Me too. I'm going to lockdown early, after I candle, tomorrow night. I've found for whatever reason I seem to start hatching a day earlier than predicted/expected. I ended up locking the ducks down for a day, that's it, although everyone hatched fine no issues. I have had some seriously shrink wrapped chicks in the past, though. I hate that.
I also have no official brooder for these chicks, so I hope they stay shelled as long as possible. I was anticipating Private Leghorn in the basement with the bumblefoot would be healed by now, but no... she ended up having another bumble scab high up on her pad, hidden behind her toes that we just found last night because the swelling on one side of that foot wasn't improving.
I mentioned this casually to the (most wonderful) boyfriend (in the world)... hopefully he whips up brooder 3.0 soon. I could certainly brood them in cardboard boxes in the basement, I've done that before. But this is the first time I've had hatchlings upstairs in the main part of the house, and I love it. The ducklings are about 5 feet to my left, I can turn my head and see their antics. I also think they'll like me more, the more they see of me (one can only hope!). Plus it's much warmer and less dank up here, and I don't have to carry water up and down the stairs (except to Private Leghorn, but she's luckily neat in her eating and drinking habits and it only has to be done once daily). I can't imagine the state of the ducklings water if they weren't only a few feet from the kitchen sink.
I also have no official brooder for these chicks, so I hope they stay shelled as long as possible. I was anticipating Private Leghorn in the basement with the bumblefoot would be healed by now, but no... she ended up having another bumble scab high up on her pad, hidden behind her toes that we just found last night because the swelling on one side of that foot wasn't improving.
I mentioned this casually to the (most wonderful) boyfriend (in the world)... hopefully he whips up brooder 3.0 soon. I could certainly brood them in cardboard boxes in the basement, I've done that before. But this is the first time I've had hatchlings upstairs in the main part of the house, and I love it. The ducklings are about 5 feet to my left, I can turn my head and see their antics. I also think they'll like me more, the more they see of me (one can only hope!). Plus it's much warmer and less dank up here, and I don't have to carry water up and down the stairs (except to Private Leghorn, but she's luckily neat in her eating and drinking habits and it only has to be done once daily). I can't imagine the state of the ducklings water if they weren't only a few feet from the kitchen sink.
