Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[forgetful]

In regards to the humidity question:

It all depends on where you live, the incubator you use, and even the room you keep the incubator in. Marans lose moisture very slowly due to the thick shells. As a result, they will need lower humidity then other breeds. I live in southern louisiana and this is the process I took to discover the humidity I needed.

Start off at say 30% humidity for the first 7 days. On day 7 candle your eggs and see what the air cells look like. You can find plenty of reference photos online. If the air cell is too small, lower your humidity more. If it is very large, decrease. Candle again at day 12 and adjust the same way. When it is time for lockdown at day 18 raise humidity to the normal hatching rate or slightly higher. This should work. For some people they will have to run their incubators dry for the first 18 days; others won't.

If air cells are too small, which means humidity was run too high, then the chicks grow too large. This means they cannot position themselves to hatch and you have fully developed chicks that never hatch. This was my issue when I hatched, and so I dry incubate until day 18 and that works well for me. It will be a process to learn your number, but afterwards you should be set to go.

 

[chicken-whisperer]

Does anybody know what the best humidity is to hatch maran eggs. I know that some like no humidity during hatch and some need tons.

I have hatched out hundreds of Black Copper Marans and have experimented finding the best moisture is dry for the first week and very wet the last week. The air pocket needs to form and with these eggs being extra sealed this dry week process has increased my hatch rate. The last week into lock down, to reduce the chicks getting stuck, I add wet sponges bringing up 90% + humidity even then some of the membranes dont soften enough.

 

[MontainBourbons]

I have hatched out hundreds of Black Copper Marans and have experimented finding the best moisture is dry for the first week and very wet the last week. The air pocket needs to form and with these eggs being extra sealed this dry week process has increased my hatch rate. The last week into lock down, to reduce the chicks getting stuck, I add wet sponges bringing up 90% + humidity even then some of the membranes dont soften enough.

Thanks for the advice. I have mine with 40% and I'll check on Wednesday for what the weight loss in the eggs are.

 

[Yardbird22]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the site but I have been reading along and I'v learn so much from y'all. I'm going on my 4th year breeding BCM. I have made a lot of progress from where I started, and I'm sure it will take me a life time to get my birds the way I want them. Lol I think that's what makes chicken breeding so much fun and addictive.

This is a Romeo, he is from my last years hatch. He is about 10 months old now. He lots a few points to frost bite. We had a really wet and cold winter here.

6 months old

10 months

 

[Mavabird]

Romeo is gorgeous! I just got my first Marans (cuckoos) and am enjoying getting to know them.

 

[Yardbird22]

Thank you. I really enjoy the breed and cuckoo is one of my favorite colors. I have Doms as well they are so pretty out on green grass.

 

[Mavabird]

Thank you. I really enjoy the breed and cuckoo is one of my favorite colors. I have Doms as well they are so pretty out on green grass.

I had a Dom but she died unexpectedly last month.

She was the sweetest of all my hens.

 

[Yardbird22]

 I had a Dom but she died unexpectedly last month.   She was the sweetest of all my hens.

I'm so sorry to hear that. My Marans are sweet and follow me around like lost puppy's, but I would have to agree that my Doms are the sweetest, and very smart birds. I'm sorry for you loss. I lost one of my good hens Romeo's sister to a hawk few weeks ago. The only good thing is my LGD puppy seen it happen. And now he barks at any big birds in the sky, and the chickens head for cover.

 

[Old Man Tom]

Great day at the farm. The large egg weighed 97 grams TOM

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

I have hatched out hundreds of Black Copper Marans and have experimented finding the best moisture is dry for the first week and very wet the last week. The air pocket needs to form and with these eggs being extra sealed this dry week process has increased my hatch rate. The last week into lock down, to reduce the chicks getting stuck, I add wet sponges bringing up 90% + humidity even then some of the membranes dont soften enough.

I use a humidity pump. The problem with FBCMs is their eggs are so dark they are virtually impossible to candle.