International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Minky]

Breeders that hatch large quantities of chicks use cabinet incubators that can hold 200 up to 500 eggs at one time. These cabinet incubators also accommodate wire baskets so you can group eggs by hen.

Hobby Breeders that breed on a smaller scale use incubators that hold 25 to 50 eggs so wire baskets are not really an option. Instead they use mesh vegetable bags to group eggs by hen at lockdown.

Regardless of how many chicks you hatch each season you must tag your breeders for easy identification and diligently take notes on all your breeders (good / bad qualities) so that when chicks are hatched they are tagged (wingor leg bands) accordingly so that you can easily track their lineage.

Can you tell me or show me what type of mesh veggie bag? Do you mean like a used onion bag? Where could I get bags like this? I tried my best to separate by breed with bird netting "walls" taped to the sides of my incubator.. it worked ok, but I could only separate into 3 categories (I had a 42 egg incubator ) If I attempt single matings, I will need many little mesh bags.
I love taking notes/photos/ documenting. LOL so this is right up my alley!

 

[Minky]

While we are taking about hatching... I have a question regarding humidity.

If I am hatching out Marans, does everyone agree less humidity at lockdown (45%) rather than the standard 75% or so? If that it so, and I want to hatch out Easter Eggers, CLB, olive Eggers and marans- shall I do all the marans eggs in one hatch and all other eggs in another hatch? (with higher humidity?)
And if Im hatching olive Eggers using a marans hen, would that also require less humidity? But an olive egger using a marans cock and a CLB hen would require regular (higher) humidity?
hope that made sense...?

Is the reason for lower humidity to do with the thick marans shell?

Also- how do you tell which end goes up on a marans egg?? Shall I hatch them laying on their side? I have only hatched standing up in cartons before.

 

[marchick]

Couple of days ago some one stated that they could tell if a chicken was pure Marans by just looking at them. I hope this is just wishful thinking. There is no one that can just look and say any Marans is pure. This is very misleading to the newer Marans people .

Are there any Marans in th U.S. pure? Even original famous breeders without mentioning any names. I got Marans out of that line with yellow legs. Even theirs are not pure.

 

[kcrandall]

Can you tell me or show me what type of mesh veggie bag? Do you mean like a used onion bag? Where could I get bags like this? I tried my best to separate by breed with bird netting "walls" taped to the sides of my incubator.. it worked ok, but I could only separate into 3 categories (I had a 42 egg incubator ) If I attempt single matings, I will need many little mesh bags.
I love taking notes/photos/ documenting. LOL so this is right up my alley!

Minky - Here is a pic of Mesh bags from Amazon.

 

[Punkybrewster]

Minky - Here is a pic of Mesh bags from Amazon.

Do these actually work?
How about in a regular bator like a nurture rite and such?

Wouldnt the bag hit the heating elements and melt??

Im trying to decide between making hardware cloth cages or trying bags.

 

[Minky]

Do these actually work?
How about in a regular bator like a nurture rite and such?

Wouldnt the bag hit the heating elements and melt??

Im trying to decide between making hardware cloth cages or trying bags.

@kcrandall -
These look awesome!! What a great idea. Thank you.
I don't think they would melt- its only 100, right? I think they would be ok. Are the chicks ok inside them for a few hours though? Not hard on their little necks?

I'm trying to decide between making hardware cloth cages or trying bags.

@Punkybrewster
What kind of design were you thinking? I found they were pretty good climbers- and that a few almost scaled the netting walls that were the entire height of The Little Giant. Would you have a top on it?

 

[Punkybrewster]

@kcrandall -
These look awesome!! What a great idea. Thank you.
I don't think they would melt- its only 100, right? I think they would be ok. Are the chicks ok inside them for a few hours though? Not hard on their little necks?



What kind of design were you thinking? I found they were pretty good climbers- and that a few almost scaled the netting walls that were the entire height of The Little Giant. Would you have a top on it?

I have until spring to decide.
My idea was to make 2 baskets from hardware cloth and clamshell them together so when i open the bator they cant jump out.

No idea if this would work or not.

I do like the mesh bag idea though.

I will prob just use my a big incubator and then at lockdown use 3 or 4 smaller ones like my mini Brinsea and Janoel 12 to keep them apart for hatch.

 

[snowbird]

@kcrandall -
These look awesome!! What a great idea. Thank you.
I don't think they would melt- its only 100, right? I think they would be ok. Are the chicks ok inside them for a few hours though? Not hard on their little necks?



@Punkybrewster
What kind of design were you thinking? I found they were pretty good climbers- and that a few almost scaled the netting walls that were the entire height of The Little Giant. Would you have a top on it?

The wire box has to have a top or they will be all mixed up.

 

[kcrandall]

Do these actually work?
How about in a regular bator like a nurture rite and such?

Wouldnt the bag hit the heating elements and melt??

Im trying to decide between making hardware cloth cages or trying bags.

Incubator isn’t hot enough to melt the bag. Just make surethe bag doesn’t touch the heating element or fans. I don’t put the eggs in bags until lockdown (Day 18). I use in a Brinsea. I only put 4 or 5 eggs per bag To leave room after hatch. They can hang out until they are ready to come out.

 

[kcrandall]

While we are taking about hatching... I have a question regarding humidity.

If I am hatching out Marans, does everyone agree less humidity at lockdown (45%) rather than the standard 75% or so? If that it so, and I want to hatch out Easter Eggers, CLB, olive Eggers and marans- shall I do all the marans eggs in one hatch and all other eggs in another hatch? (with higher humidity?)
And if Im hatching olive Eggers using a marans hen, would that also require less humidity? But an olive egger using a marans cock and a CLB hen would require regular (higher) humidity?
hope that made sense...?

Is the reason for lower humidity to do with the thick marans shell?

Also- how do you tell which end goes up on a marans egg?? Shall I hatch them laying on their side? I have only hatched standing up in cartons before.

How you hatch has a lot to do with your environment. Is it naturally dry or humid where you live?

Marans shells are thicker than standard poultry so they retain moisture. I incubate at 99.5 degrees and 25% humidity for first 18 days then at lockdown (Day 19) I increase humidity to 65%. During incubation I keep the eggs fat end (air sac) up then lay eggs on their side during lockdown.