Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[jlgoinggreen]

We want to hatch FBCM. I'm scared of messing up again. I can't figure out what I did wrong. I did all my eggs exactly the same and had the same temps constantly checking temps and humidity. With my Ameraucanas I had them all hatch except for one and my EEs all hatched. I was so broken hearted that I only got one Maran and it was a rooster to boot.

I was hoping to get some advice on here. I'm thinking maybe for the Marans the temp and humidity needs to be different than with other eggs???

This go round I plan to have them in the bator by themselves. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[gilavina]

Quote:
hmmm...hopefully some others will pop in and be able to offer more advice... I'll keep thinking about it and see what I can come up with. I don't blame you for being head shy about having another go around. After a couple horrible hatches I about hung up the towel, but read through this thread and decided to give it another go with some shipped eggs this year again. They are still in the process of hatching, but am glad I decided to not give up. I wonder if there is anyone in your area that might have chicks you could purchase to get you started?

 

[math ace]

I run 99 - 100 degrees with

45 - 50% humidity for days 1 - 18
and
65 - 70% humidity for days 19 - 21.

AND OMG - - - DO NOT open the incubator UNLESS you see blood or the equilvalent! Which happened to be on the last hatch when one of my chicks decided to do a header out of the second story incubator baskets.. .. .

 

[math ace]

I am wondering if anyone

1.) VACCINATES againts any viruses ? ?

2.) Which Viruses you vaccinate against ??

 

[Mountain Mel]

When I get birds from mail-order (Meyer Hatchery) I always get the Mareks vaccinations done. They do it for cheap there....

 

[jlgoinggreen]

Quote:
Did you have a good hatch rate with those temps? I gotta find all my files I kept on my hatches, that sounds about what I had with them. Maybe this time I'll just pray over them. A LOT!!!

 

[flgardengirl]

I dont vaccinate but have been thinking about it. I haven't had any problems with illnesses except for we went through fowl pox this last fall as soon as the nights cooled down and the mosquitos got into the coops for warmth (which is how it typically happens lol) They should be immune now but the new ones won't be.

 

[Hens and Roos]

For the darker eggs what does anyone use for candling at day 18? DH built one using a modified 150 watt halogen flood light-works well for eggs just begining but not so for eggs at day 18(which is good as it shows that the egg is full) unless you would invert the egg(which we didn't do). Any recommendations for this.

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Yes, I had good hatches. . ..

I had issues, but they weren't temp or humidity related. On the last batch, I hatched 17 out of 20 eggs. I had an 18 th egg that pipped, but got shrink wrapped when I went in for the emergency. . . I had two other that did not pip, but had developement.

With SHIPPED eggs there are so many things that can go wrong BEFORE they even get to you. . . .

I hatched delawares and Olive eggers right beside my marans without any trouble.

I say TRY AGAIN and try to find eggs close to you. . . .

 

[Knight Hawk Ranch]

I vaccinate for fowl pox when my chicks go outside. Tired of losing them when they become teenagers. That seams to be when mine would contract the pox. Since I started doing this, I have not lost any to fowl pox. Now if I could just get better hatch on my Marans eggs.

I currently have one blue hen that lays nice eggs but I can't get the eggs to hatch. They are viable eggs, there is always a chick there, just doesn't make it out of the egg.

I have a BC pullet that I have been expecting to start laying for quite awhile. With my luck she is dud.