Marans eggs????

[Nicos]

Just wondering when my Marans should start to lay....she's 21 weeks

( getting excited!!!!!)

[Scarlet]

They are much later than hybrid chickens - can be as late as 24 weeks, is she showing any signs?

[Nicos]

Nope- no signs at all!

24 wks???OK- that's not too long to have to wait...I'm just dying to see what shade of brown they are- we have a friend who has 4 Marans- 2 lay medium bown eggs- and the other two lay very pale ones.
My 2 chicks which hached last week are from a different supplier- so that'll be interesting ( If they turn out to be gals)
....thanks!

[Suechooks]

My white Leghorn is just laying at 22weeks. She's a much lighter weight bird than a Marans though - actually she's no bigger than the bantams and her eggs only slightly bigger. The Welsummer of the same age hasn't even got a comb yet!

[Glutton4...]

My (Folks') Marans were POL when I got them last spring. I was told 16 weeks, but it was aaaaaaaages before we had any eggs from them, more like thirty weeks. I think the seller lied about their age.

[Gro-Bag]

If I remember right it was about 23 weeks or more for my CLs.

What kind are your new ones? I was able to tell the gender of my copper blacks and blues at about 3 days old as the males got coppery colours in their heads. Alright, I didn't realise I had blues and blacks, but the gender I seem to have got right as fas as I can tell - one has started crowing, lol.

[Nicos]

Do you mean 3 weeks GB????

These two are copper blacks- and at the moment look identical apart from the odd yellow speckle around their faces.They are 7 days old tomorrow.
Last time I was pretty sure from the wing and tail feather length by about 3 weeks that I had 2 gals and 3 boys- turned out one of the gals was a boy...but a very slow developer.

Hard work all this working out of sexes isn't it???

I'll just be happy for a large dark brown egg to be honest- and fingers crossed one - or both - of the new chicks is a gal so Petal has a friend who understands her language

( my others are tiny hyperactive banties!!!)

...come on brown egg.....

[Gro-Bag]

No, I wasn't sure whether the farmer had said 3 weeks or 3 days, until some copper on their heads appeared bang on at three days, both the blue and black cockerels, and not on the hens. Don't remember yellow speckles, the coppery-ness was mostly on their crowns.

Hey - maybe you've got 2 gals... : )

[Nicos]

Well- they've gone to bed now- so I'll have a closer look tomorrow- if I can catch them- boy are they fast!!!
....fingers crossed for 2 gals...wasn't easy 'sorting out' 4 big lads in one go

[Gro-Bag]

Lol - speedy little blighters aren't they!!

[Nicos]

Lol - speedy little blighters aren't they!!

The Marans chicks are far more lively and freek out/panic far quicker than any of my banty chicks ever were.
Interestingly- Betty- their surrogate mom is just as fast with them- yet with previous hatchings she was really calm!

[Glutton4...]

My Marans are much more flighty than my Batties. They're pretty, but a pain!

[Gro-Bag]

Yep - first thing mine do when I let them out the run is fly all over the place. Chaos. I'll miss them when they go though.

[jessmorris]

....mine were bonkers too, glad to see the backs of 'em! Its nice to see them as big boys now tho' on my friends smallholding - she marvels at how calm they are!!

[Scarlet]

Mine aren't calm, especially when my boys shot corn around the pen with a catapult