International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Chooks man]

Yes I sell non fertile eggs for $4.00 a dozen.

they are stunning . at $4 a Dz you are giving them away .
I think you are in the wrong country .you should be in OZ with your marans .you will be famous with those type of eggs color ,hahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
love your marans .
chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

indeed maran's eggs, due to the extra pigmentation, can be harder to hatch. Lower humidity during incubation is necessary for them, and often they take an extra day to hatch compared to others. They need less humidity during hatching, but that's a catch 22 for me if they don't unzip fast enough. Even with excellent fertility and hatching my own eggs, I find it hard to reach 100 percent hatch rate.
If it is day 22, don't worry yet. Marans can take up to 23 days to hatch, they can be slow. Let them be. You will know for sure by day 24, by then they definitely should have hatched.

X 2 . marans are hard to work with .low humidity all the way through incubation and hatching .
chooks man

 

[Minky]

X 2 . marans are hard to work with .low humidity all the way through incubation and hatching .
chooks man

Well I left the "extra eggs" she gave me in and now it is day 24. Still no peeping. I did a totally dry hatch. All the way thru. At hatch I put it up to 55%. I will pull them out tonight and feed them to the wolves.
I am glad Chooks Man thinks he is ok, and a rooster. I thought so too with the big pink toes.

 

[Minky]

indeed maran's eggs, due to the extra pigmentation, can be harder to hatch. Lower humidity during incubation is necessary for them, and often they take an extra day to hatch compared to others. They need less humidity during hatching, but that's a catch 22 for me if they don't unzip fast enough. Even with excellent fertility and hatching my own eggs, I find it hard to reach 100 percent hatch rate.
If it is day 22, don't worry yet. Marans can take up to 23 days to hatch, they can be slow. Let them be. You will know for sure by day 24, by then they definitely should have hatched.

The incubator was totally dry the whole time. On day 19 I put in about 1/2 cup warm water and it went up to 50%, would fluctuate between 50-55%. If someone hatched it may go to 60, but then a quick pop open of the Bator and it was down to 50's again.
Do you ever sand or degrade the egg shell in any way , on day 1?.
I don't think it helped that half we're infertile. But 1/6 is terrible. So many dead chicks already on day 22. They were done- I feel like I should've cracked them on day 21, if I could have a do-over.

 

[KingD]

 

[LaFleche]

I am currently hatching my First Marans!
I ordered eggs from ebay saying
Blue & or splash Copper Marans (yellow carton)

Then a friend of a friend sent Blue Maran eggs (Blue carton)

I am super excited for Dark eggs

Those in the yellow carton look very nice!

 

[LaFleche]

They are large (75-80 g) and maybe they just need one extra day???!!!! She said she has 100% fertility since there are 3 roosters in with about 20 hens.

I don't use eggs this large for hatching, and larger ones only if they have been laid by older hens (2 years at least, better older), as the the big eggs laid by young hens or pullets will have too much albumen left at the end of the incubation and the chicks will drown (aspirate) when trying to pip the airsack.

5 dead chicks (fully formed, yoke sac absorbed etc, and 7 infertile.

So no 100% fertility rate as claimed.

I am sorry. Hopefully next time will have a better hatch rate.

 

[Minky]

I don't use eggs this large for hatching, and larger ones only if they have been laid by older hens (2 years at least, better older), as the the big eggs laid by young hens or pullets will have too much albumen left at the end of the incubation and the chicks will drown (aspirate) when trying to pip the airsack.

So no 100% fertility rate as claimed.

I am sorry. Hopefully next time will have a better hatch rate.

Good tips. I assumed she was not using pullets, but I have no idea. At least each failure is a learning experience.

 

[Chooks man]

View attachment 2650574

what a story of this little chick?
chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

The incubator was totally dry the whole time. On day 19 I put in about 1/2 cup warm water and it went up to 50%, would fluctuate between 50-55%. If someone hatched it may go to 60, but then a quick pop open of the Bator and it was down to 50's again.
Do you ever sand or degrade the egg shell in any way , on day 1?.
I don't think it helped that half we're infertile. But 1/6 is terrible. So many dead chicks already on day 22. They were done- I feel like I should've cracked them on day 21, if I could have a do-over.

I do not add any water when I move the eggs to the hatcher and I make sure all the vent holes are ope