First time hatching chicks

[Ilovechickens2525]

I may try to add some Blue and Splash this year to my Black Copper flock.
I've got more hatching eggs coming in April/May for my BBS Silver Marans flock. Only hatched 2 last Spring, rough year for shipping and hopeful this is a better year.

A few of mine did, most didn't start til I added supplement lights in January. My only Black Silver made me wait 32 weeks for her first egg.

I have a light in my coop but I don’t extended daylight hours with it, I turn it on when I go out to let them out in the morning and turn it off when it naturally gets dark. So kind of meet in the middle, add some more light while it’s darker out in the winter but I let them keep a natural cycle.

 

[Rebechenson75]

My advice was just that Marans eggs, with a thicker shell and bloom, do better with a lower humidity than other eggs. I suspect that a humidity level low enough to be good Marans eggs will not be good for eggs without that thicker shell and bloom. I've aimed at 30% to 40% humidity and others that hatch Marans have suggested even lower levels.

Thankyou fortunately. I was trying to Dothan with these eggs. I'm not sure how well it will turn out.

All of my hens were born last spring, between Feb and April. They all started laying August/September. The silverudds and silverudd mixes lay all winter. And so did my olive egger, I have no idea what her mix is. My two marans didn’t lay all winter though, except the one who I think is a marans silverudd mix. And my hen who was supposed to be a silverudd but lays creamy pink eggs didn’t lay either, I don’t know what she is but she’s not a silverudd lol. She just started laying again a week ago.

All 8 of mine were July 10th (+/-) hatches. They waited until Dec 27 to lay a first egg. It was a matter of days after that when every one got off the freeloader program.

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

Ilovechickens2525​

"Did your marans lay much over winter? Mine took a break but have started up again, love their beautiful eggs!"

Surprisingly some of the young hens started laying in the middle of winter and haven't stopped. It's hard to explain because another member here with stock from the same source as mine and lives much farther south didn't have any eggs until spring time. We have fairly short days here in winter. Victoria BC is south from us.

Are you from BC? I grew up in BC! My husbands extended family is all on Vancouver Island if that’s where the island part of your name comes from! And yes you definitely would have short daylight hours there!

I’m in Manitoba now, roughly same latitude as I was where I moved from in BC but now without mountains we have much longer days. In the summer we have daylight past 10pm.

 

[Island Coppers]

Ilovechickens2525

Northwest Washington

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

My eggs arrived and are beautiful! She substituted some, so I got one less marans than I was supposed to. But she sent me extra eggs! So I’m actually going to need to get my friend to incubate a few for me since I’ll be over capacity for my incubator!

I’m very excited that she added another Icelandic in there, I love my one Icelandic chick that hatched last time. And so excited there are so many Swedish flower hens in there, I don’t have one of them yet!

 

[Rebechenson75]

My eggs arrived and are beautiful! She substituted some, so I got one less marans than I was supposed to. But she sent me extra eggs! So I’m actually going to need to get my friend to incubate a few for me since I’ll be over capacity for my incubator!

I’m very excited that she added another Icelandic in there, I love my one Icelandic chick that hatched last time. And so excited there are so many Swedish flower hens in there, I don’t have one of them yet!

Best of luck with your hatch. I wish many beautiful chicks upon you.

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

Best of luck with your hatch. I wish many beautiful chicks upon you.

How’s lockdown going for you?

 

[Rebechenson75]

How’s lockdown going for you?

I think I've seen movement in one egg. Not 100% sure. Have to wait and see.