hatching French Black Copper Marans

[armyPatti]

Good morning everyone!
I have been having some trouble hatching FBCM
I use a Brinsea Mini EX with Humidity Pump

this is what I am doing/have done

1st batch - shipped eggs
2 of 7 hatched
99.5 temp/45% humidity till Lockdown - raise to 65%, to 70% after outer pip

2nd batch - shipped eggs
(hatching this week)
100.5 temp/35% humidity till Lockdown (monday) - raise to 60%, to 65%+ after outer pip

any suggestions?
the higher temp and lower humidity is based off several threads here as well as a few other places.

thanks much for any ideas you may have

Patti R
Ft Hood, TX

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi
Glad you could join the flock! Shipped eggs have lower hatch rate (about 50%)due to the shipping process and can easily have mishapen or floating air sacs. The usual suggestion for incubating shipped eggs is let them rest before setting (24hours in egg cartons fat end up) don't turn for the first couple of days and incubate in egg cartons or turner so the egg is very upright so that the air sac has more chance of reataching. With the mini EX I don't think its possible to incubate with them upright as the turner has them on their sides. I would also keep the temp at 99.5. I have a Brinsea octagon and it holds temp very well and accurate.

Also I would put the humidity up at lockdown on day 18 when you stop turning. This should keep the eggs moist enough for the chick to be able to externaly pip. Have you done an eggtopsy on your unhatched eggs to see what stage in developement they got too. Knowing how far along in incubation they got can also give ideas of what the problem could be.

Hope you have better luck with this weeks hatch

 

[armyPatti]

I did let them sit for 24hrs before putting them in the incubator. I didn't know to stop the turning for the 1st few days but will keep that in mind if I get shipped eggs again.

I didn't open the other eggs, just couldn't bring myself to do it. I will this time.

I raised the temp based on a friends hatch - they were shipped FBCM as well and her hatch was over 75-80%
So figured I would give it a shot. Hoping to get a roo or 2 from this hatch (fingers crossed)

They are so dark they are hard to candle and see what's going on. I have looked a little with this hatch but nothing recently.
Plan to candle at lock down (have to take the turner out and put the shelf liner (for foot grip) in, so I might as well candle them then.

 

[armyPatti]

of the 7 eggs I set - 4 black copper & 3 blue copper - all 3 of the blue copper didn't develop but the 4 BCM look good.
All the waiting of lockdown sucks!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Congrats on your 4 I know what you mean it can seem to take forever

I hatch mainly polish and they always seem to hatch that bit earlier. My last batch I lockdown at day 18 as normal the next morning the first one had pipped. Then they started hatching day 20 so I didn't have to wait too long. Patience really is a virtue when it comes to hatching

 

[armyPatti]

day 20 and I hear peeping!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

That's great news Hope you have some action soon

 

[armyPatti]

came home this afternoon to see 3 fluffy butts hanging out in the bator. They are all set up for tonight in the brooder hoping for their last sibling to hatch and join them!