Setting eggs this weekend (Jan5/6) WHOS WITH ME!

Yep, I was just going to say what SilkieSensation said. You're always better off with lower temps versus higher. On the other hand, they will develop at a lower temp, but I think that can put them at a greater risk of certain problems like splayed leg.

I've often heard Marans hatch later, but last year my Maran eggs were the first to hatch out of 5 breeds. I only have Maran eggs this time, so we'll see. At least I won't have other breeds hatching earlier, dying to get out of the hatcher while the Marans are pipping. Long drawn out hatches are so stressful.
This is why I keep the spray bottle handy. I can reach in to grab early hatchers if needed & get humidity right back up for the later ones. From what I have seen with splayed leg it's more from being stuck too long in the egg trying to hatch or from being placed on slippery brooder bottoms with no traction. In the case of hatching, the legs become stiff from being stuck in the wrong position too long. As for slippery footing, the legs slide out from under the birds constantly causing muscle damage from the sliding (like a sprained ankle or knee on a person).
 
Last edited:
Wow it seems like a lot of people are hatching marans!!! I think that if our thermometer reads 99 or 100 we will not be adjusting it!!! The thing about lowering the temp as the days go by was advice given from a guy at tracker supply who said he hatches a lot of eggs with the LG...
 
Wouldn't having more nutrients make the hatching chicks healthier though? Having less disease and less deformities and what not?
That's what I was saying, regardless of whether birds free range or are caged they can have good or poor diets. If everything the bird needs can't be found during free ranging & the owners do not provide supplemental feed to compensate then the bird will have poor nutrition & poor hatch rate. Same goes for a caged bird if it's given a poor diet. As long as a bird is provided with an adequate diet (free range or caged) then it should produce quality hatching eggs as long as it's genetics are also good.
 
Hope I'm not too late to join the fun! We placed 8 shipped eggs under our broody girl 'Gracie' on Saturday evening..... hoping we get a few hatched for her!

Awwwww!!! I love broodie Silkies! She's adorable
love.gif
 
Hope I'm not too late to join the fun! We placed 8 shipped eggs under our broody girl 'Gracie' on Saturday evening..... hoping we get a few hatched for her!

Welcome, so nice to see a broody in "action" or would that be a broody "holding still in a useful way".
What kind of eggs did she adopt for you?
 
Wow it seems like a lot of people are hatching marans!!! I think that if our thermometer reads 99 or 100 we will not be adjusting it!!! The thing about lowering the temp as the days go by was advice given from a guy at tracker supply who said he hatches a lot of eggs with the LG...
I have Cuckoo Marans in my mix. They are what made the Olive Eggers. There are still a few pure Marans hens in the flock as well.
 
Welcome, so nice to see a broody in "action" or would that be a broody "holding still in a useful way".
What kind of eggs did she adopt for you?
We gave her 4 black australorp and 4 barred rocks.... we are wanting to develop a decent 'dual purpose' flock for our yard. I got her and the other flock mates hoping to get a few 'broody' types to aid us in the 'self sustaining flock' ambition and I guess we chose well since she went broody so quick!

"holding still in a useful way" is a great way of phrasing it!
 
Wouldn't having more nutrients make the hatching chicks healthier though? Having less disease and less deformities and what not?
It would seem that a more nutritious egg would hatch a healthier chick. I'm sure someone has done a study. There are definitely deformities caused by nutrient deficiencies, and I've been told this can be due to what the parents were eating. I like to know the condition of a flock before I buy hatching eggs. For starters, there are diseases which are transmitted via egg.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom