Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[chicken pickin]

I noticed bcms take longer to hatch. I'm guessing because the eggs are larger the chicks take longer to absorb the yolk? Mine almost took 23 days to break the shell.

Mine always hatch on time, day21 on occasion day22

 

[lonnyandrinda]

I agree with 2 and 3. Too bad about Big Stuff as he's chunky fellow. I'd also go for the feathered foot boy if his chest color stays minimal. I had a similar situation with my Splash and went with the slightly smaller but more feathered shank boy - also liked his coloring better. I'm thinking at this juncture lack of shank feathering is something I rather keep at a minimum as much as I can and not breed it forward if I can help it. My BCM boy has a very small amount of color in his upper breast but I'll keep him until I can find or breed something better as I like his size and shank feathers and I know what color eggs he came from AND there's no telling when I'd find something better or what alternate faults I will have to cypher through. The Holy Grail seems an easier quest than the 'perfect' Marans but the journey, despite the disappointments, is a lot of fun..... most times

Thanks for your thoughts. It was so disappointing that Big Stuff looked great and I bred a bunch of chicks from him and THEN at about 15 months after a molt the wing triangle grew in brown. I swear it was solid black before. He is a hefty boy. But I sold off all the birds except these new ones.

I agree HA definitely easier to find the Holy Grail.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
No mine hatch at the same time. Maybe your temps are lower where the Marans eggs were in the bator. I only every had 2 chicks hatch on day 23. Usually they start on day 21 and might not finish till day 22. Today is day 22 for some in the hatch MOST chicks were hatched yesterday but some were still working on it. Today I think all will be finished.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

Mine always hatch on time, day21 on occasion day22

X2

 

[Turkeytruff]

Mine always hatch on time, day21 on occasion day22

mine hatch 1-3 days later than 21. My bantams and mutts and chanteclers - bang on time. Has anyone else noticed that the darker the egg the harder it seems to be to get them to hatch? I had 3 beautiful 8/9 colour scale eggs in amongst 42 eggs and none of them hatched although they were fertile. Is it harder for them to lose moisture through the 'extra layer of paint' on the egg??? Should I be sandpapering a bit off them as I noticed someone else does here?

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

mine hatch 1-3 days later than 21. My bantams and mutts and chanteclers - bang on time. Has anyone else noticed that the darker the egg the harder it seems to be to get them to hatch? I had 3 beautiful 8/9 colour scale eggs in amongst 42 eggs and none of them hatched although they were fertile. Is it harder for them to lose moisture through the 'extra layer of paint' on the egg??? Should I be sandpapering a bit off them as I noticed someone else does here?

Consistently, my Marans X BR sexlinks start on day 20 followed by the pure Marans on day 21. For some reason my Rhodebars are day 22. We have not noticed any more difficulty for chicks getting out of the shell when compared to barnyard mixes of EE or Marans, Rhodebars, Isbars, etc. We do a dry hatch (ZERO water until lockdown at 65% RH and this works best in NW Oregon. I think everyone's incubation situation is different depending on location, RH, altitude, etc.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
Rhodes and Rocks hatch first every hatch.

 

[Ihilani Coffee]

Rhodes and Rocks hatch first every hatch.

See? It's regional/flock specific.

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
IDK what it is..... Some Marans hatch in the middle like all the others some take longer.... I just think it is where they are in the hatcher and may not have the same amount of heat.

 

[FVRM]

It turns out that mystery chick may be a mille fleur or something. I think the seller mixed in the eggs from another breed.