Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
Remember I have 3 kids, foster Irish Setter dogs and deal with tenants on a daily basis

I will see what I can do on humidity- sometimes I have a struggle with keeping it at 55% but it maight be better now that we are sort of getting spring like here

 

[BlackBart]

Just as I got my breeding pen set up for separating the BCM hens from the rest of the flock. They went broody

I swear they are copy cats. Monkey see, monkey do.
Is it common for BCM hens to go broody? I kind of thought they didn't as much as some other birds.
Anyway, I'm screwed for awhile unless I find hatching eggs.

I always have broody hens, nobody else I know has as many as me.
Hens come here and BOOM they want to have babies. Its good and bad at the same time

 

[ruth]

Quote:
They are the broodiest birds I have and yes, everyone will go broody in a pen at the same time as if it's a contest and they'll fight over the eggs, two will sit on the same nest both refusing to budge and they'll co-raise the babies. That's just how it is with old heritage breeds. I just moved a broody and her chicks that hatched today back into the coop in a pen for safekeeping for a few days. She hid in the barn and sat out there all this time and amazingly something didn't get her.

 

[BlackBart]

LOL thanks for the info.
I thought the Buff Orps were bad

 

[Medicine Man]

o hai why do my BCM have blood spots inside their eggs and nobody else does? eeewww! it's gorss!

 

[Medicine Man]

"gorss" = gory X gross.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Quote:
You are not alone.... LOL some of mine have blood spots too and yes it is gross. Or they are mottled inside. But that is just a few and it seems to clear up.

Are they under any stress?

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Quote:
Remember I have 3 kids, foster Irish Setter dogs and deal with tenants on a daily basis

I will see what I can do on humidity- sometimes I have a struggle with keeping it at 55% but it maight be better now that we are sort of getting spring like here

I agree with you Pink. To high humidity and they just don't hatch well. I almost never add water to mine while incubating. Maybe once or twice and then only a few tablespoons. I fill up the water wells in lockdown pretty full and the humidity is about 75-80.
I think I will go a bit lower because if I have alot of chicks hatching then the humidity goes up and down and I do end up getting one stuck now and then.
When they are "forgetten" or misplaced in the incubator they will hatch right in the turner with no extra water at all. So I think that humidity isn't really a huge factor (at least out here) at hatch.

 

[enggass]

Quote:
Sorry for the late reply...
I was using the Brinsea Oct 20 Eco w/turner. I ran the humidity at around 35% during days 1-18, then around 60%-65% during lockdown. 9/14 that made it to lockdown hatched. A few started to zip and stopped there

Steve

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Here are 3 of the new little ones I hatched over the last couple days. Another one is in the hatcher drying out and a whole bunch outside in the grow out pen.

I love baby pics. One of them doesn't have very good feathering but I am trying out the 2nd of three roos to see who throws the best chicks.