Guess What...

[Chocolate Brownie]

cookie- the maran was attacked by joy (the puppy) , but she is now ok

[Chocolate Brownie]

maran = cookie (tough)
black rock = Robin (red breast)

[HayleyB]

Their wings weren't clipped and being new they didn't know where they should stay so Cookie flew out luckily I heard the commotion. She's shocked but ok, I've clipped their wings now. Robin is a Red Rock black with red breast, have yet to name the blues.....

Off to find what Aunty Mo is up to

[Flummery]

Shame you can't clip the puppy's wings!

[HayleyB]

Unfortunately Aunty Flum all our GSDs have a 'thing' about birds and horses even the cat they only like other dogs

Cookie is fine but still a bit traumatised, and because of it has lost the confident cockiness she came in with so is mostly picked on as well now, will give it a couple of days see how it goes - I'm sure they'll be fine.

[sheena]

Hayley, if you need help with dispatching i'm sure my hubby wouldn't mind.

He said he would do our's, but got attached to them, so I guess it's down to me now on that score, but i'll have words if you like.

And all it will cost you is a cup of tea, or 2, or 3... if you get my meaning. LOL

[HayleyB]

I do good tea thanks for offering him Sheena, will see what becomes..........

[CoraxAurata]

Ummmmm, weellll - Aunty Mo what ARE you gonna do with the boys?????

Cause if you can then I'm sure I can bring myself to although having bought the subject up with His Lordship he said there's no way he's gonna do it

Anyway confession time............

2 Bluebelles (one with a slightly golden chest)
a Cou Cou Maran who is a tough cookie already and has hairy outers to the legs but bald inside the legs - weird
and a Red Rock that's black with a green sheen like Jade but a red chest

Fiesty is loving the fact that she's no longer bottom of the order and has been bossing the new biggies around already, soooooo funny

Bluebelles are maran X RIR anyway (or so I read) so she's probaby had a golden cuckoo maran parent insred of the more common ones

The err Cuckoo Maran sounds like she has exactly the right feathering for a FRENCH Maran the French show standard had feathered legs (on the outside only) whereas the Brittish standard doesn't have feathered legs at all - It is a French breed.....

Maran obsessed sorry.... (mine are mostly French Copper Blues..)

PS Maran cockerals can be feisty!

[CoraxAurata]

Yep I had committed to them before getting the newies last week so they'll be here on Tuesday - at least it'll give Feisty and Jade a break - being Banties they are easily intimidated by the ex-bats.

Bantams intimidated!? I don't beleive it they are having you on! I've got one little bantam hen and she sorts out everyone - even shirty cockeral! Only Beauty the Muscovy duck can really stand up to her!

[HayleyB]

No honest Fiesty lives up to her name but has taken a little while she thinks she's a big chook in a little body but some of the more established don't like her cause she's different.

A French Maran eh - will she still lay dark eggs? the feather on her legs are very strange we call Cookie a closet werehen

What colour eggs do Blues lay?

Thanks Corax

[MaureenHall]

Bluebelles lay light brown eggs with a pinkish/plum blush. You can see the difference when you've got eggs from different breeds together

[HayleyB]

Ooooh, maran, pinkish/plum, my whites my normal brown and creams all I need now's a Legbar fro blu/green

[CoraxAurata]

No honest Fiesty lives up to her name but has taken a little while she thinks she's a big chook in a little body but some of the more established don't like her cause she's different.

A French Maran eh - will she still lay dark eggs? the feather on her legs are very strange we call Cookie a closet werehen

What colour eggs do Blues lay?

Thanks Corax

I haven't met a French Cuckoo before my cuckoos are Brittish and lay a lighter egg than the Blue Marans but still a bit darker than an average brown egg - Being of French strain you may get lucky and have a proper coloured egg, unfortunately due to adding other breeds to introduce the sex linking and to enhance show looks a lot of Cuckoo marans lay lighter eggs than those the breed is famous for, My Blues, Copper blues and Wheatons are laying Much darker eggs. I have tried to buy dark cuckoo eggs from ebay but they are usually a bit disappointing - I have a project to breed some cuckoos that again lay eggs as dark as my Wheatons but It will probably take a few generations so if Cookie lays a beautiful dark egg do let me know!

Sorry to go on its a pet itch of mine....<g>

[HayleyB]

I'm keeping my fingers x'd and will let you know when she starts to lay although in about 4-5 weeks, I think she does look younger than the other 3 and there's not the slightest hint of a comb........

[CoraxAurata]

Blue Marans Pullets (small Dark), Duck(white or Green), Quail, RIR bantam(small pale), Late season Older Wheaton Marans (Larger Dark egg) (but not as dark or evenly coloured as earlier in the year......) small medium brown=cuckoo pullet) The slightly lighter dark egg towards left hand side is probably also from my wheatons and is infact darker than pic suggests..

Not sure wether you can see all of these in this pic but its a rough guide <g>