[bloomer]

they are all in the big grass pen this morning (after all escaping in my kitchen and running riot this morning) they took one look at the grass and ran to the safety of their house!!!


the CL boy we brought up is a bit bigger than the chicks i guess 4-6 weeks older and he's trying to shepherd 20 crazy chicks its very cute to watch!!!

[Fleecewife]

Our broody is teaching her chicks how to peck at food.....sshh...I think they know already 
 
Thank  you darkbrowneggs for this great opportunity to get some of your stock to Scotland.   I now have two black marans and two CL so I'm delighted.   I hope your sexing worked     I hope too that the house sale and your road trip go successfully.
 
Bloomer - it sounds as if that's a very motherly cockerel there    or a chick with responsibilities beyond his years 
 
 
(sorry about the big type - don't know where that came from and can't change it  )

[doganjo]

If HE really is a HE he is very very cute.  He was quite perturbed when teh chicks all went through the cage bars and round to the back of the pen  .

[Big Light]

HE  is happily penned up with them and showing them how to eat and drink - like a good big brother! - He would normally have been put in a different pen due to his size but they all seem rather attached and he seems quite carefull and not bullying them

Bloomer thanks for your efforts and nice to meet you today

DBE - thanks also for keeping them for the scottish run
cheers
BL

[doganjo]

Sorry, I missed you BL, and David didn't catch me early enough to take the Maran cockerels over.  He will be here Friday if you are available.  I'm not confident they are all males anyway - wish Stu could come and have a look  They are all welcome to stay anyway till they start crowing or David needs the rat cage whichever is sooner.

[Big Light]

Hi Doganjo is the time in the pm okay for friday evening?
thanks BL

[doganjo]

Afternoon is fine, I think David is coming over in the morning.  I want hens not cockerels so if by any chance you get a hen - I'd like to know I can swap it if there's a cockerel left, but I assume you'd feel the same?

[Big Light]

No problem, i'm looking for a cockerel otherwise no chicks from the ones from bloomer, they certainly all looked like cockerels in the pictures but till i see them in the flesh im only 90% on that
Can hopefully sort you out with some free hatching eggs next year if there is no hens, if that sounds like a plan?

By pm in the last message i meant the time in the personal message which hopefully you got rather than pm  - afternoon - apologies for the double meaning last message

I can see you on the map but can you PM me your postcode / address
thanks BL

[doganjo]

Isn't it lovely to put faces to names?    Just met Big Light when he came to pick up a Maran cockerel and took two.  He confirmed our suspicions that they are all males - sods law!    However, the other three have homes promised (Fifesmallholder, Happy Hippy and Moregin) and Jack has offered me a hen next year in return, so with two of those cute babies from Sue to come in due course, I'll be at full strength, and the quail can have a pen all for themselves.

[bloomer]

In other news we lost 1 baby last night it was the smallest of the marans, guess it was a ll a bit much moving so far :-(

[doganjo]

Aww wee soul 

Who gets what now then - if there's a shortage of Marans, one will be fine with me and I can get one from Jack next year.

A very big big thank you to Sue (DARKBROWNEGGS) for all our chickbabies, and to Kevin and Elaine(Langfauld easycare) for my ever so cute quail girls.

[Fleecewife]

In other news we lost 1 baby last night it was the smallest of the marans, guess it was a ll a bit much moving so far :-(

Oh that's a shame       One of our Maran chicks was a bit huddled and miserable when we got her home, but by morning a good warming under the broody had brought her back to life so we couldn't tell which one had been poorly.   They all love their mum 

[bloomer]

The one we lost was looking fine yesterday but was by far the smallest, so who knows...


I have a plan Annie don't worry you will get yours :-)

[doganjo]

I suspect a breeding enclave being developed? 

[darkbrowneggs]

Hope they all do well for all the new keepers up there and that there are lots of Marans girls in the batch. 


That little CL male sounds a good one, remember not to make too much of a pet of him as once the hormones kick in properly sometimes the Leghorn in their ancestry comes out and they can be overprotective of their females. 


If he does get a bit uppity and you take a firm stance at the beginning he should be fine, and I have specifically been trying to breed for more even tempered males, but its better to be forewarned than end up with a cockerel you can't get in the pen with.