Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Arielle]

Thank you! I would be more discouraged but I know that Stephanie from Chester Ridge Farms is incubating 15 chicks for me as we speak! Finally someone who can send day old marans to Hawaii! woohoo!
I spent a half hour sitting out watching my 6 little marans chicks this afternoon. The chick I posted a pic of is the worst. The others are definitely fluffy bottoms but more like fluff than feathers. I will keep watching them as they grow and will not breed any with problems like that. I am in no rush and am enjoying the journey. I can say that now that I actually have some chicks! It was getting depressing when I could not get any to hatch. Empty nest syndrome.. lol.

This is EXCITING news!! Hurray!! You found someone who can send you chicks. You have been working so hard incubating shipped eggs. This new development is cause for celebration!! Might lead you into other varieties. Like Wheaten.

 

[gilavina]

Go Babies GO!!!!!!

Mine are supposed to go into lockdown tomorrow, but I am thinking it will be Sunday before I can. We will see....

Kim, BTW I left the other eggs in the hatcher till I get back so MAYBE ... but doubtful.

yipee! theres lots of us with chickers comin!

 

[anthoston]

Beautiful blue nesting box

 

[Arielle]

OK. I need to ask . . . .

How are marans eggs different than other chicken eggs, say RIR, for hatching? I've read the eggs take longer to hatch, 21 days is typical for the first to pip; I've read the shell benefits from sanding to remove the bloom, I think, to help the egg loose more moisture. I've read the breeder birds should have a lower calcium intake than eggs destined for eating.

I'm feeling a little bit overwhelmed here! Maybe even a lot ! YOu are all well experienced hatchers. Give me the low down. Please . . . .

 

[Debbi]

Woo-Hooooo!!!! Just called the PO and my eggs came in! They should be here around noon. The sub carrier is running today, and I know she will handle them with care, and I'll be waiting for her by the box!

Vicki ~ Got any new ones this morning???

 

[gilavina]

Woo-Hooooo!!!! Just called the PO and my eggs came in! They should be here around noon. The sub carrier is running today, and I know she will handle them with care, and I'll be waiting for her by the box!

Vicki ~ Got any new ones this morning???

I'm so glad the eggs are coming today! I was wondering if you would get them.

I don't have any more chicks yet, but have about 10 eggs that have pipped, so all is not lost. That chick is quite the spirited one still...I think it must be the strongest ones that hatch first to get the ball rolling for everyone else!

 

[Debbi]

OK. I need to ask . . . .

How are marans eggs different than other chicken eggs, say RIR, for hatching? I've read the eggs take longer to hatch, 21 days is typical for the first to pip; I've read the shell benefits from sanding to remove the bloom, I think, to help the egg loose more moisture. I've read the breeder birds should have a lower calcium intake than eggs destined for eating.

I'm feeling a little bit overwhelmed here! Maybe even a lot ! YOu are all well experienced hatchers. Give me the low down. Please . . . .

Ha, don't feel alone! I have yet to have a high hatch rate with my Marans eggs, whether they are shipped or collected here! The shells of these eggs are harder/thicker than others I have had. I have not tried the sanding thing yet, but I will be doing that with the eggs coming today! I've read just to sand a spot of the color off by the large end with the air cell. I also get better results with a lower humidity in the first 18 days, like 35-40%, some folks even go lower. At lockdown, I bump it up to 50-55%. Before, I had too many of them drowning in the shell when going into lockdown, when my humidity was 60-70%. Still a peck and hunt kind of thing to find the exact recipe for sucess, and it does change with the time of the year and ambient temps and humidity. I'm still working on it though...

 

[Debbi]

I'm so glad the eggs are coming today! I was wondering if you would get them.

I don't have any more chicks yet, but have about 10 eggs that have pipped, so all is not lost. That chick is quite the spirited one still...I think it must be the strongest ones that hatch first to get the ball rolling for everyone else!

Nope, you've got lots of time left! Today is day 21 right? I've had stragglers hatch here on day 25! Kim's had them hatch at 26 or 27 I think? These guys don't seem to pop like popcorn the way my Silkies do, I sure wish they would! I can usually tell when all is lost, just by standing there, looking at the bator, and I get a sinking feeling in my gut. The last Silkie hatch fooled me though, I was getting that feeling, then all of a sudden two more appeared within the hour! Hang in there lady!!

 

[gilavina]

Nope, you've got lots of time left! Today is day 21 right? I've had stragglers hatch here on day 25! Kim's had them hatch at 26 or 27 I think? These guys don't seem to pop like popcorn the way my Silkies do, I sure wish they would! I can usually tell when all is lost, just by standing there, looking at the bator, and I get a sinking feeling in my gut. The last Silkie hatch fooled me though, I was getting that feeling, then all of a sudden two more appeared within the hour! Hang in there lady!!

Day 21 doesn't start til around 5 or 6pm tonight, so I'm not worried. I'm hearing another chick talking now and am noticing that this dry hatch is making it easier for the shells to break in bigger chunks...so I think once they get things going they will pop pretty quickly. I'm relieved that I'm not going to be here this afternoon and part of the evening, that way I can be surprised when I come home. I expect for the fun to really begin later today and overnight!

 

[pinkchick]

Hi Everyone!


Vicki~ Thank you and you are the best!

Roberta~ Thank you too lady...this the best group of folks ever around here!

Debbi~ TONS AND TONS of good hatching luck coming to you for these eggies!!!

Vicki~ Nothing going on in my 'bator until Monday or so. Congrats on your little surprizes so far.


Donna~ Congrats on the babies and sorry for the ones that didn't do anything. BUMMER! Yesterday I tossed 10 beautiful eggies from my 'bator as well that were all clear. They were all mixers from the laying flock but still bummed about it. We had had a cold snap for a few days when I collected these eggs so the cold must have got to them I'm thinking. I'm going to take a whole load of eggs out of the fridge and bring them up to temp and toss them in the 'bator in a couple days. I love trying to hatch out fridge babies! People just can't get over it when they find out that eggs from the fridge can be hatched. Will be fun to see what kind of a mix of chicks I get. Of course they will all be part Marans but that's okay for just barnyarders.