Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[SarniaTricia]

My first hatch I followed the directions exactally! and my hatch rate was excellent....11/12

This hatch I will be luck to get 55%..... I had to help with 2 that were shrink wrapped, but I think that was my fault for fetching out the first 8 while they were trying to hatch.

I am going to try and emulate the exact conditions of the first hatch if possible... My house that I live in now seems dryer and we get a big warm up in the afternoon from our huge windows.....(I set in the kitchen cause it was more convenient for me)
I need to set the new batch tonight, so I will move them to the bathroom.... were we hatched the first time..... follow directions..... reduce the number of eggs in the bator.. steam up the bath if I fetch out any before they are done....

I am ok with conflicting info. keep the advice coming.... Just ask the DH, I am going to make my own decision in the end anyway...

THANK YOU for everyone's advice... I will experiment with the back yard flock instead of my precious Marans eggs.
Patricia

 

[ronott1]

It's ok. The opinions don't matter. What matters is the size of the aircell. This really does depend on the health of the parents, the genetics of the chickens and etc.


No Matter if you use the "dry" method of 20% in a fan forced incubator or not, the air cell need to look like the chart. increase and decrease the humidity for the first 18 days based on it.

I hope this helps,

Ron

My first hatch I followed the directions exactally! and my hatch rate was excellent....11/12

This hatch I will be luck to get 55%..... I had to help with 2 that were shrink wrapped, but I think that was my fault for fetching out the first 8 while they were trying to hatch.

I am going to try and emulate the exact conditions of the first hatch if possible... My house that I live in now seems dryer and we get a big warm up in the afternoon from our huge windows.....(I set in the kitchen cause it was more convenient for me)
I

I am ok with conflicting info. keep the advice coming.... Just ask the DH, I am goin'tg to make my own decision in the end anyway...

THANK YOU for everyone's advice... I will experiment with the back yard flock instead of my precious Marans eggs.
Patricia

 

[pinkchick]

For what it's worth....when I first started hatching Marans I used the dry method and had pretty good luck with it. Over the last couple of years since I purchased my Sportsman, I have been running the humidity at 50% from day 1 thru day 18 and then raising the humidity slightly to approx. 60-65% and have had the best luck with this method. My Marans hatches have never been better and I hatch ALOT of Marans.

 

[gilavina]

I'm getting excited....its time for more birdies to be leaving today for the sale! I can't wait to have things thinned down some more. Its gonna be hard to be patient today, I just wanna get them ready and go already! haha

In other news. I'm gonna try to get you a couple shots of my blue copper girls growing out Kim. Might take me a bit, but I'm liking what I'm seeing, and they are big!

 

[pinkchick]

Hi Vicki!
I would love to see your Blue Copper girls and very happy that you are rehoming some more birds. I too am downsizing once again. A very difficult decision but must be done as it is just not feasible or economical at this time, I have decided to get out of Welsummers completely and probably the Wyandottes, not 100% sure on this one because I love them sooooooooo much, but I can have the blue lacing with the Blue laced Barnie project I have going so it kinda makes it easier....but...........

I wish I could keep them all but it is just not working out that way right now.

Eventually I will probably only have the Barnies, Copper Marans and Birchens.

 

[DMRippy]

Hi Vicki!
I would love to see your Blue Copper girls and very happy that you are rehoming some more birds. I too am downsizing once again. A very difficult decision but must be done as it is just not feasible or economical at this time, I have decided to get out of Welsummers completely and probably the Wyandottes, not 100% sure on this one because I love them sooooooooo much, but I can have the blue lacing with the Blue laced Barnie project I have going so it kinda makes it easier....but...........

I wish I could keep them all but it is just not working out that way right now.

Eventually I will probably only have the Barnies, Copper Marans and Birchens.

I am feeling your pain, I need to let something go..... what I don't know yet. Barnies were on my want list... and the guy I bought my original Marans from had them and saw his ad on CL for 8 chicks for $10 bucks TOTAL.... that was hard to resist. I have a lonely little Partridge Plymouth Rock roo..... I love the look, and want to have that in my flock, but not sure where or who to put him with. He may hit the road soon too. I wanted SPPR and ended up with PPR.

 

[pinkchick]

I don't know why we just can't have them all......................................................................................

 

[DMRippy]

I don't know why we just can't have them all......................................................................................

I can't have them all because hubby will not build me more pens

I have already gotten 2 breeds gone, d'Uccles and RIRs. If I could figure out a way to combine pens, like EE and Ameraucanas that would help, but I could not tell the eggs apart since all me EE lay a blue eggs. I need to do some planning. I need a Lav roo gone, 3 is a bit much. If I could keep the extra roo in the EE pen and then just have a breeding lavender pen that would help, that would empty 2 pens..... hum.... that is a good idea....... I could do the same thing in the Marans Pens, but I don't want to get rid of any of the Roos I use, they each bring something different to the table...... decisions, decisions....

 

[pinkchick]

The hard part for me is going to be not refilling the empty coops!!!!!!!!!

I will need restraints.

 

[ronott1]

For what it's worth....when I first started hatching Marans I used the dry method and had pretty good luck with it. Over the last couple of years since I purchased my Sportsman, I have been running the humidity at 50% from day 1 thru day 18 and then raising the humidity slightly to approx. 60-65% and have had the best luck with this method. My Marans hatches have never been better and I hatch ALOT of Marans.

Yes! Perfect information for a Sportsman. They are made from laminated wood. The dry hatch is for Styrofoam incubators, so It is great to make sure everyone understands that.

Don't use the Dry hatch method for the plastic incubators like the Brinsea or the wood ones like the Sportsman.

Ron