It's not easy incubating eggs

[JacinLarkwell]

Yep. Look up Svort Honas (Swedish black hens)

 

[natemoore1986]

What size is it? The 20 or 40? Or the eco?

Octogon...eight.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Octogon...eight.

There isn't a brinsea octogon 8

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Some eBay FBCM hatching egg sellers want $25/egg!?!?!?

Shipping illegally across state lines if they aren't NPIP certified.

It's likely low because you get what you pay for... Those of us who breed for true breeding/show quality have worked very hard to obtain our stock and get to the point where we are.. I see TONS of crappy FBCM all day long.. wrong eye color, leakage in their chest and even legs, comb sprigs, wrong body type, etc.. Just having a pure breed of a bird doesn't make them good per say. SELECTING for qualities, growing birds out birds until fully mature 1-2 years INCLUDING prospective rooster and keeping only the best of the best for several generations. I have plenty invested in my housing for safety and health purposes. And lots and lots time invested in knowledge about and passion for the breed I am working with including some basic genetic stuff. Growing out that many birds is costly.. in truth only 1- 3% will be of the BEST quality.. that 1- 3 out every 100 birds! Almost impossible for a back yarder with limited space to achieve.. or me with an enthusiastic back yarder (aspiring NPIP breeder) with under an acre for the chickens. Still we try..

They weren't available at hatchery back when I started like they are now, and cheap too.. It's hard time a year for availability but..
https://hoovershatchery.com/frenchcoppermarans.html

https://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=BLMS

https://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Baby-Chicks/Black-Copper-Marans-p736.aspx


See to me.. just the temperature in Texas and Florida alone would make shipped eggs seriously a NOT summer time.

No idea what the humidity was.

Marans eggs have a darker color layer on their shell. How do your air cells look? Go in a dark room, cover your head with a blanket and use you cell phone flashlight at the fat end of the egg.. can you see any beak poking in there.. post a photo for some of the more experience candlers, and consider joining one of the current hatch along threads for August whichever you can find.

If you are relying on the temperature on the bator, those go out of whack all the time! Maybe your temp was lower than you think and hatch will still be coming, just delayed..

Abandon hatch when no life is possible.. If they aren't dead.. Start verifying you dates to see if you're mistaken by chance, your current temperature. and your current humidity. Are all you wells full of water now? Whistle and peep to them... see if you hear any response!

Do the sniff test.. got any funky smell.. like death!

See any cracks or oozing?

Please note, the only time I incubated shipped eggs, they came from Florida to California.. spent a pretty penny.. north of $150 for 2 dozen from a show winning breeder.. they sent 3 dozen.. I had only 3 hatch all were cockerels and two were showing faults shortly. So I don't think I do have any extra tips for shipped eggs..

I read let them rest 24 hours before setting depending on how far they cam from. Or set them right away but don't turn them.

I did ship eggs once inside my home state to a teacher.. it's a 7 hour truck ride to the bay area.. All were fertile, 8 hatched. I can't remember time of year or other details.. but packaging correctly is a definite factor..

 

[natemoore1986]

There isn't a brinsea octogon 8

Brinsea Octagon 10. It only holds eight large eggs without stacking and, of course the name--octagon--that's why 8 stuck in my head. But it's a Brinsea Octagon 10.

 

[natemoore1986]

Shipping illegally across state lines if they aren't NPIP certified.

It's likely low because you get what you pay for... Those of us who breed for true breeding/show quality have worked very hard to obtain our stock and get to the point where we are.. I see TONS of crappy FBCM all day long.. wrong eye color, leakage in their chest and even legs, comb sprigs, wrong body type, etc.. Just having a pure breed of a bird doesn't make them good per say. SELECTING for qualities, growing birds out birds until fully mature 1-2 years INCLUDING prospective rooster and keeping only the best of the best for several generations. I have plenty invested in my housing for safety and health purposes. And lots and lots time invested in knowledge about and passion for the breed I am working with including some basic genetic stuff. Growing out that many birds is costly.. in truth only 1- 3% will be of the BEST quality.. that 1- 3 out every 100 birds! Almost impossible for a back yarder with limited space to achieve.. or me with an enthusiastic back yarder (aspiring NPIP breeder) with under an acre for the chickens. Still we try..

They weren't available at hatchery back when I started like they are now, and cheap too.. It's hard time a year for availability but..
https://hoovershatchery.com/frenchcoppermarans.html

https://www.meyerhatchery.com/productinfo.a5w?prodID=BLMS

https://www.mypetchicken.com/catalog/Baby-Chicks/Black-Copper-Marans-p736.aspx


See to me.. just the temperature in Texas and Florida alone would make shipped eggs seriously a NOT summer time.


Marans eggs have a darker color layer on their shell. How do your air cells look? Go in a dark room, cover your head with a blanket and use you cell phone flashlight at the fat end of the egg.. can you see any beak poking in there.. post a photo for some of the more experience candlers, and consider joining one of the current hatch along threads for August whichever you can find.

If you are relying on the temperature on the bator, those go out of whack all the time! Maybe your temp was lower than you think and hatch will still be coming, just delayed..

Abandon hatch when no life is possible.. If they aren't dead.. Start verifying you dates to see if you're mistaken by chance, your current temperature. and your current humidity. Are all you wells full of water now? Whistle and peep to them... see if you hear any response!

Do the sniff test.. got any funky smell.. like death!

See any cracks or oozing?

Please note, the only time I incubated shipped eggs, they came from Florida to California.. spent a pretty penny.. north of $150 for 2 dozen from a show winning breeder.. they sent 3 dozen.. I had only 3 hatch all were cockerels and two were showing faults shortly. So I don't think I do have any extra tips for shipped eggs..

I read let them rest 24 hours before setting depending on how far they cam from. Or set them right away but don't turn them.

I did ship eggs once inside my home state to a teacher.. it's a 7 hour truck ride to the bay area.. All were fertile, 8 hatched. I can't remember time of year or other details.. but packaging correctly is a definite factor..

I'm not concerned with having "defective" BCM. I just want chocolate colored eggs. But I do appreciate those who strive for perfect birds. Backyard chickens is a minor hobby of mine. Woodworking and blacksmithing are my true passions.

I have a very bright candle, and go into a dark room to do the candling. Still difficult to see much, but I'll look again for the beaks poking into the air sacks.

Oh, and I was saying that $25/egg was outrageous because I paid $25 for eight. But I guess $25/egg is cheap for certified eggs?

Thanks

 

[NatJ]

I have a very bright candle, and go into a dark room to do the candling. Still difficult to see much, but I'll look again for the beaks poking into the air sacks.

An actual candle, made of wax, with a flame at the top?

A small flashlight works much better.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Oh, and I was saying that $25/egg was outrageous because I paid $25 for eight. But I guess $25/egg is cheap for certified eggs?

Oh, I thought that was for a dozen.. per egg, ridiculous! They must be smoking the good stuff!

Perfect birds will never happen.. but we strive to keep them good so they don't lose features like their lovely chocolate eggs.

If chocolate eggs are the main drive.. hatcheries are selling midnight majesty Marans and other varieties. The splash sold at Meyer is gorgeous. To me, a better option than *possibly* shady ebay sellers.

 

[natemoore1986]

An actual candle, made of wax, with a flame at the top?

A small flashlight works much better.

Not sure if you're joking or not, but that would be a pretty dumb thing to do. I have a Titan Incubators bright LED candler.

 

[natemoore1986]

Seven eggs remaining. Here are pictures of six (on picture was completely black for some reason). I'm thinking only a few look normal for this late in the game.