Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[Runawaylobster]

This has been a subject of some concern to me. I have this bator made by SO which isn't much different than any other styrofoam set up. It won't get above 45% so generally it runs around 33%. I did not know about cooling them. I have not read that anywhere. How the heck am I going to bump it up to 72%? I feel sure I am dooming this hatch already. Is there a reliable thread with all this detail already written? Would the thick, colorful bloom on the egg attribute to their 'difficulty' or the thick shells?

Place a doubled up paper towel below the mesh in the bottom of the incubator and then wet it. You can also place some wet sponges
in the bottom too this will get your humidity higher. I can get mine up in the 60s by doing this even with leaving all the air vents open.

 

[heirloomorps]

You need to lower the humidity right away. Marans lose humidity very slowly. You will drown the chicks if you keep it that high. Marans aren't texbook chickens.
I actually dry hatch, no water at all until the last 3 days. Since I started doing that, my hatches are much better

If I put no water in the bator at all it still reads 33% humidity. The joys of living in Tennessee... Originally we did hatch at around 35% humidity and then up to around 50%. It made zero different hatching our Marans. They are a beautiful breed but they drive me insane.

 

[Ray from PA]

Ooops! So this is my first time EVER hatching anything out; I have a Brinsea incubator and set the humidity has been 45-46%. This is day 8. Brinsea has a cooling 1 to 2 hours a day option and I set it for 1 hour a day starting from day 7 like they advise. Do you think I should definitely put it down to 30% humidity? I weighed them yesterday (total weight down from 1033 grams to 1000 grams so they have only lost about 2-3 % at day 7 which is not enough but what all the textbooks say).

I candled but couldn't really see anything except MAYBE a couple of aircells because they are so dark... Are the Marans really so different from the other breeds in terms of moisture retention? All the info sites say 40-50%.
I am worried now.....

Let me add...... listen to the lady,,,, she knows what she's talking about,,,,, it helped my hatches out tremendously !!!!!!!

Thanks again !

 

[bamachicks8]

What if it becomes really light towards a molt, but was a six before?

As long as it was a 4 or more at one point in her laying cycle
What would you call it then if you were to say sell it?

 

[Sahwithchicks]

I dunno. I have one hen who is laying like a three right now. Last two weeks its just getting lighter and lighter. I don't even feel right shipping it to someone cuz it's color.

 

[xlboergoats]

Do these look like BCMarans chicks? The yellow down and feet have me worried.

Don't be conecerned about the color of the down on the shanks. It too will change when they shed it and feathers grow in. Or at least our always have.

Ernie

 

[Zanna]

Purple sheen......... Recently there was a discussion about this on the Heritage Large Fowl or CSU threads, can remember which one. In the SOP I read that Black Birds should have green sheen. Someone on the thread said that purple sheen was a serious defect on a Black bird. How does this relate to BCM? I think Gilavina mentioned once that she did not breed any that had the purple sheen. Anyone??

 

[DMRippy]

Purple sheen......... Recently there was a discussion about this on the Heritage Large Fowl or CSU threads, can remember which one. In the SOP I read that Black Birds should have green sheen. Someone on the thread said that purple sheen was a serious defect on a Black bird. How does this relate to BCM? I think Gilavina mentioned once that she did not breed any that had the purple sheen. Anyone??

I read it has to do with the Mahogany gene.

I would like to hear Vicki's answer too.... she said she just has always not breed them and was going to ask her Dad... but never read an answer from DAD

 

[ellymayRans]

As long as it was a 4 or more at one point in her laying cycle
What would you call it then if you were to say sell it?

I'm new with the breeding and selling aspects but I'll give it a shot and please judge me as it's important to learn. If I were to sell my marans, egg color making the determinig factor, I would advertise and sell as Breeding
Stock not show quality.

 

[gilavina]

I read it has to do with the Mahogany gene.

I would like to hear Vicki's answer too.... she said she just has always not breed them and was going to ask her Dad... but never read an answer from DAD

haha, my dad didn't have a good technical response, but talked about his experiences with breeding purple sheened birds. He said he did notice that he had more color issues when breeding with the purple sheen, so ran green and purples separate for an experiment and said that he decided after doing both for a couple generations, he would never use purples again. I've noticed on birds, both ones I've grown out here from shipped eggs, that those with the purple sheen in the marans have a stronger likelyhood of having brown underfluff. When I first started in the Marans, I noticed that those in the following generation with the purple sheen did not have a true deep black, and still had the brown undertone. Mostly it was a curiosity thing, but once I saw that, every last birds was sold off as layers, and the males processed.
I just stay away from them. I believe that's one of the factors in my being able to make good advancements on my stock from year to year.