent them an email,
The marans could be a little project that may earn reasonable money £20 for a hen that lays over a 5 though £3 for one that doesn't
We get £20 for a lavender whatever they lay and £35 for a speckled though they are show condition
£12 for a legbar as long as they lay blue
We are attempting an autumn natural birth we have a number of young various ages whom all bed up together, hoping this will work :fc:
-
If the stock you are producing are pure and conforms to the Breed Standards then I think you are underselling if you are talking about young pullets that have just come into lay and producing good coloured eggs.
I could have sold far more than I ever bred and though I charged £28 for a pure bred Marans and slightly more for a pure bred Cream Legbar I was in fact charging far less than others who's stock was certainly no better than mine, if even as good.
But it would have to be pure stock bred to the breed standards and capable of breeding on true - there is not much stock available in this category that is also capable of laying reasonable quantities of either blue or brown eggs.
For the breed standards of either breed check out
www.darkbrowneggs.info (http://www.darkbrowneggs.info)
and
www.blue-eggs.co.uk (http://www.blue-eggs.co.uk)
-
cream legbars Marians i had some off the best cream legbars in Scotland winning the national the job is the same for the Marians i first go through the sales and see who has good stock .I then get 2 hens from each stock so i would get 2 from Scotland 2 from carlile york duram etc i would pen 2 in a pen then get the best 2 cock birds i could find hatch as many as i could using 1 cock bird to 2 hens rotate and see haw this has worked then go to a egg sale like pebbles poultry club and see who has the best all round eggs then work on that it can take meney months to get it right and be prepared to scrap the lot if you don't move forward .I only have 1 breed naw silver lace wyndotts there is only 3 breeders in UK that have good quality stock so this will be hard i don't show eney more just have nice stock .In Scotland you have a breeder ca led grogan mick good egg colour for Marians he also shows his eggs at the national so a must for stock dingwall for eggs march sale .So if you have dark brown eggs stock you could use his cock birds as foundation to get dark eggs to start with .its very rewarding to get high prices for you re stock .
-
Wow I'll keep saying thank you if you all keep educating me, I have separated my Marans(spelt incorrectly) their eggs are darker than the others, slightly smaller than I would expect, ours are just about a 5 on the egg scale, we think we have located a couple of cocks from different breeders. you have truly surprised me with the prices you achieved from your Marans, how many birds would you sell per year, & how many eggs.
I don't expect to be able to sell much in the way of Marans in 2014, so my aim will be for 2015 and onwards, If I say so myself my legbars are probably the best I have ever seen, show condition & lay very well, minimum breeding this year, 2014 will be a much heavier breed, we have learn't so much this year, we have had chickens 25 years though never bred prior to this year.
Keep the comments suggestions coming please and sales figures would be helpful :fc:
-
A few points for you to consider
Dark Brown Eggs are dark brown because they have a layer of dark pigment "painted" on to the shell surface. If there is a finite quantity of pigment each time an egg is produced then depending on the size of the egg it will be darker or lighter, much the same as a red balloon when inflated will not have the depth of colour as an uninflated one.
Marans eggs should be pretty well a 4 even at the end of their lay and in their second year.
It seemed one of the failing of many of the French types that they would start off with very dark eggs, but only managed to produce very few before the colour tailed off - in some instances half way through an egg. So that is something you will need to watch as your birds progress
It those same birds lay on through the winter and then in the spring flush are still laying a 4-5 then I would say they are worth breeding from
I never managed to keep up with demand for my birds or eggs, but I was very picky as to what eggs were send/set and culled any birds not up to scratch in any way.
I would be interested in seeing some good photos of your stock and eggs.
-
So I have tried to attach pictures it says the file for one picture is too big 900 kb needs to be below 500 ish what do we need to do ????
-
can you see these ?
-
Looking eggsellent :thumbsup: If you can produce pullets which lay eggs like that and of a reasonable size ie 60 grms+ then I would say you could sell as many as you can produce at £28
-
they are 56g each,
Not my best Maran,
Are my hens ok :fc:
-
Cream Legbar looks pretty good, nice colouring and comb looking reasonably straight and not too floppy which is good for a female. I presume her beak and legs are yellow and its just the photo is a bit bleached out
Not too sure about the gingery brown in the feathers of the bird which looks like a Marans. Or is she one of the other breeds you mentioned. Again it could just be the photo giving the feathers a strange look. Always difficult to judge a bird from photos and of course if she is coming up to the moult sometimes the sun can discolour the feathers somewhat.
Eggs from pullets at 56 grms are a good sign as they will soon get up to size :thumbsup: Obviously a full grown Marans should be laying large eggs (63 grms to 73 grms from memory) and extra large (73+grms ) are even better. :D
-
Stock looks very good ,i still think that you need good numbers to maintain egg demand haw Meany hens have you got .
-
The Legbar has dark cream/yellowish claws, this maran alaong with another couple are the rennes slightly taller and thinner than the others.
Victorian Farmer, we are planning to have 8 hens 2 cocks per breed for spring, at the moment we are picking the best and losing the rest (selling off to backyarders) it is tempting to have more but we would rather get it right in 2014 and lay the foundations for 2015
When you say egg demand, how many fertile eggs of each breed would you eggspect to sell per year ?
-
This is from the correct standard for Cream Legbars
In both sexes: Beak yellow. Eyes orange or red. Comb, face, and wattles red. Ear lobes pure opaque, white or cream, slight pink markings not unduly to handicap an otherwise good male. Legs and feet yellow.
And this from the Standard for English Cuckoo Marans
Male and female plumage: Cuckoo throughout, each feather marked across with bands of blue-black.
WEIGHTS.
Cock 3.60kg (8lb) Cockerel 3.20kg (7lb) Hen 3.20kg (7lb) Pullet 2.70kg (6lb)
This is the sort of shape you should be looking for in a good Marans hen. This bird not only won the Marans Class but also the Overall Utility Cup at The National
These are the points awarded (or should be) when judging a Marans
SCALE OF POINTS
Type, carriage and table merits (to include type of breast and fleshing, also quality of flesh) (40 points); Size and quality (20 points); Colour and markings (15 points); Head (10 points); Condition (10 points); Legs and Feet (5 points) = Total 100 points
The number of eggs you will be able to sell will depend on the egg colour and quality (ie no stress marks, good strong shells) plus hatchability. The first year you may not sell that many as your stock will be of unknown quality. Once the offspring have grown and prove to be of a good standard hatching into healthy birds which are capable of laying a sensible quantity of good eggs you will begin to get repeat orders and recommendations and the numbers you sell will increase. But it all depends on your ability to produce quality stock. Without that purchasers are disappointed and will not return and you will not get recommendations
-
I would of thort 12 hens 300 POUND each sale 2 doz 18 pound a box I'm on 25 for 12 eggs remember that the cock was best in section highland show and the 2 hens were open winners .I have 40 young hens from them I will sell all stock in spring and keep the best 10 then find a new cock bird . I do this each spring .
-
Dark brown thanks for that I will inspect my birds tomorrow, I'm completely with you regarding quality, that's exactly what we are aiming for so the Marans will be trying to get it right next year with an aim of selling in 2015, the lavenders we are on the ball there should be a good year 2014, and the legbars I have a number of good girls but my cock is pants, the last couple of hatchings have had poor colour, poor definition, so if I only gain a legbar cock we should do ok next year.
Victorian farmer, you could always send your cock down to me, too luck after my ladies.
-
I will ask around to see if anyone has a reasonable Cream Legbar cockerel - how far north do you come on your travels? :eyelashes:
-
There is a breeder that lives in the borders that breeds cream leg bar that are out standing the best iv seen they have never been shown last week I took stock to carlile sold 3 hens and a trio for him they made 100 pound and 80 pound in September .I will send you eggs from me and him that will help you . I will also get eggs or marrans from Scotland I will be in Nuneaton in April with stock .if I can help you get sorted .
-
That's great if VF can sort you out
If not these are some young cockerels from eggs hatched from my birds earlier this year.
I know Steve will want to keep the 2 or 3 best (I think he has around 6 or so) but there are some quite nice ones the others and the pullets hatched earlier came into lay quickly with good coloured eggs
-
Hi, Dark brown & VF sorry I've been really busy the last day or two.
VF I think we will say Nuneaton in April is a date, I will PM you my number and email and we can arrange whats available and what we will have etc.
DBE I come up as far as the Midlands.
VF so as you are losing your Maran cock shall I take him off your hands at Nuneaton ? you can be assured he will be going to a good home.
I appreciate the offer of eggs and yes I would like to take you up on that, knowing how difficult marans are at hatching when would you recommend me having them, I always have a broody, I have broody pens, heat lamp though I don't like using it, I am planning on buying an incubator for next year.
-
I think spring is the best ,we start November getting stock in condition by Christmas they are laying full by the end of December cocks go to the hens then we start 2014 and should be done by the end march ,chicks grow faster out in the spring sun .
-
I have heard of a Cocou de Rennes
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=coucou+de+rennes+chickens&oq=coucou+de+r&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l2j69i60j0.10616j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 (https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=coucou+de+rennes+chickens&oq=coucou+de+r&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l2j69i60j0.10616j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)
and Cocou de Malines
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=torrox+costa&oq=torrox+costa&aqs=chrome..69i57j5j0l2.6027j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=Cucou+de+Malines (https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=torrox+costa&oq=torrox+costa&aqs=chrome..69i57j5j0l2.6027j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=Cucou+de+Malines)
Both of which played a part in the background of the Marans -
Other French breeds that played a part in the development of the Marans included the
feather legged Cocou de Malines including the pea combed ‘turkey head’, the clean
legged Cocou de Rennes, & the Gatinese.
There is lots of info about Marans on the Marans Club website www.themaransclub.co.uk (http://www.themaransclub.co.uk) but from what you say you may not even have Marans as such, there are many many birds sold as Marans which are not what they seem
A Marans fowl should always be chunky for its size as they are a dual purpose bird originally bred for its meat qualities, but nowadays the egg colour is paramount so as well it should lay at least a colour 4 egg on the chart for most of its laying life, and the better ones will lay mostly a 5 or higher.
i have coucou de rennes only just received them not laying as yet
but think they have light colour eggs
Gosh - what a Marans bore I am :innocent:
i have coucou de rennes only just received them not laying as yet
but think they have light colour eggs
-
Haw did people do in 2016 Marrans good and cream legbar in 2016
-
WOW! :o :o
Those eggs are amazing!! What an awesome colour.
-
The next problem a lot of legbars are laying green eggs and not high numbers
This mistake usually arises from overlooking the difference between show and utility strains of the same breed. Birds bred for one purpose are almost invariably inferior for the other, and this with no blame attachable to the breeder. It is the breeder's point of view or idea which does not coincide with that of the purchaser. Most farmers raise poultry for eggs or meat, or both. But even so it will always be safe in writing a breeder to determine as nearly as possible how his ideas of poultry-breeding approach one's own and thus narrow down as nearly to the right birds as possible. It must be recognized also that while the general purpose fowl is a universal desire, yet it has not been secured. By trying to combine show points, egg laying and meat qualities in the one bird an aspirant is almost sure to be disappointed in each direction.
As to picking out the highest scoring bird as the best layer, don't try to do it. Nine times out of ten she may prove a poor layer. Exhibition birds are forced for show, not for eggs; and it takes considerable time to get them back into breeding condition. Birds intended for laying eggs and breeding purposes on a large scale should never enter the show room. Another point is that the highest scoring fowl, if carefully and scientifically bred, is apt to be bred in-and-in for points only.
-
We have Marans, both Copper Black and Copper Blue (Copper is the neck feathering). Being to the original standard they are medium build and have feathery feet, are very flighty and lay well. I've been told the French Copper Black is now available in UK at hybrid prices because there is no English breed standard for them? If this is correct it would be a good way to get brown eggs inexpensively. The breed standard egg size is 70-75g but sadly ours didn't get that big and there was a big variation in the intensity of the brown egg colouring.
-
i enjoy showing some my aim is to put the cou cou de rennes into a utility class that way i can breed to standard and still show the bird
-
Is anyone still breeding for coloured eggs, Dark Brown or Blue ?
It would be good to keep this thread going, it has very good information that would be a shame to loose. :thumbsup:
-
Kevin at Barrels Farm near Pontrilas keeps a good strain and also might have contact details of others
-
Ps my darkbrowneggs site is still on line with lots of useful info about Marans and my blue-eggs site also :0
-
Hey Sue, it's great to see you on here again :thumbsup: how's things on your travels?
I got some Cuckoos from you about 8 years ago on another site :innocent:
And some Cream Legbars.
Just hatched some Cuckoo from a guy in Lancashire who shares eggs with Kevin, I've marked the darkest eggs to keep a cockerel to also use on my birds, hoping there a good match.
-
Hi Sadly pretty rubbish for me Have just finished radiotherapy. Last chemo was in Jan and radical hysterectomy inFeb Last few days have been worst ever for me :( Can barely sit up :(
[size=78%]Thanks for thinking of me will post again if up to it x[/size]
-
Hi Sue, so very sad to hear of your condition.
I've thought of your adventures many times while tending to my Marans and wished you were on here offering advice and good banta.
I do hope you have the strength to post in the future as your knowledge is needed for us to continue your good work and continuous improvement of the Marans and their Dark Brown Eggs.
-
English Cuckoo Marans breeders group UK face book Bamford Quality cream legbars scotland uk heba dark eggs eropean lines
-
Are you still breeding Marans VF ?
If so how's your breeding season gone?
I've bought in some eggs this season to add a cockerel to my original birds.
Got them from H. Hargreives, very nice eggs :thumbsup:
Marked the darkest eggs / chicks to choose for 2 cockerels to keep back.
-
iv got no marrans naw but iv put the cz gene in the last fuew layers that looked good the price was so low that it wasent worth carring on .so i have highbred layers and wont be breeding next 2018 . the season was a disaster i had about 100 just before the fedaration show .i held off becouse of the bird flue then went for it in febuarey i then had about 300 chicks whith no sales of eggs then no sales of birds . in march and into april .so i had loads of stock and no sales to reduce stock . i put 100 hens in thainstone good dark eggs layers sext 12 pound a pen of 5 hens a disaster .Then the legbars not much better 30 pound for 4 hens and 142 pounds selling fees .the next sale at carlile was low the cost of feed was also up .So a disaster all round .SO no breedeing in 2018 and i dont think il carrey on very disapointed whith fees up feed up and electricatey up sad times gone from 52 breeding pens dawn to 2
-
That's very bad luck. I would normally have begun test hatches in April and then selling hatching eggs but Hereford Market poultry sales not opening until May made me hold back and reduce numbers. I see from Farmers Guardian that avian flu is rumbling on in Europe so I'm presently working on the assumption it'll be back this Winter and I'm cutting back numbers and aiming to keep only the very best stock of our Laced Wyandottes, Dorkings and Speckled Sussex and Narragansett turkeys through to next year.