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

[pinkchick]

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Can't wait to see him all grown up!

 

[Shadowhills Farm]

Thanks for the compliments on my Splash Maran! He's a cute little guy!

 

[pinkchick]

Splash and Blues are my favorite!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you have more Splash birds?

 

[Shadowhills Farm]

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Right now we only have the little Splash Maran and a Splash Silkie

 

[drom]

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If it's at all possible to boost that budget up to like $130-ish, I highly recommend the Genesis 1588 by Hova-Bator. I would rather use that and turn eggs by hand than to use a lesser incubator with an egg turner.

The idea of getting two styrobators for $100 makes me think you're thinking of the LG still-air incubator and, yikes...I wouldn't even consider that myself.

this is good advice. If I were getting a styrofoam incubator, the Genesis is the only one I would have. Everyone who has one says that they really work well.

 

[drom]

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I just went back and checked out that thread.

Have a look at Jamie's post, #255, in the middle of the page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=113681&p=26

That's exactly how I've been doing it, with the exception of during days 1-18, I'll push the envelope a bit further on each end, depending on how the weight loss is going. For the hatching phase, I keep it at 58-60% RH. It will rise a little as peeps start hatching and I've had it go to like 62.

My understanding is that the big danger of peeps drowning comes from the eggs not having lost enough weight during the setting phase, so when the peep pips into the air cell, it drowns in the excess fluid.

I have not read anything about the Marans egg shells and membranes being thicker and needing higher humidity for the hatch, but I do believe that they are perhaps not as porous (they're clogged with that "Marans paint"?) as other shells and thus need more "persuasion" during the setting phase to ensure adequate weight loss. Case in point, my last hatch was 7 BC Marans and 9 Olive Eggers...the Marans had only lost like 9+% while the OEs had lost 12+% on average. These eggs all came from the same breeder at the same time. Although the Marans eggs had fallen short of the target of 12-14% weight loss, everybody hatched. And they hatched with gusto, a day early.

I think it's important to make a distinction between the two different phases...setting and hatching. During the setting phase, the goal is to achieve that weight loss, thereby ensuring that the air cells are large enough. Then, during the hatching phase, the goal is simply to keep the membranes soft and pliable by boosting humidity. That's how it works in my head at least.

Clear as mud?

Great information, thanks!!!! Now you've got me wishing I had ordered the R-com 20 pro with the weight loss mgt program.

That would be a totally ridiculous expense for me. I couldn't even justify buying the standard model for the amount of hatching I will do, but someone gave me a gift card so I used it on the incubator.

The Lyons Technology web site has a bunch of screen shots from the software program in the R-com 20 pro and it looks very fun. I am going to read through that thread. I hadn't heard anything about the weight loss and density measurements during hatching before so I will study up. I guess I will have to keep track of weight loss the old fashioned way with the standard model.

 

[drom]

Wow, that thread is long but it already straightened me out on the Marans egg vs others. I must have misunderstood what people had said previously about Marans eggs and humidity. It sound like it is as you say, the shells are slightly less porous and therefore might need a little less humidity in the setting phase if anything

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Drom I don't add hardly any water at all during the first 1-18 day now. Just a Tbsp here and there about every 4-5 days. Average humidity is 20%

Then on lockdown I up it to 50-60%. They hatch great!

 

[tgcole]

Drom, I think you're right on target about finding what hatching method works best for you in your part of the world.

We've tried every different combination known to man! High humidity, low humidity, varied humidity to achieve optimal egg weight loss, etc, etc, etc.........

I've noted two factors that seemed to slightly increase healthy chicks hatched: open all air vents to maintain as much air flow as possible while maintaining 100 degree temp,
and significantly increase humidity around day 20. I haven't seen a sticky chick in a while. Good air flow is critical.

We no longer add water to the bator till the day before hatch unless the humidity is extrememy low.

Keep in mind, our normal humity is high, so this may not work if you're in Arizona!

Good hatching!

Greg

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

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That's how I roll...