Marans Thread - breed discussion & pictures are welcome!

[chickenlisa]

Thanks! Yes, it does help!

I took a bottle of water and heated some of it in the microwave, measured the temp with my candy thermometer and poured the room temp water in it to bring it down to 100. I put 1 turkey baster of it into the C trough and the humidity increased to 28, 33, and 35% on my 3 hydrometers. They are all Acu-Rites (2 with the probes and 1 without) and all 3 measure differently. But I figure that if I keep it around that and the temps are 99.5-100.5, I should be ok. ( I hope

)
Thanks so much!

 

[DMRippy]

Thanks! Yes, it does help!

I took a bottle of water and heated some of it in the microwave, measured the temp with my candy thermometer and poured the room temp water in it to bring it down to 100. I put 1 turkey baster of it into the C trough and the humidity increased to 28, 33, and 35% on my 3 hydrometers. They are all Acu-Rites (2 with the probes and 1 without) and all 3 measure differently. But I figure that if I keep it around that and the temps are 99.5-100.5, I should be ok. ( I hope

)
Thanks so much!

You can calibrate your Hygrometers. You take some salt with enough water to cover it and make it good and wet and enough water on top of the salt to evaporate. Put it in something small like a shot glass or pill bottle and put that and the hygrometer(s) in a gallon zip lock bag at room temp. In about 8 hours see what the reading is on the humidity. I SHOULD BE 75% if not figure out the difference and then when it is in the incubator you know to add or subtract that number from your reading. Mine are usually off about 7% or so, I just add that to the reading and that is my humidity. How off are your temps? I have 3 readings in mine. One is for the thermostat, one is the probe and one on the thermometer itself. Since they are in different places I would expect the temps to be different but not more than .5 deg F. If it is more than that I adjust the fans to circulate the air better. I am keeping mine between 99.5 and 100.

 

[yoie]

Ok, just got my very first Marans chick today

. Now how can I tell if I got a White or a Splash?
Here is the little chick in question, thanks all

 

[aceschix]

Can someone please link the Bev article?!?

 

[aceschix]

See the grey colored "cast" around the head and face. That indicates Splash. At least in my experience.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Can someone please link the Bev article?!?

http://www.edelras.nl/chickengenetics

It isn't an article by Bev. It's a link provided on the Marans Chicken Club site.

 

[chickenlisa]

You can calibrate your Hygrometers. You take some salt with enough water to cover it and make it good and wet and enough water on top of the salt to evaporate. Put it in something small like a shot glass or pill bottle and put that and the hygrometer(s) in a gallon zip lock bag at room temp. In about 8 hours see what the reading is on the humidity. I SHOULD BE 75% if not figure out the difference and then when it is in the incubator you know to add or subtract that number from your reading. Mine are usually off about 7% or so, I just add that to the reading and that is my humidity. How off are your temps? I have 3 readings in mine. One is for the thermostat, one is the probe and one on the thermometer itself. Since they are in different places I would expect the temps to be different but not more than .5 deg F. If it is more than that I adjust the fans to circulate the air better. I am keeping mine between 99.5 and 100.

ok, I'm doing that with my extra one now, and then tonight will take it out, calibrate one that's in the bator now (and put the one I'm calibrating now in then) and so on and so forth. That is too crazy though to have 4 different ones and get 4 different readings. Is the fan able to be adjusted on the forced air Genesis Hovabator? I think my temps are ok, but want to know if I can change the fan if I need to...Thanks so much for explaining it all to me...it seems finick-ier this time...maybe b/c it is still February and I've never incubated eggs in Feb before. I've hatched lots of chicks and ducklings in the same bator, but always later in Spring...warmer and more humid here then.

 

[pinkchick]

Here's the eggs I got today from Mel. Thanks Mel! Hey, Mel? You sure you only have 1 Olive Egger girl? I swear 2 different hens are involved. There are 2 very different eggs....one pointy mint chocolate chippy one, (I have one that lays identical to it). The other, nice and round, is a solid deep Olive with a chaulky coating, like my second Olive egger. Unless your one and only girl likes to lay something different all the time. What ever they are....I think they are beautiful! Oh and great egg color on the Marans egg. Is that a Black Copper?

 

[pinkchick]

Ok, just got my very first Marans chick today

. Now how can I tell if I got a White or a Splash?
Here is the little chick in question, thanks all

Congratulations! Very cute! I also believe this is a Splash as Aceschix does. But am curious as to the light colored legs. I've never seen them all this one color...I always get some sort of blue-ing going on in the chicks. Once time I have had a male mature with white/pinkish legs, but he started out with some color in them. 6 mos. old and they were whiteish pinkish.

Did you get any other chicks?

 

[gilavina]

They are all adorable! I think I have only hatched out 1 Splash pullet so far...the rest have been boys. I certainly hope you get a girl out of them....but if not I can send more eggs in a while.

that's kind of funny...cause I have only hatched 2 splash roos and the rest have been all pullets