Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Hens and Roos]

Hi Slick,

Lord knows my hatches stink, but maybe you could run a fan inside the shed in the daytime to help dispurse some of the humidity? It would also keep the shed from getting too hot too. I know here today, the ambient humidity is like 60%, so I turned on the ceiling fan in the room. My humidity is running between 20-32% in both bators. I haven't had to add any water to either one of them yet. When I go to lockdown, I bump it up to between 54-60% and let it flucuate between the two, but it usually stays around 56%, until a chick hatches. I'm usually here on hatch days, so if it gets too high I open vents. Good luck. I'm still working on my magic recipe!

ETA: Try to keep the temps as near to 99.5 as possible. High temps and high hunidity really do them in. I would rather see a lower temp reading, than one over 101.5. Supposedly, the temps are fine in between 99.5-101.5. A lower temp held steady may also slow down the hatch, so be patient!

these are some good ideas too Debbi! Didn't think of that, here by me, we struggle to keep the humidty up

 

[Debbi]

Hi ya Hens! I would love to hug the person that invented ceiling fans!! They really do seem to help get the humidity down a tad here. 80* here and 60% humidity, vents are all open and fans on! Silkies go into lockdown on Wed., hopefully. I'm thinking I may not have any hatch there. Silkie girls have gotten much fluffier since the last batch, and I'm wondering now if any of them are fertile due to no contact? Will candle again before lockdown. If nothing, well, some arse trimming will be in my near future!

 

[slick4591]

At this point you are running it empty-correct?  Once you put the eggs in that might change your humidity and temp. swing as well.  Do you find that your temp stays on the low end or the high end for long periods of time or does it seem to go up and down?  The one thing that comes to mind is that with it staying on the lower side of the temps, your hatch might be delayed by a day or so- which might be better than the potential of cooking them if the temp goes to high.  You might just have to play with a batch or two of eggs and see what you get to hatch.

Thanks, Debbi! I'm taking notes.

Yes Hens, it's empty. When the temp gets to its peak (100.2) it falls very slowly (around half an hour) back to the 98.8. It only take three of four minutes to return back to its peak.

I guess I'd rather wait on them instead of baking them, so I'll adjust it again to the lower side.

 

[Debbi]

Slick ~ Once you get the eggs in there, it will help to stablilize the temp, once they warm up. Your temp flucuations don't seem that bad to me, but see what happens when you put the eggs in, and wait a couple of hours for them to absorb the heat. Then see what it does. What kind of incubator are you using??

 

[Hens and Roos]

Hi ya Hens! I would love to hug the person that invented ceiling fans!! They really do seem to help get the humidity down a tad here. 80* here and 60% humidity, vents are all open and fans on! Silkies go into lockdown on Wed., hopefully. I'm thinking I may not have any hatch there. Silkie girls have gotten much fluffier since the last batch, and I'm wondering now if any of them are fertile due to no contact? Will candle again before lockdown. If nothing, well, some arse trimming will be in my near future!

Yes they are great! Good luck with your silkies, I know what you mean about trimming feathers-we ran into that problem with the bantam cochins we use to have.

 

[slick4591]

Slick ~  Once you get the eggs in there, it will help to stablilize the temp, once they warm up. Your temp flucuations don't seem that bad to me, but see what happens when you put the eggs in, and wait a couple of hours for them to absorb the heat. Then see what it does. What kind of incubator are you using??

I'm lowering the temp a little and I think I'll throw a dozen not fertilized it to see how it reacts to them. I agree that they will help stabilize the temp for a longer period. I think my temperature swing will still be the same, tho. My incubator is one I made out of a stainless ref/freezer.

 

[DMRippy]

I'm getting ready to set some Marans eggs in a couple or three days. I've been searching for the correct humidity during incubation and lock down, but I'm getting answers from 40% up to 65%. So, what's correct? Also, I'm using an egg turner during incubation and have read where some folks use a different tray. If I just unplug the turner tray and leave it alone will it hurt anything? Is lock down humidity different? Sorry, but I've read so many different ideas I'm fairly confused.

Nice eggs! Hope you have a successful hatch.

From my last hatch and this one.... DRY HATCH.... well DRY INCUBATION.... I try not to let it get over 35% during incubation and not lower than 25%. During hatch... With little or NO AIR movement I keep that in the 60's% and don't really worry if it goes over. I had 26 eggs in the hatcher 2 pipped and died 2 didn't pip and the rest are all healthy little Marans!

I have a digital thermostat and I keep it between 99.5 and 100.5 too.

 

[slick4591]

Well, this morning I awoke to 65F and 98% and I figured the inside bator humidity would be out of sight. When I checked a few minutes ago the humidity was at 38% and the temp swing was from 98.6 to 100.2. I think I'll leave the temp setting like it is and see what happens when the outside temp gets back into the 80's. I threw a couple of rice bags in there last night t see if they would do anything. Don't think they helped.

One good thing I found last night was that blue boy had been covering the blue girl and the Ameraucanas. Looks like there might just be some OE's in there if they hatch.

 

[Debbi]

Well, this morning I awoke to 65F and 98% and I figured the inside bator humidity would be out of sight. When I checked a few minutes ago the humidity was at 38% and the temp swing was from 98.6 to 100.2. I think I'll leave the temp setting like it is and see what happens when the outside temp gets back into the 80's. I threw a couple of rice bags in there last night t see if they would do anything. Don't think they helped.
One good thing I found last night was that blue boy had been covering the blue girl and the Ameraucanas. Looks like there might just be some OE's in there if they hatch.

Mornin' Slick

Sounds to me that temp range should be fine. This morning, I have one bator running at 32% and the other at 20%. The one that dropped to 20 has the Wheaten eggs in it, and they look to have a lot of evaporating to do! You have to figure, at least I do, that even under a hen the temps and humidity are going to fluctuate some. Any more, I just cast my luck to the wind, and what will be, will be. That said, I sure didn't win the Mega Millions! Didn't even have ONE number!

 

[slick4591]

Mornin' Slick

  Sounds to me that temp range should be fine. This morning, I have one bator running at 32% and the other at 20%. The one that dropped to 20 has the Wheaten eggs in it, and they look to have a lot of evaporating to do! You have to figure, at least I do, that even under a hen the temps and humidity are going to fluctuate some.  Any more, I just cast my luck to the wind, and what will be, will be. That said, I sure didn't win the Mega Millions! Didn't even have ONE number!  

 

Yep, always wondered how the hen was able to control the humidity.

I bought tickets for the first time in over two years and hit four numbers. Unfortunately, they were on different lines.