Greyface

This is my laying flock of Black Copper Marans. They are quiet birds and good foragers, and they lay a very dark brown egg.

I don;t like hatching after end July if possible, but one year had broods out in late September. It was a bad winter, wet and cold, that year and I lost many outside. Pile they were too.

HI C-M. The red stag is smaller than the other two. I will weigh him in a month or two and let you know. The Br/red in the third pic down is just a stag. He is a son of the brood cock pictured on his own and with the hen. I like his stance, and he is good on his feet and close-heeled. The brood cock is very like an old-fashioned ginger, being wide, fleshy and heavier in the hand than he looks. He has a red eye, though. The hen and a pullet are shapely wee things, filling their skins, and smart movers. Their heads and tails are very ginger-like too.

And an update for Chicken-man. This is my favourite of the stags you sent me.

Here are some brown reds which came my way recently.

Moved to Show and Tell Thread.

Thanks for all the help. I only managed to hatch 9 out of the forty five I set in the incubator. One game fowl and the others are broody type crosses. I think I chilled some of the eggs when I stupidly added cold water to the base sponge. Now it's all heat lamps and work with the motherless chicks. The good news is that I've got 10 cracking game fowl chicks, a week old, running under a good cross broody. Chicken-man, all the 10 chicks are out of that trio I set up with the birds you kindly gave me, and one of the pullets is brooding eleven eggs. One of the stags was with th

I haven't used any incubators before, so I really haven't much idea. It is a solid thing and seems to be simple in its operation. I just have an egg cup full of water in it at the mo...I didn't know you could put water in the tray. It is still possible to buy instructions for this model, so I will get some soon. I've filled it with 21 Oxford eggs, and 24 others made up of 12 light sussex bantie cross things and a dozen eggs I bought from a local who keeps a mixture of large fowl for laying. With a bit of luck I will hatch a few. Thanks guys.

LILTHEDON...here are some pics of the incubator as requested. It is a still air type, and eggs have to be hand turned. The side door opens and the whole tray can be removed, and there are two sliding perspex covers on top which allow top access. I have 45 eggs of mixed sizes in it at the mo, but it may take about sixty if they were smallish, or forty large.

I'll take some pics and post them in a day or two.

you really do have some cracking birds greyface ! those are stunning Thanks man. I got lucky with the birds I have at the moment. The reds were a gift from a very decent chap on this forum, and the others I bought when I was on a very rare road trip down into the depths of England. I want to get some numbers of those greys on the ground...then i might try trading some for some nice henny fowl. He he.

No...they are from a traveller man who lives near Oxford. He advertises his birds on Birdtrader, in the Thames valley section. He was very decent in my dealings with him.

I've never tried an incubator before. I've always used broodies, and prefer game fowl for hatching game fowl if possible. I found an incubator in the steading which had been used by the previous occupant, though, and fired it up. It seems to be in good order, so I've set a total of 45 eggs (21 of them game fowl). It's an old 'Vision', so I'd be glad of any comments or advice if anyone has used one of these.

Chicken_man, if you are short of birds I would be happy to send a trio back down to you any time. I have eggs from them already and have set 21 in the incubator. I have a broody hen sitting too, so she could have a dose of eggs, and you could have the birds back for the season at least.