Black Copper Marans discussion thread

[OHmamma]

Quote:
If your incubator has red plugs take them out. It helps a lot. 50% in a styrofoam incubator will drown the chicks or leave them sticky and mushy. It also cause wet navels that can easily get infected. Have you tried calibrating your hydrometer? You should if it is digital.

 

[Nikki1976]

Quote:
Thanks!! That's what I'm trying this time. I have no water in either incubator and the humidity is staying between 45 & 50%.

Could it be just that the relative humidity is that high because of your location. i know my mom had a hard time because it was 50% in her house! She's in south Louisiana btw!

Oh I'm sure the relative humidity is high in here! The temps are pushing 100 degrees this week!

I'll have to see if my DH can bring the dehumidifier in here tomorrow. I was able to keep my last hatch at 35-40% humidity with water in it so I'm sure it has to do with the weather. What do you guys recommend on the humidity??

 

[AyeUpChuck]

Quote:
Could it be just that the relative humidity is that high because of your location. i know my mom had a hard time because it was 50% in her house! She's in south Louisiana btw!

Oh I'm sure the relative humidity is high in here! The temps are pushing 100 degrees this week!

I'll have to see if my DH can bring the dehumidifier in here tomorrow. I was able to keep my last hatch at 35-40% humidity with water in it so I'm sure it has to do with the weather. What do you guys recommend on the humidity??

Yeah mom said she was painting the coop and it was drying before she could get it completely on!

 

[Nikki1976]

Quote:
If your incubator has red plugs take them out. It helps a lot. 50% in a styrofoam incubator will drown the chicks or leave them sticky and mushy. It also cause wet navels that can easily get infected. Have you tried calibrating your hydrometer? You should if it is digital.

Ok! Thanks for the info!! Neither one of my hygrometers are digital. We're getting ready to set up the dehumidifier!!

 

[Medicine Man]

Successful incubation is not about a specific humidity - the goal is to get the eggs to lose ~14% of their weight by Day 18, humidity is the tool by which you achieve that. If you're not weighing your eggs, then you're just guessing.

 

[jeremy]

My Blue Copper Marans pullet from Monique's stock.

I think she has lovely coppering.

 

[geebs]

Gee I didn't realize Monique had blues....nice lacing

 

[Hens and Roos]

Here are a few pictures showing off the chicks we hatched from Pink!

Black Copper cockeral:

Blue Copper cockeral:

Blue Copper pullet:

noticed that on both boys the combs have a small wave in them at the front- but maybe will straighten out as they grow. The Blue Copper cockeral has 1 spot of copper coming in on the side of his head/neck

 

[sewandgrow]

Quote:
It's a good question, but there is no right or wrong way to handle this. I'm sure we each have our own methods. The reason to hatch only the darkest eggs is that typically, folks have several hens. When you collect eggs, say there are 3 or 4 eggs in the nest box - you don't know which hen laid which egg, so you only hatch the darkest (and it's likely those eggs will all be from the same hen - at least in theory).

If I had a hen that laid a "4" 9 out of 10 times, but laid a super nice one the 11th time I still would personally not hatch any of her eggs...she would pass along that odd laying issue to her offspring, likely, and I wouldn't want to pass that along. I'd be more inclined to hatch eggs that were consistently only a 5 - but CONSISTENT - rather than a random 7 egg from a hen that typically lays a 4. But that's just me! I (like some others) will not set an egg less than a 6 on the scale. That's not to say that's the "right" thing to do, it's just what I personally do.

Wynette,
I am so glad I am getting eggs from you. I like your way of thinking....LOL

 

[ruth]

Quote:
WOW Jeremy - she's a beauty if I say so myself. You mind sending her back? You are one of the only ones who got eggs from the time period in which I had my blue copper marans male in with my blacks so you have one of the very first of my blue copper stock. I hatched and kept a few myself to start my blue copper breeding program but I think your girl is even prettier than any I have. As with my Black Coppers, I'll only be breeding the blues that have the beautiful copper necks.