Why Do All My Copper Marans Abort?

[Alaskan]

I think it is your humidity.

I always found that with Marans eggs they were much happier for the first part of incubation to be low 30% humidity.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

There is no indication whether or not the OP is located in South Western Oregon or in South Eastern Oregon. South Eastern Oregon is for all intense and purposes a desert.
I would look for reasons other than high humidity that would cause ALL the eggs from this one strain not to hatch. The likely cause is with the brood fowl. Chicks that die at day 20 are normally lacking in essential nutrients that is supposed to be stored in the white and yellow of the egg but is missing in this case or at least these vital nutrients are in short supply.

The color on the exterior of the eggshell is applied just before laying and there is absolutely no way that the shells of just this one breed should be aborting the chicks. The 99 & 44/100 % reality is that your chicks are failing to hatch because the chicks are to weak to live. This sounds like a good excuse for the "Breeder" to use to pawn off overly inbred hatching eggs on the public while making the buyers of these inbred eggs think that they got a bargain.

 

[WVduckchick]

I think it is your humidity.

I always found that with Marans eggs they were much happier for the first part of incubation to be low 30% humidity.

x2
Even hatching humidity can be kept low.

 

[oregonkat]

I dont know that the OP is in Oregon at all

I just don't know what it is, its so strange. All I want is one Marans hen, who knew it would be so hard to get one! Right now they are on day 20. Two are moving the eggs and one has pipped, but I have a feeling none will hatch. They just don't seem as lively as all the other breeds of chicks I hatch. I try to keep humidity at 70% for lockdown. This always drops after a couple days in lockdown to high 50's low 60's. What does everyone else do? Open and put more water in, or let it drop? Normally my eggs are mostly pipped by now and a couple have hatched causing the humidity to go up naturally.

Please make sure you are using independent calibrated hygrometers and thermometers. If you are relying on your hovabator incubator instruments solely, they are most likely wrong, mine are. Folks on here will tell you that 'dry hatch' does not mean don't add any water to your incubator, it means keeping the humidity in the mid 30's if possible. The best way to do this with the hovabator that I have found is to cover a portion of the first water groove in the tray with some tin foil or parchment paper to decrease the surface area.

 

[oregonkat]

x2
Even hatching humidity can be kept low.

How low?

 

[WVduckchick]

How low?

Well, I had a friend whose breeder recommended that she incubate and hatch with no water. At all. The eggs were given to her, so she did as she was told, and had a fantastic hatch. But they live in Louisiana, so naturally humid.

I had 100% of 17 chicks hatch with 20-30% humidity for incubation, 60-65% humidity for hatch last month.

 

[oregonkat]

Well, I had a friend whose breeder recommended that she incubate and hatch with no water. At all. The eggs were given to her, so she did as she was told, and had a fantastic hatch. But they live in Louisiana, so naturally humid.

I had 100% of 17 chicks hatch with 20-30% humidity for incubation, 60-65% humidity for hatch last month.

Yes, I remember, you lucky thing! OK so with this batch of eggs, BTW I lost 5 of seven CCL, totally scrambled . Anyway I have the mixed bag of BCM, CCL, Lav. Orps, and BLRW ready to lock down on Wednesday. Everyone is looking good with the exception of several with severe saddles. I usually lockdown and wait for the first pip before raising the humidity to about 65 - 70%. My last hatch of BCM was about 70% successful but I sure would love to raise that number up if possible. If I keep the humidity on the lower end of the 60's is this going to adversely effect the bad saddles?

 

[WVduckchick]

Yes, I remember, you lucky thing! OK so with this batch of eggs, BTW I lost 5 of seven CCL, totally scrambled . Anyway I have the mixed bag of BCM, CCL, Lav. Orps, and BLRW ready to lock down on Wednesday. Everyone is looking good with the exception of several with severe saddles. I usually lockdown and wait for the first pip before raising the humidity to about 65 - 70%. My last hatch of BCM was about 70% successful but I sure would love to raise that number up if possible. If I keep the humidity on the lower end of the 60's is this going to adversely effect the bad saddles?

Oh dear! The post office was not nice to us!!
If the main part of the saddle reattached, it should hatch fine either way. I feel like it almost depends where they pip, and how much the saddled part gets in the way. Ya know?
I locked down my 2 CLs last friday, but they quit. Never even fully developed their CAMs. Now one of my turkeys has quit with less than a week to go!
Tag me when you post your results. I wanna see what you get.

 

[oregonkat]

Oh dear! The post office was not nice to us!!
If the main part of the saddle reattached, it should hatch fine either way. I feel like it almost depends where they pip, and how much the saddled part gets in the way. Ya know?
I locked down my 2 CLs last friday, but they quit. Never even fully developed their CAMs. Now one of my turkeys has quit with less than a week to go!
Tag me when you post your results. I wanna see what you get.

Define CAMs for me please!

 

[WVduckchick]

Define CAMs for me please!

chorioallantoic membrane

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorioallantoic_membrane