New coop - what do you think?

[Eco-Chic]

They're very handsome Smoggy. Approximately how old are they?

[Nicos]

Marans????*swoon*

I'm going to pay 10E for each of mine .They are old ladies ( ?? 3 yrs)who are being retired and it's the price you'd pay for a free-range eater here.
So it's chez moi- or in the pot!
I'm hoping they've been running with males so have fertile eggs- just need to encourage a broody if they have ( fingers crossed)
Mine are direct from a large breeder and are the black ones.
Yours look lovely- cuckoo marans???? are they all POL?

hm...doubling your stock eh???...10/10 on the 'softie scale' me thinks!!!!

[Nicos]

I've just remembered that I saw 6 Maran eggs for sale ( non-fertile) for 3E in one of the local shops...that's pretty expensive isn't it????
Don't think I've ever seen them for sale for consumption in the UK- have you?

[Eco-Chic]

I've never seen breed specific eating eggs. Just quail, chicken or duck.

[vicky]

Lovely house - a Chicken Palace!
And the chickens are fab too, congrats!

[Bramble-Poultry]

waitrose have some breed specific eggs, but only time i've seen eggs sold as maran eggs though is as fertile ones - maybe they are labled as such by you nicos because they are a french bird ??

have to say though they are probably the dark eggs you get in the mixed colour eggs in places like waitrose and m&s too

[Smoggy67]

Very Happy

Yup they are cuckoo marans, approx 16 months old he said?

Sussex are under a year old...

And I paid the grand some of £6 for the 3 Marans and £8 for the 4 Sussex..

House nearly there, needs felting and a few touch up bits.. but on the whole complete.. (oh yeah and some shutters..lol)

One of the EX Batts (Warrens) has had a go through the fence, but a Maran firmly put it in its place - so heres hoping.

[Smoggy67]

Coop pictures - update..

Hereswhere im at up to now...

[MaureenHall]

Yup they are cuckoo marans, approx 16 months old he said?

Sussex are under a year old...

And I paid the grand some of £6 for the 3 Marans and £8 for the 4 Sussex..

Wow!!! Bargain I think!! They're gorgeous girls, I'm quite envious. and the house is great too

[Bramble-Poultry]

wow you are a quick worker - if ever you are bored tonnes to do here!!!

[Flummery]

That looks fantastic. I could live in there myself! (Well, I could probably get my seed collection in there anyway!)

[Hilary B]

Yup they are cuckoo marans, approx 16 months old he said?

Sussex are under a year old...

And I paid the grand some of £6 for the 3 Marans and £8 for the 4 Sussex..

House nearly there, needs felting and a few touch up bits.. but on the whole complete.. (oh yeah and some shutters..lol)

One of the EX Batts (Warrens) has had a go through the fence, but a Maran firmly put it in its place - so heres hoping.

If you can possibly avoid roofing felt, do so! (unless you can get it stuck down as securely as the much thicker stuff used on flat-roofed garages).
Plenty of bituminous paint is far safer.
The gap between roof and felt is pretty small, but so are the parasites that would like to hide there by day, and feed on your chooks by night!

[Eco-Chic]

Cool!

That really is Chookingham Palace.

Well done Smoggy.

[sweetiepea]

Awwww they are just gorgeous! Hope they appreciate their new abode.

[Smoggy67]

Well theyre all in together and peaceful quiet has decended.
After all the advice and tactics to use, I ended up with my hands tied..

Needed to rip down the old coop and run, so I could fence them into the new one..
So first I let warrens wander the garden, followed by the marans..
Bit of a scrap but nothing much - and every time they did I give them both a smack..

Cos ive been with them all day, I decided I would become chief pecker - seems to have worked.. Marans pecked warrens, warrenspecked sussex - I pecked em all..