Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[Keara]

Eggs set to hatch for groundhog day. Photo makes the darkest eggs look purple, which they are not darkest eggs are about a 6. Have a blue copper hen and about half these eggs are hers. Hope I will get a blue chick.

I got babies! so far four blue, one splash and, 5 black copper Marans. 3 more drying off and, one zipping. plus one Banty mutt, that belongs to my son!

 

[flgardengirl]

I got babies! so far four blue, one splash and, 5 black copper Marans. 3 more drying off and, one zipping. plus one Banty mutt, that belongs to my son!

Congrats! I'm glad you got some blues!!

 

[gilavina]

Hey Lynette

Thinking I'm gonna start collecting eggs out of the Silvers soon.

 

[flgardengirl]

Hi there, sounds awesome!! You must be getting itchy to hatch eggs lol.
I am soooo ******!! I have a black broody girl on the nest but a few other black girls I was gonna collect eggs from to set in the bator..sooo the other night, the hens wouldn't go in their coop so I go in and look and sitting there like a little turd all proud of himself is this stupid EE roo!!! The stinker got in somehow (Im thinking, squeezed under the fence where the girls were dirt bathing and dug a big hole) SO now I gotta wait a few weeks to set from them because I don't want no more EE's lol. I hate that rooster lol.

 

[gilavina]

Hi there, sounds awesome!! You must be getting itchy to hatch eggs lol.
I am soooo ******!! I have a black broody girl on the nest but a few other black girls I was gonna collect eggs from to set in the bator..sooo the other night, the hens wouldn't go in their coop so I go in and look and sitting there like a little turd all proud of himself is this stupid EE roo!!! The stinker got in somehow (Im thinking, squeezed under the fence where the girls were dirt bathing and dug a big hole) SO now I gotta wait a few weeks to set from them because I don't want no more EE's lol. I hate that rooster lol.

haha I hate when that happens! At least you caught him in there tho, rather than after you hatch the chicks and start wondering what the heck happened.
I am so looking forward to spring, maybe trying to will it into being so even. I have some different matings I never got a chance to hatch out of last year, so I'm trying to get to working on them early, so I will still have time to work heavily on the Coppers and Birchens. Its just not been as easy as I'd like it to be so far this year, just seem to still be running short on time, so am really wanting to get to hatching and seed starting asap!

 

[flgardengirl]

Ya. I am glad I caught the little terd. He is one of those impossible guys who mates everything in sight. So I know he probably mated every girl in that pen that he could get to at least a dozen times, before I caught him, the little freak!! The black male in there is a wuss so I'm sure he didn't dare try to fight him off either LOL!

I have my mater seedlings up now and about half of the peppers that I planted have come up so far. I also have some herbs and different types of edible amaranthus seedlings. I need to start another batch of stuff pretty soon. We haven't really had a winter so I think the heat will come on quickly here and then it will be too late to plant if I don't get it in gear.
At least you guys have a nice long summer and fall and everything grows so good in that rich NE soil !!! We have horrible soil in comparison lol.

 

[Simeo]

I'll be picking up some maran chicks on Thursday and I wasn't sure if there was a way to tell if they're male or female? Any advice? Is it too early to make an educated guess? They just hatched this weekend.

 

[snowbird]

I'll be picking up some maran chicks on Thursday and I wasn't sure if there was a way to tell if they're male or female? Any advice? Is it too early to make an educated guess? They just hatched this weekend.

Best to wait until about three weeks. Trying to decide earlier is a crap shoot at best.

 

[gilavina]

Hey Don,

How's it going getting stock to work with? Gonna do some hatching and such this spring?

 

[Ray from PA]

I have an incubator full of Marans and other breeds that are hatching now. I'm beginning to think that inbreeding and 100 years of people helping expensive chicks out of their eggs have selected for birds that can't seem to hatch on their own...

I had my best hatch on the BCM's last year when I followed the advise some give on here to dry incubate. I'm expecting some eggs later on this spring and will try that same technique. In fact, it's how I run my 1-18 day Genesis incubator for all my eggs and so far my hatch rate has definitely improved. I just need to fine tune the lockdown incubator and keeping the humidity more consistent in that one as I think any losses I've had have been on that end and my fault.

the thickness and density of the egg shell, along with the coating on the outside has a great affect on the incubation process. Because of this, the humidity level matters more for Marans eggs. If the humidity is too high, the liquid in the egg does not reduce enough and chicks often drown or stop developing. Its just part of the breed, and not necessarily having anything to do with people. It takes a bit to get the conditions in the incubator just so for the marans, but once you do, they hatch wonderfully. Many people on the thread have great luck with hatching them.

I have my best hatches when I totally forget to add any water after the first time (when initially setting the eggs) and just add the minimal amt at hatch and just let them do their thing. It might be different if I lived in a dry climate. It is pretty humid here already so no need to add much.

Figure I can chime in here,,, thanks Vicki,,, I believe you were the one who first gave me information on " dry incubation ",,, and sorry if I neglected to thank you previously for that helpful info.

I followed the instructions on the last hatch,,,, and had GREAT improvements in the hatch ! Amazing difference from the previous struggles I witnessed.

THANKS SO MUCH AGAIN !!!

I highly recommend trying it with the marans, had a few cochin eggs in there too that did very well with it also. I have a batch in now, doing the same method with them, can only hope for the same results.

Listen to their advise,,, they definitely know what they're talking about !

Many thanks to all the Marans threads regulars.