Black Copper Marans, more hatching questions??

[SportChick]

I have 11 BCM eggs and 8 Barred Rocks. They are all shipped eggs from the same supplier in the same package. The BR have done as I would have guessed, with my very limited knowledge. The BR that I couldn't see veins on the day of Lockdown, have not done anything, but all the others have pipped and one has already hatched. Today is the end of Day 21 (counting from the day after the evening I put them in the 'bator). My BCM's have done almost nothing. One pipped out a large piece of shell 8 hours ago and doesn't seem to be able to get beyond this point. I did help it slightly by opening the membrane just a little after 4-5 hours of no progress. There was a tiny amount of blood, as all I did was try to open the membrane a little more. I did not try to crack the shell or do anything that dramatic. It is still breathing, moving and chirping but isn't getting anywhere. The little bit of blood I saw at the time (that made me stop) seemed limited to the membrane and does not appear to be an ongoing issue.

My concern is that all of my other (10) BCM eggs have done nothing. They are dark so I couldn't see well when I candled. However, on the day of lockdown, I could see at least 5 had good veins. Most of the others had good air cells and large black areas but I couldn't see well through the shell so I am not sure if they had veins or not. The shell of the first one is so thick that I am worried that they just aren't really strong enough to break through. If the Barred Rocks had done poorly, I would assume it was my incubating technique but this seems limited to the BCM's.

Do they take longer? At what point, if any, should I do anything.

 

[ChickBond 007]

Whether to interfere with the natural process of hatch is a big debate, however, I hatch marans and will tell you that many times the chick is so large that it cannot turn in the egg to zip appropriately. I have helped many hatch, and I've also lost a couple doing that. You'll have to watch and monitor, and make a decision. My test is: a pip that is through the membrane gets 24hours before I start helping.
Good luck.

 

[SportChick]

Quote:
007, Thanks for the quick post. So does that mean a true pip that is visible through the shell or one that is cheeping and through the membrane and into the air cell but not the shell yet? My first one, that I did help a little, seems to be doing OK and it really was only a tiny amount of membrane bleeding that I caused and it seemed to stop quickly. Do you think that would have hurt it?

He has chipped a few more bits of shell since my last post. I was really hoping for the BCM's. The BR's were just extras.

 

[ChickBond 007]

I count a pip through the membrane and begin a 24 hour count before I interfere. A stronger chick is the result of a natural hatch process, in my opinion, however with marans the chicks are so large that they sometimes become helpless. Don't panic over a drop of blood, just know when you see it, STOP. Even a naturally hatching chick will emerge with some blood in the process. The best advice is PATIENCE, and try not to open the bator. Another thing to remember is that once you become adept at hatching, you'll realize that every hatch (usually) loses a chick or two. Keep the humidity around 65% to keep membrane soft. Good luck!

 

[SportChick]

007, you are awesome! thanks for you advice. I am going to go to bed and stop watch (or that is my plan). So when I remove the Barred Rock chicks that have hatched tomorrow and move them to the brooder, I should listen for the cheeps and try to identify from which egg they are coming, so I know who is through the internal membrane? Is that right?

 

[ChickBond 007]

You'll probably wake up to a bator full! But yes, watch for movement. That's the easiest way.

 

[SportChick]

5 of the 8 Barred Rocks have hatched. There was one more pipping but the chicks are all over the place so I can't tell how that's going now. Nothing with the BCM eggs! The one that pipped yesterday is still there and moving a little I think, but it is hard to tell with the other chicks. And I can't tell if he's still chirping because the others are really noisy!!

I am going to get the others out of there as soon as they have fluffed up a bit. That way I can tell what is going on. The little guy pipped yesterday at 4pm so I'm not going to do anything else yet.

I don't even see Pips in my other 10 BCM eggs!

 

[ChickBond 007]

Were the BCM eggs shipped?

 

[SportChick]

They were all shipped from the same supplier, in the same box.

 

[SportChick]

Candling was difficult but I was certain of good veins in 5 of the 11 eggs on Day 18 right before I put them into lockdown.