Have trouble breeding Marans

[Kathers60]

We have had trouble breeding Black Copper Marans. Hubby and I have tried twice in our incubator. The first try we had a dozen eggs and only 3 hatched. The first one hatched perfectly, the second one hatched with a deformed hip with a bad leg. At first we thought it was splayed, but it turned out to be a deformity of the hip. He's a few months old and we decided to keep him as a pet and name him Lego. He gets around well, although he limps. And the third one we had to help him break his shell after 2 days. We feared he would die. He turned out perfect. Now the second dozen eggs of Marans didn't hatch. However there was a peep hole for day and half and we helped it. The chick doesn't have eyes so we plan to cull it. We can't let him suffer, but we tried to save him. None of the other eggs hatched. We also had some Black Jersey Giants with the second batch of Marans, and most of them hatched perfectly. So it's not the humidity and temperature. I don't know what we are doing wrong why we have such bad luck with the Marans? Has anyone had this same problem?

 

[Eggcessive]

I have a good friend who only has Marans, and shows and breeds them, as he has for most of his life. He tells me they are difficult to hatch. I had some of his eggs this spring, and only 3 out of 18 eggs hatched (and they were not shipped eggs.) His hatches this year have been similar, but he did say that he has much better hatches with a broody hen. You may have better luck with someone else's eggs. I have learned to never assist in hatching because every one that I have helped dies or is brain damaged. My friend says the same.

 

[Kathers60]

Thank you for your reply! Hubby and I are new at this. Now I know Marans are hard to hatch. Is that why Marans are rare? We had to cull our Maran chick today using the baking soda and vinegar method. This chick was the only Maran chick that made a peep hole in its shell but no activity about a day and half later until we intervened. The chick was very tiny and without eyes. We didn't know what to do. We hoped to save it but nature had its own plans. We hope to buy fertile eggs locally, as we are finished with the shipment of eggs. A brooder hen is a good thought! Thank you for your thought and post! I'm learning.....

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your chick. You might find a local breeder who can sell you chicks next spring, or maybe they have some older chicks or started pullets for sale now. I found a local breeder only 5 miles away, and we have become friends trading birds. I found this person through another friend, so I would ask around locally.

 

[Kathers60]

Thank you! We began with an interest of eggs and started with 20 hens (Dominics, Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, Red sex links, Black Jersey Giant). We had two Jersey Giants but one turned out to be rooster. We began our chicks (except our Jersey Giants) from Tractor Supply. They also have a Chicken swap meet every 2nd Saturday of the month, My husband is going to the swap meet on the 10th to sell our new 9 chicks of Black Jersey Giants and our rooster. Hopefully he'll meet some breeders near us who will trade birds, etc. if I don't have to work I can go with him. We are so new at this.

 

[Kathers60]

I need to make a correction to the breed we bred with our Marans. It's not Black Jersey Giants, but ASTRALORPS. It's the 9 healthy Astralorps that my hubby is going to sell at Tractor Supply this 10th of Augustt. Also, we are checking out our Thermometer that we purchased along with our incubator from the egg warehouse and it's a few degees off in temperture and humidity from our other thermometer. In fact all 4 thermometers show different readings. I don't know what thermometer to use for an accurate reading that will prevent deformities and a greater hatching rate?