Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[happyfrenchman]

I put foil over most of the (one) original plastic water tub in my GQF 1266 for the first part, vents wide open, as described in the Dry Hatch Method posting on BYC. I do let it go completely dry before I fill it up as recommended. At lockdown I have to put a big 13" X 9" baking pan in with a huge kitchen sponge on end for more surface area and close up the two large vents to get it to 65%. I always keep the ventilation holes open (the smaller ones, two on top and two on bottom in the back). We have a wood pellet stove for heat with an open teakettle on it to help keep the room humidity up a bit and there is also a 45 gallon fish tank with an aquaponics tub on top of it. The room temp and humidity have a LOT to do with what goes on in the incubator I have found. Can you all visualize my living room now?

When you say dry hatch Ihilani... do you even check a hygrometer? They call it relative humidity. I can see why. I am bouncing it between 20 and 40 in the incubator and I am holding 68 in the hatcher. With the little vents open. I think alot of this depends on where you live. Today one of the three that were due has pipped a hole in the shell and is sitting there for nigh on 24 hours. He looks alright. and I am not touching him. The eggs are definitely lighter as I moved them to the hatcher last night and the ones I weighed previously were right on to hit 13% I think in my environment, a little on the dry side is better.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

When you say dry hatch Ihilani... do you even check a hygrometer? They call it relative humidity. I can see why. I am bouncing it between 20 and 40 in the incubator and I am holding 68 in the hatcher. With the little vents open. I think alot of this depends on where you live. Today one of the three that were due has pipped a hole in the shell and is sitting there for nigh on 24 hours. He looks alright. and I am not touching him. The eggs are definitely lighter as I moved them to the hatcher last night and the ones I weighed previously were right on to hit 13% I think in my environment, a little on the dry side is better.

There are methods to check your hygrometer, salt method being I believe the most accurate. The hygrometer I ordered has not arrived, they shipped a replacement but that has not arrived either. I am using the wet/dry bulb method to determine relative humidity (RH). Definitely not DRY HATCH (I am sure you meant dry incubation)...running about 34-38% RH until lockdown at 65% RH. When I say I let the pan run completely dry, it's not for very long and RH under current conditions are about 24% with NO water when it dries out. Then I fill it up again, put the foil halfway across the pan, and repeat until lockdown Day 18. I hope that helps clarify for you?

 

[Sue1954]

15 weeks!

 

[Jworm88]

The new trio addition to the family. I received them today. With one that was all fluffed up and lethargic( she is doing better eating and drinking). And the other two were nice and healthy. First and second pic is a Roo and third is a hen. And they are friendly little birds.
Is it normal to see white in the feathering on the pullet at this age? With BCM?

 

[Runawaylobster]

The new trio addition to the family. I received them today. With one that was all fluffed up and lethargic( she is doing better eating and drinking). And the other two were nice and healthy. First and second pic is a Roo and third is a hen. And they are friendly little birds.
Is it normal to see white in the feathering on the pullet at this age? With BCM?

LOL... are they going to do the laundry for you ..

I have had a pullet that had white on the breast that molted out, but i have only experienced it once so I don't know if it's a general rule.

 

[Sue1954]

How does the largest BCM Roo stack up with other pure breed BCM's that anyone has seen? Just trying to get some idea on where they stand for the County Fair next year! They are about 19-20 weeks old, their color is just now starting to take shape!

 

[DeltaBluezTess]

How does the largest BCM Roo stack up with other pure breed BCM's that anyone has seen? Just trying to get some idea on where they stand for the County Fair next year! They are about 19-20 weeks old, their color is just now starting to take shape!

Let them grow out for a bit...I had one roo that I thought was lovely, then he got too much color in his breast....another roo was BUTT UGLY but in the end, he is my main roo, grew out of ugly stage into a super nice roo. I do not pick my roo until after 6 months as they still are changing. Unless they get lots of color in the chest, then they are out of the breeding program....some is fine.....

 

[Ranger Daryl]

I posted this over in The main what breed is this thread and I was advised to post this here also. I was told these chicks were BCMs as chicks they did look like every photos ofBCM chicks that I could find. Now at 5 weeks old they look nothing like they should. Does anyone have any ideas? The only solid black colors are the primary flight, tails, and leg/shank feathers. I am pretty positive that the first chick is a rooster. Is there any possibility of breeding these guys for solid colors. Will they outgrow these markings or should I just search for better chick lines? I am going to talk to the breeder this weekend about the chicks. Any input would be appreciated.

 

[DMRippy]

I posted this over in The main what breed is this thread and I was advised to post this here also. I was told these chicks were BCMs as chicks they did look like every photos ofBCM chicks that I could find. Now at 5 weeks old they look nothing like they should. Does anyone have any ideas? The only solid black colors are the primary flight, tails, and leg/shank feathers. I am pretty positive that the first chick is a rooster. Is there any possibility of breeding these guys for solid colors. Will they outgrow these markings or should I just search for better chick lines? I am going to talk to the breeder this weekend about the chicks. Any input would be appreciated.

I think I would look for some better quality. They are very mossy (the leaking of color all over) and the under fluff is even brown. They may have been crossed them with Wheatens recently IDK. They are way off. Yes that one is a roo... the white on his ear is really strange. That pullet in the second pic in the middle.... her comb is very strange looking too and should not be black.

 

[Ranger Daryl]

I am going to grow these out just to see what I end up with and maybe look for some hatching eggs here in the classifieds in the spring. Fortunately I am not out a huge amount of money on the chicks I paid 5 a piece for them. They are friendly as can be I will probably move them to my mothers home in the country since I am limited on how many I can have in my subdivision.
Edit- in the last week the center chicks comb has started turning pink. She is the blackest of the three it's funny how they were all black and white when I picked them up.