International Black Copper Marans Thread - Breeding to the SOP

[Punkybrewster]

I have very good new to share with you my friends.
A friend of mine is helping me to set up a YouTube Chanel about my new farm. Lot topic will be about how to breed and look after a Marans chooks , how to build breeding pens. Cockerels and pullets pens . All the stuff we talk about in here.
We ordered today all the equipment we need to film and edit the Video s .
Every thing will be filmed breeding . Selecting the breeders. Selecting the eggs to incubate . Incubating . Hatching etc……..all about Marans and gardening.
Looking forward to get started.
Chooks nan

I look forward to this!
You have so much knowledge to share. Video format is an excellent idea.

How is the book coming along?

 

[Lady-Bird]

Ok, all these pics of the boys being posted I wanted to post some also. I got some updated on Kong. He took some damage from frost bite on his huge comb and he lost a spur fighting thru the pen with King... He's such a good boy.

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That copper is stunning! Rich and deep.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Thank you Punky and Lady. I'll get some rear shots of him for you Chooks man. And more shots of Prince and King. Prince is getting a little full of himself here lately. Having to watch my back with him a bit. Hopefully he'll come around to the mutual respect like his Dad.

 

[Chooks man]

Thank you Punky and Lady. I'll get some rear shots of him for you Chooks man. And more shots of Prince and King. Prince is getting a little full of himself here lately. Having to watch my back with him a bit. Hopefully he'll come around to the mutual respect like his Dad.

We want to be able to see how wide is his back side when viewed from the rear . Marans correct body type should be wide and deep all the way through from the from to the back end .
Will be nice to see photos of prince and king too .
Chooks man

 

[Lady-Bird]

I've never had good hatches with your particular incubator or any styrofoam one. I have heard others do though.

It is best to incubate your dark Marans eggs separately from other breeds because they require different settings. My best hatches are low humidity all the way through. I let it get down into the teens even. Never above 35. At lockdown, 40-45%.
Humidity spikes during hatch on its own.
100 is a good temp.

This is only my experience in my climate. Others may chime in with other methods that work for them.

That being said, maybe try a different incubator?

To loose so many from both breeds and 3 really bad hatches, It sounds like heat and humidity were all over the place and not accurate. Mercury thermometers are great by the way.

Yesterday, I did eggtopsies, to see if I could determine what went wrong. I don’t think it was a temperature issue. I had some mid to late incubation deaths but most were very well developed and fully developed chicks who were
A) too big to get out of shell and position properly
B) Lots of malpositions that could not pip
C) Aircell was not large enough so they drowned before pipping and membrane was full of liquid.

Now I know what to improve for next time. At least I got the few chicks I did.

 

[Chooks man]

Yesterday, I did eggtopsies, to see if I could determine what went wrong. I don’t think it was a temperature issue. I had some mid to late incubation deaths but most were very well developed and fully developed chicks who were
A) too big to get out of shell and position properly
B) Lots of malpositions that could not pip
C) Aircell was not large enough so they drowned before pipping and membrane was full of liquid.

Now I know what to improve for next time. At least I got the few chicks I did.

All these problem are caused by 2 things :
1 is the humidity was too high.
2 the eggs where not rested enough befor they went to the bat or. What causes mal position chicks ,
The best way to fix the problem is : whn we receive the from the post we should let them rest flat on the side for few days to allow the air cell to go back to it natural position.
Chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

Some photos of my silver/ golden cuckoo hen she is a f1 daughter of my solid black rooster Black Mamba over dominant white split cuckoo hen Sophie . This hen is 3 and half years old lay long dark egg #5/6 love her body type . She almost done with a molt . Will be bred to Shamrock blue silver
dark cuckoo rooster and his son Rashad silver / golden dark cuckoo

Chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

@Punkybrewster here some photos of one of my square body type hen. She is really big and really square . Plus she has a cushion feathering type on her back . Fluffy and loose feathers too.

She has a green leg band that mean she lay dark eggs . She will be bred to Rashad a dark cuckoo rooster and spread train splash rooster both have long body type. I m only breeding her because she lay dark eggs . I never miss breeding from dark eggs layers regardless they fault. Dark eggs are very important to me in my breeding programs.
Chooks man

 

[Chooks man]

Sun flower seeds freshly harvest and given to the chooks .

I like this method no shop no transport where involved . From a garden to the chooks . Great stuff . Next year I make sure to plant early and lot of seeds .
Chooks nan

 

[Punkybrewster]

Some photos of my silver/ golden cuckoo hen she is a f1 daughter of my solid black rooster Black Mamba over dominant white split cuckoo hen Sophie . This hen is 3 and half years old lay long dark egg #5/6 love her body type . She almost done with a molt . Will be bred to Shamrock blue silver
dark cuckoo rooster and his son Rashad silver / golden dark cuckoo
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Chooks man

I have a couple of hens who lay long, dark eggs. Torpedo shaped but very dark.

I hatched them to keep the dark egg gene and wondered if I should have. Big chicks came out of the long eggs too.

The ones that lay nice round eggs are lighter. I did keep a couple chicks from them also just for their shape.