lock down for serama eggs?

[dadsdeercamp]

i put 13 serama eggs in the incubator on 10\\8 at 8 am do i lock down today or tomorrow and will they hatch on the 26th or 27th.i only have 7 of the 13 eggs left.

 

[Ridgerunner]

With normal chicken eggs set October 8, lockdown should be October 26. Hatch should be October 29. I did not know that Seramas were different. A University of Florida article mentioned that smaller eggs can hatch a little earlier than larger eggs, but I thought they were talking about a few hours earlier, not 2 or 3 days. I'll subscribe and see if any Serama experts come back on this.

You can check my post in this thread if you wish. It talks about how to calculate lockdown and when they should hatch. For chickens, the day of the week you set the eggs is the day of hte week they should hatch. In your case, you set them on Friday so they should hatch on a Friday.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=319371

 

[dadsdeercamp]

i was told that serama eggs hatch in 19 to 20 days

 

[acid_chipmunk]

They may hatch at 19-20 days, but you still lock down at 18 days. My d'Uccles usually hatch between 19 and 20 days, but some hang out and wait until day 21 and I always lock down on day 18.

 

[solomine]

Is there anything bad that could happen locking down on day 17?

 

[malan37209]

the idea for lock down really is to keep the humidity high before the first chick starts piping the shell so they don't dry out and get shrink wrapped, and to keep the eggs in one position so the chick can hatch without it having to turn every which way.

a regular hen would know when to start lock-down when the chicks start piping and at that point she will not leave the nest at all and she will stop rolling her eggs.

best bet is to start lock down at day 18