Incubator Humidity for French Black Copper Marans Eggs

[JoeyCurrin]

I just tried to hatch a dozen BCM and only one hatched in my Brinsea20. I have a humidifier attached to it. I was instructed to run the incubator at 99.8 with a humidity of 35. I was to increase the humidity to 70 at lockdown. 3 chicks were fully developed and just couldn't pip. The airspace was large, but the membrane was intact and rubbery, I was told this time to lower the humidity to 60 during lockdown to avoid the rubbery texture of the membrane. I don't want sticky chicks, but I want a hatch. With the humidity at 80 does that soften up the membrane more? I just don't know what to do. Help!!!!

 

[JoeyCurrin]

Congratulations on your great hatch. What temp and humidity did you run your incubator the first 18 days and during lockdown? Thanks!

 

[cypressdrake]

cypressdrake,
I have had the peeling "out shrink wrapped chicks" issue. (LOVE your description!) While only on my 3rd incubator hatch (which I realize doesn't even qualify me as a neophyte amateur/beginner yet!) I have increased my success rate dramatically, but in my last 2 hatches I have had shrink wrapped chicks. I'm VERY interested in knowing how you spray them when you have to open during hatching. How much do you spray? Do you spray directly on the chick or egg? or do you spray above them? (In other words... can you walk me through the process so I don't drown them? lol) and are you using room temp water? AND, in case I don't succeed next time in avoiding the shrink wrap issue, how do you unwrap them? (again I am attempting to avoid a drowning incident).

Thank you for the information and help!
Valley honeybee

If they shrink wrapping, there's a humidity issue. Try bringing your humidity up 5% more during the first 18 days. it should help. I spray my eggs with about 15-20 squirts every time I open during hatching. This only replace the humidity thats lost during opening. The last three days it's important to bring up that humidity to 65 works good for me sometimes I squirt water thru the vent hole to bring up humity quick. It levels out in an hour or so. All incubators are different. Location can also be an issue. Higher climates can sometimes be harder to hold humidity up. Sometimes a small bowl with a wet sponge helps like a wick. I just spray the eggs or squirt it thru the side. It don't hurt to wet the eggs.

 

[cypressdrake]

I incubate first 18 days at 35-40% and lock down at 60-65. I find too much humidity does make the membrane rubbery, and sometimes too much fluid.

 

[cheriebellefeathers]

hey yall i need help..
so I got a dozen mixed maran eggs at a auction right? some were blue, black copper, etc. well every single one of them were filled with liquid and did not develop except one, it is on the brooder and hatched yesterday which was day 21. Is dry incubation the BEST way to incubate Maran eggs, due to the harder shells and membranes??

 

[oregonkat]

Welcome to BYC, and I can tell you that you are asking a question that is being thrown around a lot here at the moment. I see you are in Arizona, so I assume your humidity is probably pretty low anyway so you are going to have to maintain a level of humidity in your incubator. People do well with keeping the levels at 30 - 40% for the first 18 days and then raising it to around 65% for hatching. The folks on here who incubate completely dry, usually live in really humid locations, like Louisiana.

I hatch BCM eggs often and find that these levels are just about right. It is very important to have a hygrometer and thermometer that you have calibrated working in your incubator so you know exactly what is going on in there. I am sorry your hatch was so dismal. When you say the eggs were full of liquid, was there any development at all with them or were they un-fertilized? What kind of incubator are you using and what were you temps, and humidity levels through hatch?

 

[cheriebellefeathers]

Welcome to BYC, and I can tell you that you are asking a question that is being thrown around a lot here at the moment. I see you are in Arizona, so I assume your humidity is probably pretty low anyway so you are going to have to maintain a level of humidity in your incubator. People do well with keeping the levels at 30 - 40% for the first 18 days and then raising it to around 65% for hatching. The folks on here who incubate completely dry, usually live in really humid locations, like Louisiana.

I hatch BCM eggs often and find that these levels are just about right. It is very important to have a hygrometer and thermometer that you have calibrated working in your incubator so you know exactly what is going on in there. I am sorry your hatch was so dismal. When you say the eggs were full of liquid, was there any development at all with them or were they un-fertilized? What kind of incubator are you using and what were you temps, and humidity levels through hatch?

 

[cheriebellefeathers]

Hey, thanks! I actually am your neighbor I live in Arkansas, did I out Arizona? my bad haha, but I use a farmer' deluxe 2450 farm innovator incubator, it's nice for what i do. Through the incubation period I kept it at about 35-40% humidity. And the temp at 99.5 as I thought that was about ideal temp. I can see now people are not joking about the difference of hardness of the shell of Marans, and the membranes. I have more eggs I am getting tommorow black copper marans. I am going to try dry incubation, and that is 20% humidity until lockdown and hatching time .. that's the best advice I have seen.

 

[oregonkat]

Hey, thanks! I actually am your neighbor I live in Arkansas, did I out Arizona? my bad haha, but I use a farmer' deluxe 2450 farm innovator incubator, it's nice for what i do. Through the incubation period I kept it at about 35-40% humidity. And the temp at 99.5 as I thought that was about ideal temp. I can see now people are not joking about the difference of hardness of the shell of Marans, and the membranes. I have more eggs I am getting tommorow black copper marans. I am going to try dry incubation, and that is 20% humidity until lockdown and hatching time .. that's the best advice I have seen.

Sorry about the geographical error, my bad. I saw AR and immediately went to Arizona. Anyway, good luck with you next hatch. They are my favorite chicken!

 

[Vegasvampire]

Congratulations on your little ones! Just wanted to add, that there is no need to put "French" in front of the name ...just BCM. : )

One other thing (which is a pretty important thing... depending on if you plan on breeding BCM in the future.). If you are just wanting BCM for pets or dark egg layers only, this won't make any difference... but, if you plan on ever selling birds, then the appearance of a white chick sport in BCM hatching eggs is worrisome. This points that there is a problem in the genetics. (Unless you purposely ordered a White Marans-unrelated to your chicks- otherwise, a sport being thrown is something to look at.).

Wheaten variety Marans being mixed into BCM is a huge husbandry problem in BCM. A white chick is a sign tells a breeder the flock they came from is not a pure or Wheaten tested strain of BCM. It's either a Wheaten split (1/2 BCM and 1/2 Wheaten variety) or a "Recessive White sport."

Both are derived from BCM being mixed with Wheaten Marans sometime in the past. Pure Marans chicks always have black and white penguin bodies- showing a small amount of white on faces. Also, BCM born with pure black faces (no white spots) should also at least be suspect for split genes. There are effective tests that can be done when they are of breeding age.

If the chick is a sport, I would certainly email the breeder with photos so they are aware of the problem. Don't be surprised if they deny that there is a problem, or blow it off as nothing. We once had a top breeder from an expensive show line sold us hatching eggs that threw a yellow shanked chick (there are no yellow shanked Marans.) and the others had missing or double toes- so none can ever be used in a breeding program. He told me that was the "risk" buyers take when buying shipping eggs! Genetic issues shouldn't be a risk- eggs surviving shipping should be the risk. Husbandry should show careful attention.

If you would like more info on how to test mate your youngsters when of breeding age to sort out the pure ones from the split young, let me know.

I highly recommend going to the Black Copper Discussion group, and to FB, Marans Fanciers group, and Marans Central as there is some great information and top breeders there.

Hi I just read your post about test mate the young to find out pure from split.. I am very interested in doing this and have some questions