International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Chooks man]

I've been doing some test hatching (of my whole flock- not just marans) now that I own 3 incubators LMFAO. (I know not unusual but my family thinks I'm nuts).
I just candled my eggs- taking notes on who's eggs are always clear, who's are getting blood rings, who's look good, porous etc...
And I have some questions.

1. If I collect 9 eggs from one hen, and 4 are clear but the other 5 are looking great- how is that explained? I have one hen who lays (almost)everyday, so I have eggs labelled 5,6,7,8,9,10, 11, 13, 14,- how can she have infertile eggs in the middle?? (her eggs are almost white- a tint colour, so easily candled.) Also, she is my only hen with this colour egg in that pen.

2. my Silver laced Wyandotte's just finished their moult mid jan. Their eggs are suddenly pointy and very porous- doesn't look like they are developing, although I know they have been mated because I have seen it several times.
What can explain the pointyness and porousness? Is this why they are not developing? No, they weren't pointy or porus before they moulted.

3. if a particular hen often develops a blood ring in her eggs- is this just coincidence or could this be a trait of hers?

4. I have 3 lavender Orpingtons in a pen with their rooster. It seems like two of them are not being mated. I watch him chase them around, but they do not let him. He is lovely and polite with them, does his dance etc... a nice rooster. How shall I encourage their compliance?

Sorry this post is not Marans specific, but I trust the opinions of this group.

chooks that are not selectively line bred for those traits will not be predictable when bred . they will express all sort of mixed traits .
for a pair of chooks to have all they eggs fertile many many years of selective breeding has to be done .
select the compatible pair and work with .
if a hen does not like the rooster than you should not keep them together . nothing will happen .
if the eggs have a funny shape or deformed ,do not incubate them . add vitamin B12 complex to the breeders water to solve this issue .
chooks man

 

[Bantambird]

Did this little one survive or hatch too early?

He survived and is in with the group as though he hatched normally

 

[kfelton0002]

Sorry all, for my absence. I've had a lot of things going on. My son's virtual learning keeps me busy. I also work on a busy and packed covid unit in critical care and we have had a lot of short staffing lately. We are losing many nurses to travel. Travel agencies are recruiting them and the money for some I guess is too good to pass up. I however am a loyal servant to my profession and stay where I am very much needed. It makes it hard on those that stay but we are making it day by day. The senior nurses that have left to travel are being replaced by new graduate RNs and they have to have a few old hands to teach them the ropes.

Nothing much new to update on my Marans. I just set a few eggs from Dark Angel's single mated pen. I can't remember for the life of me what his hen's name is at the moment.

Broken Wing died a few weeks ago from an unknown issue he had, I simply deduced as failure to thrive. He wouldn't put on weight or develop. We treated for internal parasites and he never got better. Upon examination all I found to be wrong with him was simply poor body condition. No respiratory issues. No neurological symptoms. Good appetite. It was a mystery and very perplexing.

I hope everyone has stayed safe this winter and the winter storms haven't taken too much of a toll on any of you. We were without electricity one night but have been fortunate otherwise. I will be happy for spring to arrive.

May God bless all of you and keep you safe. I have certainly missed my BYC friends.

 

[Punkybrewster]

Sorry all, for my absence. I've had a lot of things going on. My son's virtual learning keeps me busy. I also work on a busy and packed covid unit in critical care and we have had a lot of short staffing lately. We are losing many nurses to travel. Travel agencies are recruiting them and the money for some I guess is too good to pass up. I however am a loyal servant to my profession and stay where I am very much needed. It makes it hard on those that stay but we are making it day by day. The senior nurses that have left to travel are being replaced by new graduate RNs and they have to have a few old hands to teach them the ropes.

Nothing much new to update on my Marans. I just set a few eggs from Dark Angel's single mated pen. I can't remember for the life of me what his hen's name is at the moment.

Broken Wing died a few weeks ago from an unknown issue he had, I simply deduced as failure to thrive. He wouldn't put on weight or develop. We treated for internal parasites and he never got better. Upon examination all I found to be wrong with him was simply poor body condition. No respiratory issues. No neurological symptoms. Good appetite. It was a mystery and very perplexing.

I hope everyone has stayed safe this winter and the winter storms haven't taken too much of a toll on any of you. We were without electricity one night but have been fortunate otherwise. I will be happy for spring to arrive.

May God bless all of you and keep you safe. I have certainly missed my BYC friends.

Good to hear from you.
Ive been working on covid lodges at the hospital with the sick too.
Were short handed there also.
Not fun but this too shall pass.

Stay safe and we are thinking of you!

 

[RoosterML]

Not happy this evening. In Line #2 I only have 2 hens and one rooster. I caught the hen laying so I could clearly see what egg was hers. Egg color stinks, way to light not even a 4. Now the only thing I like about her is she is chunky. Her brother came from one of the darkest eggs I ever hatched. Any hope for her or does she just get sold as a brown egg layer? Even though she doesn’t lay dark eggs can she possibly carry the dark egg gene because her brother came from very dark egg?

 

[Punkybrewster]

Not happy this evening. In Line #2 I only have 2 hens and one rooster. I caught the hen laying so I could clearly see what egg was hers. Egg color stinks, way to light not even a 4. Now the only thing I like about her is she is chunky. Her brother came from one of the darkest eggs I ever hatched. Any hope for her or does she just get sold as a brown egg layer? Even though she doesn’t lay dark eggs can she possibly carry the dark egg gene because her brother came from very dark egg?

Good question.

I have a pullet from line #1 that is the same. Very light egg but nice type.
I dont know what to do with her.
I am hoping she goes broody so I can at least use her to hatch.



My line #3, all 9, look to be all cockerels. Hahaha

What are the odds?!
I hope I am wrong, but combs, red wattles and they are all standing tall and obnoxious when I put my hand in their coop. I know I am to only use hens from this line and not cockerels because of the white underfluff on the sires, so i am pretty discouraged right now. But it is pretty funny.

I put 3 more pullets into single pens to identify what egg they are laying.

There is still one laying the dark egg with a white, thick bloom. She has not sorted that out so she will be on the cull list also once I find her.

Everyone else is laying a 5 or better. A couple are laying nice 8. I need to find and mark them.

 

[RoosterML]

I just candled my eggs as they are on day 12 of incubation. I usually open the eggs that I take out to see what they look like. One egg that had no development when I opened had double yolks. The only time I have had double yolks before was with high production hens. Anyone seeing that often in Marans?

 

[RoosterML]

Good question.

I have a pullet from line #1 that is the same. Very light egg but nice type.
I dont know what to do with her.
I am hoping she goes broody so I can at least use her to hatch.



My line #3, all 9, look to be all cockerels. Hahaha

What are the odds?!
I hope I am wrong, but combs, red wattles and they are all standing tall and obnoxious when I put my hand in their coop. I know I am to only use hens from this line and not cockerels because of the white underfluff on the sires, so i am pretty discouraged right now. But it is pretty funny.

I put 3 more pullets into single pens to identify what egg they are laying.

There is still one laying the dark egg with a white, thick bloom. She has not sorted that out so she will be on the cull list also once I find her.

Everyone else is laying a 5 or better. A couple are laying nice 8. I need to find and mark them.

Are these the ones you took the long drive for?

 

[Punkybrewster]

I believe it can happen with any breed.
At least that has been my experience.
Some breeds more than others though.

 

[Punkybrewster]

Are these the ones you took the long drive for?

Yes.
For their short, low tails and long backs.
I may try again because they are beautiful, correct chicks and are fully feathered at 2 weeks.
Maybe.

I would not drive but have them shipped.