“Poised to be a pretty chicken. She is a blend of yellows, oranges, tans. Juvenile now. She is active and friendly-a bit more stand offish than the others. I purchased 8 chicks. They arrived healthy (a day later than promised by the post office - but the post office very kindly called me and let me pick them up at 6:30 AM the following day when they arrived). All chicks appeared healthy. When I put them into their brooder box, they slowly became active, eating and drinking - except two that just stood still. I tried dipping their beaks in water, but no interest. After 30 minutes, they were still not moving around so I made sugar water and put some into a tiny spoon and kept lifting that to their beaks - after 3-4 dips they each took a swallow - all good from then on! After a few sips they started to walk around and within minutes were as lively as the rest! Healthy ever since! It seems that little sugar after a long ride in a box works wonders!”
“My chicks arrived yesterday and they are absolutely ADORABLE! Bright and alert! Very healthy. I’m excited for this new journey! Now i just have to figure out names!”
“My Golden Cuckoo Maran is sweet and friendly, but definitely not cuddly like some of my other chickens. She laid her first egg at 23 weeks old and is now laying a beautiful dark round egg about 2-3 times a week”
“Spicy! One of our girls (Whiskey) is great, likes a little scratch now & then, relatively easy to handle (as far a marans go), and is much calmer than her “twin” once she’s been picked up. The other (Dixie)…is food aggressive and does not want to be handled AT ALL. Neither have laid yet as eggpected. Both are beautiful and if it wasn’t for the slightest weight variation, I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. From a far, they are hilarious and a joy to watch. Both come eagerly when they see me but by far they are my feistiest flock members.”
We are happy that you are finding some enjoyment from your girls though it sounds like they may be in need to learning a few manners. Dixie may be the "top hen" in the pecking order and perhaps that is why she is seems to be more aggressive when it comes to sharing the yummy feed. There are a few things you can to do if she appears to be more of a "bully" than necessary such as separating her from the rest of the flock for a couple of days to allow the pecking order to be mixed up a bit and give her time to rethink her behavior. Some birds are not as friendly as others and it is just their instinct as prey animals; however, treats can help you become better acquainted and holding them - yes, against their will - with a towel to protect you from scratches will often help them realize you are not the enemy. Carry them around with you while you clean up their area or while you sit outside, gently petting them and speaking softly, and they often will come around. As far as the egg laying, the Cuckoo Marans are one breed that is signifcantly later than many others in that they typically will not lay eggs until they are between 6-9 months of age. We hope this helps a bit but please let us know if you have any questions as we are always happy to help.
“I received my golden cuckoo marans in a flock with five other chicks. During the first few days, my tiniest chick was crying a lot and not eating much, so I offered all of them some sugar water. Everybody has been fine ever since!”
Your little ones are so adorable! Thank you for sharing your photos with us! We are happy to hear the sugar water helped them recover after their journey and they are settling in well with you! Please let us know any time if you have any questions, we are happy to help!
