After yesterday’s post, I was contacted by a few people.
“That’s definitely a boy,” said one.
“Oh geez Wendy… Josephine is looking pretty masculine!” said another.
I know, I know, but my reply was “yeah, I’m pretty sure she’s a male but I’m not ready to give up until the fat lady sings (as it were.)”
One of my friends (hi Linda) who raises and shows Copper Marans, (and who has agreed to adopt Mr. Bucket when we can no longer keep him) felt pretty sure Josephine was male but she was going to have her husband look at the photo to get his opinion.
This is the photo he looked at
His verdict was reflected in the message she later sent me:
“Tell Josephine to start packing her bags.”
The good news is that my friend is willing to adopt both birds (she has been drooling over Josephine since I got her.) They are both going to a good home.
These marans were brought up together and are so close that we frequently call them “Frick and Frack.” If you see one, you can bet that the other one will be nearby. One of the reasons I haven’t moved Mr. Bucket out yet is that I was worried about what would become of Josephine. Would she be lost without her favorite flock mate? Would she be traumatized?
Part of being a mama hen is the vigilant and never-ending protecting of your flock from painful situations. There, there, little chick – all will be well.
And now, because they will be moved together, it looks like I won’t have to any soothing (other than for myself.) In the end, this is goodness.
What this means, however, is that even though I hand-raised 3 Copper Marans this summer, I was not able to keep any (and yes, I still mourn little Violet.) It’s tough – talk about suffering from “leaving the nest” syndrome.
In just a few short weeks, Charlie will go back to being the only Maran in the flock.*sigh*
Hey Dick, get ready for a visit next spring. I’ll keep trying as long as I have to get a few more of these beautiful birds in my life.
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Wendy Thomas writes about the lessons learned while raising children and chickens in New Hampshire. Contact her at [email protected]
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