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

[Tala]

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I did hatch mine and EE/marans cross could be in the mix. I know you shouldn't assume, but I thought with the black legs and feathered shanks it was pure, My bad! Not upset at all, just wish it was a pullet!

I believe the feathered legs are a dominent trait, so only ONE parent has to have them for their offspring to get them too

 

[halo]

I just have an observation to make. I have a hatch going on now with black coppers, my blue rocks, and my blue wheaton ameraucanas. Its the end of day 20 now, and the rocks and ameraucanas have all hatched. I have most of the black coppers pipped, one has completely zipped and not hatched, one has halfway zipped and stopped. Now Ive decided Im not going to help them, since I think its fairly obvious the hatching process has gone well, as per the others that hatched.

Has the breed been weakened? Has the fact that the fad hit, the money rolled, and everyone hatched each and every egg they could, helped chicks hatch that perhaps shouldnt have, hurt the overall genetics? Does helping chicks hatch weaken the future generations?

I have 2 more batches of marans to hatch, black coppers and wheatons, and Im thinking Im not going to help them either.

 

[geebs]

Halo: I don't know whether helping them hatch has damaged them... Certainly they are a very hard bird to hatch... I alway like to run another breed with them so that the humidity boost toward the end help with the coppers hatching. It is a wise choice not to help.... They have a different shell and they along with penedesenca are very difficult to hatch and have been according to early owners of the breed so I think I would take that as a possible no.... Of course this is just one person's thoughts on the matter.

I don't think everyone has hatched every egg... In fact I hatch VERY FEW... about 4 bators full... that is about 8 dozen over all and not all of them hatched. That leaves me with very few for next year.. but it is enough for me.... I think there is a lot of ppl like me out there. Hatching the best of the best and eating the rest...

Excellent question Halo.... Oh and I love your avatar.. Good to see you.

 

[halo]

Hi, Geebs,

I know there are many very responsible breeders here...after all, thats why many of us are here, because of the truly responsible breeders. But one just has to take a look at ebay and see the many people now selling Black Coppers to see that there likely werent many people (I was going to say breeders, but many people buying eggs arent what I call "breeders") being as particular as we see on this forum now. And I see many posts from people hatching them who have helped them because the eggs are so "valuable".

So not to stray too far from the question, this morning I found another egg totally zipped but not hatched. Against my better judgement, I did help those 3 eggs, which simply took me taking the "top" off and let them flop out. They were pretty dry already, but not sticky.

Im not getting myself a large presence of Black coppers; I just want a few in my herd, and might hatch out a few of my own. But I wont sell eggs. In reading and learning about the black coppers, I dont feel qualified to be able to pick out the correct breeding stock, or to get rid of them all if not good enough. But I do want to raise chicks that are strong enough to pip, zip and enter this world on their own, so Ill be interesting in seeing how these progress.

 

[Zgoatlady]

halo
When Ive hatched out BCM they seem to take a little longer,it seem like the first part of the hatch I get a little like half the eggs hatching out than its takes until the next day for the rest to hatch out. I do know that at the end if I help a few it seems like something is wrong with them in one way or the other. So now if at the end of hatch they dont get all the way out I dont help them..
What is the humidity at ?

 

[pinkchick]

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[pinkchick]

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I asked what lines/stock they originated from so that I can see/learn the differences in different lines/stock better. I find that I have tunnel vision when it comes to a particular line of Marans, leaving me clueless in regards to the other breeder stock out there. Thanks for sharing the photos. Great learning tool for me.

Nothing wrong with buying the most affordale eggs for a persons situation. A wise choice in my opinion. No matter where they came from the fun is in watching them grow and choosing the best ones and working with those to make improvements if needed....oh and not to mention that getting those darned addicting beautiful dark brown eggs is pretty ok too.

As for recommending another breeder...make a list of what you are looking for in a bird/s...then search around for local breeders that you could go and visit. See their birds, check out the facility if you can from a distance (bio precaution...recommend taking some rubber boots and a plastic bag for transport and disinfect upon arrival home

), meet the person..........ASK THEM QUESTIONS!!!!!!!! Any question...like.... Are you happy with your birds temperments? Have you had any undesired traits in the offspring of these birds? If whose originating stock they are of is a concern ask that too, I would...they should know as to the limited originating stock of these birds in the US. Ask what kind of diet are their birds are on? and so on... after all your looking at investing a reasonable amount of $$. IMO If they are serious about their birds they should be able and willing to help you with the answers and if they don't know "and they are serious about the breed".....they CAN find out! There is quite alot of information on websites, groups and tons of info here on BYC!!!

 

[geebs]

Halo: I have found some of Bevs stock to be very hardy and capable of hatching.... I also find that it does take them a little longer. Due to the unavailability most of the eggs I have hatched have been shipped.... I think that is what weakens the chicks/embryos. My local pickups have had a fairly good hatch rate... 98 percent at one point. I have a pickup of Wades. This will be my first pickup of these that I am hatching of non shipped other ppls....They are deemed old and mostly fertile.... So I am hopeful for a 50 percent hatch rate. My own out of the yard I get a decent hatch rate....They never hatch as quickly as say my wyandotte, cochin or bantam eggs though.

Shipping is certainly part of the problem with weak chicks and then the humidity....That is tricky for this breed in particular. I haven't had any survive helping... So I just don't do it....(personal choice, not judgement). Sometimes I regret that, but I need for them to be hardy for the environment that they have to live in. Hens have the easiest time hatching them with greatest success rate. If you are opening the bator to "help" I must tell you that it affects the hatch rate of this breed way more than other breeds IMHO. I haven't had many hatch after opening the bator... even when I equalize the humidity... I could be coincidence but I don't think so.

I know what you mean about Ebay: In my mind there are only a few "BREEDERS". I don't order from anyone that isn't a BREEDER that is respected and known by their peers. That keeps me out of trouble... I hear a lot about ppl that get from "breeders" (small letters here) and they are too far down the chain to trace the lineage on the birds or they have crossed lines... I figure if I cannot say who gave what egg/bird to whom and so on till it was in my hand.... then it is too far down the line. There are a LOT of ppl on EBAY practicing the Greater Fool Method. It is truely buyer beware out there. It is pretty easy to find someone that is highly thought of...Usually the biggies like Braden or Davis will give you suggestions since getting on their lists is difficult anymore.

I wish you great luck in your hatch and please post pictures of your new fuzzy butts... You can bet the bank that I will be posting anything that hatches over the weekend. Today is Lockdown on Cree eggs I picked up a couple weeks ago. They are the Wades deemed "some fertile" acording to Gary. and they were travelled in my hand so I hope the trip didn't hurt em any...(it was aweful warm that day)...If I get 3 or 4 and one is a roo it is a success in my mind because these are "gift eggs" so anything is a bonus. I am proud to say it is the last eggs from Gary and Lisa Cree's Wade line. They have picked Davis as their main line and I have reaped the reward of their decision as it is the Wade line that is my focus. P.S. Fabulous ppl. (Crees)

 

[Illia]

My eldest cockerel, Maple, CROWED today!!!!

I've been waiting and wondering for a while now when my boys would start crowing. . . It gets me all jealous and stuff hearing other people complain that their cockerels started crowing. I wanted mine to start their new "howl"

 

[pinkchick]

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Too COOL Illia!

I love it when they start crowing even though they sound crazy funny.

My one and only Black Copper cockeral that I am growing out is trying to crow but nothing happens....soon I suspect...now if only he would hurry up and finish maturing, he is going to be 5 months old on the 15th, I just can't wait to see him all grown up.