Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[gilavina]

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I'd test your blue girls to make sure they are solids first if you haven't already. that will clear up how to handle moving forward with your boy.... also...you'll want to test him for comb defects if he came from that same batch of boys that had those issues...I can't remember now where you said this boy came from. I can help you with getting on track with birchens if you want lady! No problem. Step by step is the easiest way for sure and keeping a notebook and banding system will be essential as the color won't appear on most of the F1 stock if you do have solids to work with.

I have a note book with pictures of the roos and hens in my blue cuckoo project but as far as all my blue cuckoos I have their bands from when they were younger in the notebooks with their pics but didnt have time to band them since...

well that wont take much to update then lady!

 

[chevgrl]

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I have a note book with pictures of the roos and hens in my blue cuckoo project but as far as all my blue cuckoos I have their bands from when they were younger in the notebooks with their pics but didnt have time to band them since...

well that wont take much to update then lady!

I edited that post to say I am going to test my solid blue Marans on my solid blue cochin roo.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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I am certainly NOT the most experienced hatcher here but as I understand, humidity is critical throughout incubation. It's not so much that water gets in the air sac but rather the air sac doesn't get big enough for the chick to breath through hatching. Evaporation has to occur at a certain rate for the air sac to get to the correct size. Humidity has to be low enough to allow evaporation for the first 18 days and then raised up to prevent "sticking" from day 18 on. For poultry I believe the ideal is between 40% and 50% for the first 18 days. If it runs higher than that, evaporation doesn't occur as it should and the air sacs don't get big enough for the chicks to breath during hatching. The chicks also grow too big to turn for zipping using the available air space. That is the primary problem with the styrofoam incubators. Can't get enough control over the humidity and it runs either too high or too low. A lot of folks recommend "dry" incubation - low humidity early on. I've never tried it. For day 18 I'll crank my humidity up to 65% and then the moisture from hatching and chicks drying will crank it up automatically from there. You have to make sure vents get opened up to prevent the humidity going sky high during hatching.

That's what I understand about hatching.

 

[snowbird]

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Nice coloring on those birds. Looks to me though, that your roo may have a huge side sprig, or even a carnation comb? Not a good thing if you are breeding or selling to those who may want to. Do you have a closer shot of his comb you could post?

Debbi, It would not be as bad if the female had a bad comb also would it. They are so pretty why would a bad comb make a difference ?

 

[chevgrl]

Quote:
I am certainly NOT the most experienced hatcher here but as I understand, humidity is critical throughout incubation. It's not so much that water gets in the air sac but rather the air sac doesn't get big enough for the chick to breath through hatching. Evaporation has to occur at a certain rate for the air sac to get to the correct size. Humidity has to be low enough to allow evaporation for the first 18 days and then raised up to prevent "sticking" from day 18 on. For poultry I believe the ideal is between 40% and 50% for the first 18 days. If it runs higher than that, evaporation doesn't occur as it should and the air sacs don't get big enough for the chicks to breath during hatching. The chicks also grow too big to turn for zipping using the available air space. That is the primary problem with the styrofoam incubators. Can't get enough control over the humidity and it runs either too high or too low. A lot of folks recommend "dry" incubation - low humidity early on. I've never tried it. For day 18 I'll crank my humidity up to 65% and then the moisture from hatching and chicks drying will crank it up automatically from there. You have to make sure vents get opened up to prevent the humidity going sky high during hatching.

That's what I understand about hatching.

I am a firm believer of dry incubation but I incubate in a finished basement it stays pretty moist usually around 30%. I am wondering why I keep having fully developed chicks every time Grr!

 

[chevgrl]

So tonight @ 9 will officially be the end of the 21st day for my second batch ( it got put in the day after the first batch) and no movement no nothing...same for the 3 eggs from batch 1 were on the 22nd day till 9 then it will be the 23rd day.

I always say I'm not going to freak out when it comes time to Pip &Zip and yet here I am freaking out

 

[gilavina]

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Don't fret! You never know what might happen. There's been some crazy slow hatchers on this thread before. Just ask Kim!

 

[melodym78]

YEEE HAW Just candled my 12 blue maran eggs.....11 out of 12 are good to go! 14 more days of waiting....UGH

 

[gilavina]

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Yay! good deal! keeping fingers crossed for them!

 

[chevgrl]

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Don't fret! You never know what might happen. There's been some crazy slow hatchers on this thread before. Just ask Kim!

Oh man! Id feel alittle more excited if there was a pip. On the other hand these 2 crazy chicks have knocked the crap out of the others eggs. They've probably got in position a million times.