Broody Judy

[Goatm0m]

1. The average temperature in the brooder should be kept around 100.5 degrees F. Humidity should be about 50-55%. Place pointy side down.

Yes, dark blob with air cell indicates chick growth. At 1 week, you have jelly bean with road map of veins radiating out. At 2 week, you have dark blob on one end with air cell on other. Often you can see chick movement, but not always as the chicks will hold still upon disturbance.

2. Poor Judy! That's a sad state of affairs to mother in. I very much prefer my hens and chicks to be out of direct weather. The chicks weather much, much better than you'd expect. (I've had mothers hatch in the dead of winter in a snow storm, and out running with babes by day 3...they have wonderful little down jackets and use momma as a warming hutch). However, I am careful to keep my hen and chicks out of direct weather. Likely all is well as momma kept them dry. Do your best to throw down some straw or better, pine shavings. I find straw simply mildews in my neck of the woods but pine shavings absorbs my constant Oregon wet. Set up a rain block of some sort (tarp). They can handle cold and general creeping moisture, but it's best to keep them out of direct rain/snow.

Good for Judy. Sounds like she is strong hearted.

LofMc

Thanks so much for all your help! Judy is doing well. I put fresh hay in the nest and placed some flakes between the tire and the run wall and she was sitting in it this morning. It’s still pretty wet so I’ll spread some shavings out there at lunch time. Once we get the coop built they will be much better protected. In the meantime I’m adding another tarp (there is already one over the nest and roosting area) over the whole run and down the sides for better rain protection.
A homemade incubator is definitely not the best for regulating temperature. When I went to bed it was right at 100 but something woke me up about 4 am and it was at 103. I guess I will give them a week and if not hatched by then will toss them. I am learning a lot