Marans Thread for Posting Pics of Your Eggs, Chicks and Chickens

[tgcole]

Pbjmaker, please post us another photo of your BC chick. The first one looks a little rooish..........

Greg

 

[pbjmaker]

I'm not listening to such nonsense!!!!!

How dare you even suggest it's a roo. I have a no hatching single roos of any breed policy here and all the eggs strictly stick to it!

(Just kidding - I will get a new picture as soon as my daughter gets home with her camera - I dropped mine

)

 

[4kidZ]

 

[tgcole]

Pbjmaker, if only I had known in time, I could have shipped you some magic hen dust. Just sprinkle it on the eggs, and hatch only hens.................I wish.

BC chicks are very hard to sex. I've hatched a hundred or so and still haven't had much luck till they are 4 weeks or so.

I have more luck sexing little BCs watching the way they act. The Roos stand a bit more erect and seem more inquisitive. Maybe a bit leggy. Also, Roos seem a bit more frazzled on the back feathers when they come in.

I have some that have fooled me at 8 weeks. Some hens have well developed combs and wattles.

Think hen.......

Greg

 

[klf73]

Quote:
I have 3 chicks from Richard, and I also lost a few at the end. I thought the shape of the eggs (correct, more rounded) was the reason for the upside down chicks. I dry incubate so I know it wasn't a humidity issue.

He has awesome color eggs

 

[4kidZ]

bad news...one chick died. Pipped the beak through (the one I mentioned earlier) and then just stopped breathing.

I can't get over this "death" thing with chicks! I just wanna have full control over if they live or die. Isn't there ANY way? I'm think I'm doing everything right....

~4kidZ

 

[Solsken Farm]

Quote:
Wow, I feel like I can sex them early within 2 weeks or so. I sexed some CBs at a few days and got most of the 15 chicks correct. I definitely can sex them before lots of my other breeds, ESP EEs and Ameraucanas. LOL They take forever.

4kidz- I am SOOOOOO sorry about your baby. I hate losing them at the end too. Those are the worst, next to hatchlings......Quitters just make no sense. I try to comfort myself and the kids that if they weren't strong enough to get out of the shell, they weren't meant to make it, but it doesn't make it hurt any less. Poor little things...

 

[mothergoose1963]

Quote:
Yay!! Another Iowan!!

Where are you in Iowa?

 

[pbjmaker]

Quote:
Yay!! Another Iowan!!

Where are you in Iowa?

I'm in Des Moines

 

[Solsken Farm]

I still haven't downloaded pics from my camera, but I ended up with 6 from Richard's eggs. I was lucky to get any. I diverted complete disaster! They were all pipped, and one was almost completely zipped when I went to sleep. I awoke in the middle of the night to check on them and noticed the zipped one was still not out (like 6 hours later) and there was humidity had really dropped. All my CBs were all encased and stuck! Poor things. I had to help 5 out of their shells. They were completely stuck. The 7th didn't make it. The pip had glazed over from the dryness. I am so lucky I woke up!!!!!!!!!! Hatching with a wood stove going in the winter is challenging. The humidity was fine when I went to sleep. I would have felt terrible if I lost these guys. I will post a pic of their cuteness later. Such angels. I just love their little penguiness.....

I am done hatching for the year.....