Aaah-I can't take this!

[carriehelene]

What made me think I could do this? I must have been out of my mind. I mean, sure, the last three weeks have been exciting and all, watching their development, taking care of them, keeping an eagle eye on temp and humidity. All to get to this point, right!? So now, here we are. Rocking and rolling and cheeping. Sounds good, right? HAH! I'm a wreck! Sure, 10 hours ago, it was super exciting. "HEY, hear that?? It's cheeping in there!" Oh what a lovely sound. "See all them eggs moving?" Jeez, it's like chickrobics in that there bator lol. Not laughing now, am I! Oh yeah, did I mention, I can't see any pips? Nope, not a one. You'd think at least one of them cheepers would pip for me, so I could stop having a panic attack. I'm not one of those people that handle stress well. You know those women on the movies, the ones that just stand there and scream and not do anything to help themselves? The ones normal people want to smack and tell them to get moving? I'm that women. My solution to problems is either let somebody else handle them, or ignore the problem, and maybe it will go away. So, I ask you, what made me think I could do this! I swear I'm ready to just take them out of the bator and stick them under my broody. She's made to do this, I'm not. Then they'll die, and it will be all my fault! So, that option is out, darnit. So now I have no choice but to let them alone. But what if they can't get out of the egg, and I'm to stupid to know I should have helped it? Then they'll still die, and it will still be all my fault. It's been 10 HOURS! Jeez, it only took 3 hours of labor to give birth to my son. By 10 hours, I would have shot the doctor. Pretty sure at 20 hours, would have shot myself. See, god knew what he was doing giving me short labor. Now I decide I can hatch chickens. If god had wanted me to hatch chickies, he would have made me a chicken. So now my little babies are probably all gonna die, and it's gonna be all my fault because I thought I knew better than god did apparently. And the chickie is still in there cheeping away, and can I answer and encourage her like a good mother would? Nope, so not only is she probably stuck in there, with no way out, but she's gonna die lonely!

And you wanna know the really bad part??? I'm only in the middle of day 19, still have 2 more days of this to go!!!!!

Ok, my freak-out time is over. I feel better now. Thanks for "listening". And I have to say, aren't you glad you don't live with me?

I'm gonna go play with my hens, maybe if I step away for a while, I'll stop worrying so much.

 

[LarryPQ]

Go for a walk. Go for a walk and buy some ice cream. Eat the ice cream and walk back.

Then clean the house, top to bottom.

Go get more ice cream.

Next time, put the bator where you can't hear peeping from your bedroom. No sleep= crazy.

 

[carriehelene]

Hi Laralee, thanks for replying.

I can see from my post how you would think that the bator is in the bedroom. It's not, it's in the living room. I get home from work at 3:30 in the am, that's how I knew it's been 10 hours at least. When I got up at 11:30, there was still cheeping, and still no visible pips, which is why I started my little freak-out. I tend to spout off everything that goes thru my mind, and then, having gotten it off my chest, I feel better. Normally I would just make a phone call and spout off to a friend or family member, but nobody is available right now. So I turned here, to the people I knew would understand how I feel about my very first hatch ever, and talk me out of doing anything stupid I might consider in my moments of madness. You don't know how much your support means to me. Thank you so much. My stomach has calmed down, and my panic attack has stopped. For now. Nature is moving way to slow for my peace of mind, so I'll probably have another freak-out in about, oh, 3 hours maybe

 

[justmeandtheflock]

This is going to be me next week

 

[Happy Chooks]

(I can laugh cuz I haven't been there yet, I'm waiting for them to ship my bator)

Only 3 hours labor? Geesh, you lucky duck. I had 27 hours with my 1st. (and yes, I was ready to shoot myself) Luckily only 4 hours with my 2nd.

You've done well so far and they are rocking and rolling around, so I say you're doing fine and I'm looking forward to the pics of the little fuzz butts.
Step away from the bator....go do something productive. (as opposed to sitting their staring at the eggs, which I would be tempted to do)

 

[StacyK]

This is why I think I will not be tempted to get an incubator, LOL! And I am not getting a roo, so no worries on eggs developing under a broody. I am not the stand there & scream type, but I worry, a LOT, as well as overthink things. So TOTALLY understand!!

Good luck & try to have fun

 

[Shiningfeather]

This is exactly why my bator is not in my house but out in our shop. I have thought it would be nice to have it in the house so I don't have to slop through rain, heat, hail, and cold

to see what is going on. Then you post this and I know DH was right in where we should put the bator.......in the shop!! Good luck I will be sending hatching vibes your way.

 

[LarryPQ]

My bator is on the other end of the house, but when they start chirping, I can hear it anyway!

I have a head cold now, and everytime my nose whistles, I think the quail are hatching. Brakes on the van squeal, I think the Marans are pipping. Ugh.

SO- move the bator somewhere faaaaar away, so you don't get up every 20 minutes.

 

[farmin'chick]

I talk to mine -- I cheer them on and encourage them. If they have pipped and are resting, when I come and say, "Come on , baby, you can make it! Peck some more and get out of there!" They start peeping madly and rocking the eggs and trying to peck at their shell...you CAN talk to them! THey understand the love in your voice. Actually, I talk to them every day when they are incubating, and especially when I candle them.... Yep -- I started the CCL thread....