Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[BevDavis]

Quote:
Temperature 99.5*
Humidity for the first 18 days between 45 - 50* Increase to 70* for the last three days.

Eggs are very forgiving so don't worry too much.

The incubator should be pre set so you should be alright with the temperature but humidity might be a problem because it's very hard to find an accurate hygrometer. Check the air space at day eight and take out any eggs that look clear. Keep an eye on the air space, if it looks small reduce the water, if it's too big increase the humidity.

Some people can't help themselves at the end of the hatch to see if there is a live chick there or not. If there is a live chick that is a bit late hatching put the egg back in the incubator and cover the egg with a wet face cloth. The chick will hatch out and be alright with the extra humidity.

Bev

 

[BevDavis]

Quote:
Hi

You are welcome, we can all learn from each other. I am sure there are different ways of doing things than I do them but if we share we will all learn the best way.

Bev

 

[BevDavis]

Quote:
I know I really goofed in my first try. I read the directions for the Genesis 1588 and just filled up the first water tray like they said to do. UGGG

Well that put the humitidy at over 85% since its already plenty humid here were I live. So I just thought I only had to follow directions. WRONG!!!

Humidity is important. Different people have different ideas about whats right but most everone agrees to moniter humidity. Now I am using the dry hatch method and like the humidity betwen 20-30%. Of course it does go higher but not adding water makes it come back down. I still need to see how this currant hatch comes out.

Hi

It appears that people get good hatches with various degrees of humidity depending on where you live. I know some people have said they don't add any water but if I didn't I wouldn't get anything to hatch.

The best of luck with your hatch.

Bev

 

[berkeleysprings]

a link to dry hatch
https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-DryIncubation.html
Quote:
I know I really goofed in my first try. I read the directions for the Genesis 1588 and just filled up the first water tray like they said to do. UGGG

Well that put the humitidy at over 85% since its already plenty humid here were I live. So I just thought I only had to follow directions. WRONG!!!

Humidity is important. Different people have different ideas about whats right but most everone agrees to moniter humidity. Now I am using the dry hatch method and like the humidity betwen 20-30%. Of course it does go higher but not adding water makes it come back down. I still need to see how this currant hatch comes out.

Hi

It appears that people get good hatches with various degrees of humidity depending on where you live. I know some people have said they don't add any water but if I didn't I wouldn't get anything to hatch.

The best of luck with your hatch.

Bev

 

[cpartist]

Quote:
I know I really goofed in my first try. I read the directions for the Genesis 1588 and just filled up the first water tray like they said to do. UGGG

Well that put the humitidy at over 85% since its already plenty humid here were I live. So I just thought I only had to follow directions. WRONG!!!

Humidity is important. Different people have different ideas about whats right but most everone agrees to moniter humidity. Now I am using the dry hatch method and like the humidity betwen 20-30%. Of course it does go higher but not adding water makes it come back down. I still need to see how this currant hatch comes out.

Hi

It appears that people get good hatches with various degrees of humidity depending on where you live. I know some people have said they don't add any water but if I didn't I wouldn't get anything to hatch.

The best of luck with your hatch.

Bev

Bev, your settings are almost identical to what I have the most success with (N Florida) I had just emailed those nearly
same settings to Math Ace, just before I read your post. I'm donating eggs for her "test hatch" and am excited to hatch
vicariously with her. I tried to dry hatch once and it was not a great hatch. I've found it is hard to get the forced air bators
humidity above 65% even with all the wells full, and a wet sponge or sock. I do keep all my vents open, as I have the best
results with lots of air flow, but hatches are better in the still air, where the fan does not dry out the water before hatch
day. To offset this, I have to add water through a tube into the vent opening.

Question for all you hatchers out there...have you found a good way to seperate/isolate the eggs for tracking purposes?
I've had pretty good success with identifying which hen lays which color/shape egg. At hatch time I use 3 bators, to hatch up to
3 hens eggs at a time (sometimes use a broody for a forth). This is limiting though, and I wish Hovabator would make some
sort of divider insert that would not restrict air flow, but would isolate each egg and shell for ID purposes. I've tried using
strawberry baskets over each egg, but the little bruisers are out of them in no time. Anyone have some good ideas or homemade
inventions regarding this?

 

[Debbi]

PINK

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[aceschix]

Quote:
Hi

It appears that people get good hatches with various degrees of humidity depending on where you live. I know some people have said they don't add any water but if I didn't I wouldn't get anything to hatch.

The best of luck with your hatch.

Bev

Bev, your settings are almost identical to what I have the most success with (N Florida) I had just emailed those nearly
same settings to Math Ace, just before I read your post. I'm donating eggs for her "test hatch" and am excited to hatch
vicariously with her. I tried to dry hatch once and it was not a great hatch. I've found it is hard to get the forced air bators
humidity above 65% even with all the wells full, and a wet sponge or sock. I do keep all my vents open, as I have the best
results with lots of air flow, but hatches are better in the still air, where the fan does not dry out the water before hatch
day. To offset this, I have to add water through a tube into the vent opening.

Question for all you hatchers out there...have you found a good way to seperate/isolate the eggs for tracking purposes?
I've had pretty good success with identifying which hen lays which color/shape egg. At hatch time I use 3 bators, to hatch up to
3 hens eggs at a time (sometimes use a broody for a forth). This is limiting though, and I wish Hovabator would make some
sort of divider insert that would not restrict air flow, but would isolate each egg and shell for ID purposes. I've tried using
strawberry baskets over each egg, but the little bruisers are out of them in no time. Anyone have some good ideas or homemade
inventions regarding this?

I use the plastic "cloth" for cross stitch crafts. I use either yarn or garbage ties to put them together in the configuration I need. You will need to cut it to size for your inbubator before you start lockdown.

I have used it to separate the 1588 into 6 compartments during lockdown and it works quite well.

 

[cpartist]

Aces...excellent idea! Awesome! Confinement but ventilation!
Also will keep the hatched chicks from rolling all over the unhatched eggs!

Thank you!

 

[Debbi]

As for the hatching, I have done it with two different incubators now. The first was a Little Giant with fan and turner. Eggs were rested 9 hours prior to incubation. Temp was kept at 99.5 with no problem. I had set the humidity at 45% for the first 18 days, then upped to 65% for lockdown. During this lockdown I upped it to 70% as it seemed to help them hatch easier. Out of a dozen eggs, I had 4 hatch. I did have a major drop in humidity over night that didn't help matters, and one chick had to be helped out after zipping 3/4 of the way, only to get shrink wrapped.

The second clutch was 7 eggs, same temp/ humidity settings, and these eggs had rested 16 hours before incubation. I had one tiny chick hatch.

Third set of 12 eggs, I let rest for 21 hours. This was a new incubator that I was testing for future eggs, but the settings were pretty much the same. 99.5 temp for all 21 days; 45% humidity for the first 18 days, 65% in lockdown. This new bator was WAY easier to maintain heat and humidity than the LG, plug& play deal! Out of 12 eggs, I got 5 chicks to hatch, all with no help, and no problems.

I will say, with the smaller bators, like the King Suro and the Brinsea models, I am glad I kept my LG incubator for a temp brooder for the chicks. These smaller bators have no room for the chicks to get moving in, and even with the dividers, they were struggling to move, and knocking into eggs in their divider. So, once they hatched, I removed them to the LG bator to dry off and get their bearings.

I love the King Suro for it's accuracy, but what I don't like is the size, and the tinted window, hard to see any pips. That said, these bators offer the most constant temps and humidity that the foam bators cannot do. Plug 'n Play!! The complete unit with the turner and auto humidity control was WAY less than the basic Brinsea wihout the turner/auto humidity!

Looking forward to my next batch of eggs, and a much bette hatch! Note: all of these situations were shipped eggs!

 

[The Point]

I have a homemade incubator, I hand turn at 7:30 am, 3 pm and 11pm. Temp runs from 99.3-99.7 with a probe in a water wiggler. I calibrate my hygrometer before each hatch. I add water when my humidity drops below 30 and don't let it get above 45. I try to keep it between 65 and 70 for lockdown. I live on the Michigan/ Ohio border. Don't have my hatching notebook in front of me but my hatches have been 80%-90% on shipped eggs.