question on Maran Eggs...

[tjb]

I am incubating Maran Eggs for the first time. I cannot see through the shell. I have tried several flashlights with no success.
What kind of scale is required to "weigh" the eggs to monitor incubation. I have 26 eggs and have no idea if they are even developing.

 

[Pyxis]

I use a digital kitchen scale to weigh my eggs, but to be able to weigh them and make sure they're losing the right amount of moisture, you would have needed to get a weight on them before incubation started so that you had a starting weight.

Some people make their own candlers for really dark eggs like marans eggs by making a box, cutting a small hole in it to set the egg on, and then putting a very bright lightbulb in the box. Sometimes this works, but even with doing that the really dark ones can still be hard to see into.

 

[Fairview01]

I hatch marans eggs dry and do not increase moisture until the day before lockdown. I use a vertical egg turner that rocks the eggs back and forth and transfer the eggs to an egg carton. I never used a scale to weigh the eggs and have hatches 95% or better.

That dark shell color is the result of extra time and extra layers of shell. The eggs are not very porous and have a hard time losing moisture. If they are incubated with anything but normal ambient humidity the air cell will not enlarge if you have a scale or not. I am never able to candle the eggs either.

I have them in one of those vertical turners because I think that exercises the embryo but also keeps them oriented to the air cell better. Same on hatching vertically. I don't like the chicks ricocheting off the unhatched eggs. I think those first hatchers relocate the eggs just enough so some chicks pip in the wrong place and drown themselves. Since going vertically having a chick pip in the wrong place is a rarity. Good luck.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi.

I would use a digital kitchen scale if I was going to... and measure in grams.

I had the same issue, but chose not to worry about candling or weighing. I ran a dry hatch at about 10-20% (this was zero water) humidity and then upped it to 65% for lock down. Had 75% hatch rate without knowing if the other 25% was fertile or not.

What day are you on? I have Silkie eggs expected to hatch on Christmas eve.

 

[tjb]

I am at day 6. They should be hatching on the 26th... possibly Christmas chicks if they are a day early

 

[tjb]

It is driving me crazy that I can not see through the shell!!! I have no idea if they are developing...

 

[EggSighted4Life]

It is driving me crazy that I can not see through the shell!!! I have no idea if they are developing...

Yes... because even if you weigh them that only tells you about evaporation loss, I would think. Although I guess I would expect a chick to be more dense than yolk/albumin.. creating some sort of a weight factor... hmmm!

Which got me to thinking maybe the evaporation from the eggs is part of how a hen maintains humidity for developing embryo's??

 

[tjb]

I hatch marans eggs dry and do not increase moisture until the day before lockdown. I use a vertical egg turner that rocks the eggs back and forth and transfer the eggs to an egg carton. I never used a scale to weigh the eggs and have hatches 95% or better.

That dark shell color is the result of extra time and extra layers of shell. The eggs are not very porous and have a hard time losing moisture. If they are incubated with anything but normal ambient humidity the air cell will not enlarge if you have a scale or not. I am never able to candle the eggs either.

I have them in one of those vertical turners because I think that exercises the embryo but also keeps them oriented to the air cell better. Same on hatching vertically. I don't like the chicks ricocheting off the unhatched eggs. I think those first hatchers relocate the eggs just enough so some chicks pip in the wrong place and drown themselves. Since going vertically having a chick pip in the wrong place is a rarity. Good luck.

So at lockdown, you place them in egg carton for day 18-21?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I hatch marans eggs dry and do not increase moisture until the day before lockdown. I use a vertical egg turner that rocks the eggs back and forth and transfer the eggs to an egg carton. I never used a scale to weigh the eggs and have hatches 95% or better.

That dark shell color is the result of extra time and extra layers of shell. The eggs are not very porous and have a hard time losing moisture. If they are incubated with anything but normal ambient humidity the air cell will not enlarge if you have a scale or not. I am never able to candle the eggs either.

I have them in one of those vertical turners because I think that exercises the embryo but also keeps them oriented to the air cell better. Same on hatching vertically. I don't like the chicks ricocheting off the unhatched eggs. I think those first hatchers relocate the eggs just enough so some chicks pip in the wrong place and drown themselves. Since going vertically having a chick pip in the wrong place is a rarity. Good luck.

Can you describe how the upright hatching process works please? What steps do you take? Thanks!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

So at lockdown, you place them in egg carton for day 18-21?

Pretty sure it has to be the paper kind and not styrofoam. I am also looking forward to seeing the answer and explanation of this technique.