Day 18 - lockdown!

[Erba]

Ok, I hope all the eggs are ok, because I didn't want to candle/disturb them more than needed and maybe jinx it. I have left the hygrometer in there so I can check it through the window, now that the
turner is gone, there is enough room to leave it in. I have the eggs touching each other, because I read something cool here, they communicate with each other.



The suspense is killing me....

 

[Nicaragua]

Oooooooh how exciting! You're absolutely right, no interfering from now on so that you keep that humidity nice and high.
Not so sure about the eggs touching each other, my manual said to spread them apart so that the ones against the edge didn't get stuck.
But then again, under a mama hen they are all smooshed up together, so...
Just keep an eye on them, and listen for chirping in the next few days.

 

[Erba]

Yes, I keep repeating to myself, hands off that incubator! Look but no messing! LOL

 

[Nicaragua]

I was just EXACTLY the same!
"No touching - no touching - no touching... "

I'm leaving it to the mama hens now, much less stressful...

Keep us posted!

 

[chickens really]

Good luck..I Lockdown on day 19 though. Doesn't matter..

 

[Erba]

The two mama hens here wouldn't go broody. I waited and waited but I desperately need more chickens and they weren't playing ball.

 

[Morgank]

Ok, I hope all the eggs are ok, because I didn't want to candle/disturb them more than needed and maybe jinx it. I have left the hygrometer in there so I can check it through the window, now that the
turner is gone, there is enough room to leave it in. I have the eggs touching each other, because I read something cool here, they communicate with each other.

View attachment 1852667 View attachment 1852669

The suspense is killing me....

Good luck! Little advice, make sure that the other eggs remain in the same position after first eggs hatch. Chicks start rallying in there. I always put a small fence in between. An egg with a window I remove on the other side of incubator.

 

[ScottyGill]

I've just finished a hatch. Ended up with 3 healthy chicks out of 9 eggs. The no touching is difficult and I had gaps between hatchings. It's been a rollercoaster of emotions. I'll follow your journey.

 

[Erba]

Good luck! Little advice, make sure that the other eggs remain in the same position after first eggs hatch. Chicks start rallying in there. I always put a small fence in between. An egg with a window I remove on the other side of incubator.

Good to know, the turners have slot ins, and are a perfect fence for football hooligans...lol

 

[Nicaragua]

@Erba Aw, that's tough. I've got the opposite problem : first bantam cochin girl lays about 10 eggs over 2 weeks and goes into unbreakable broody mode.
So we let her sit after trying to convince her otherwise for a couple of weeks.
And when her chicks turned 2 weeks old and started wandering in with the flock, my other bantam cochin AND my easter egger must have thought that the fluffballs were way too cute, and that they wanted some of their own.
They have unsuccessfully sat for 3 weeks in broody-jail, had meds to lower their temp, had their butts soaked in water but guess what...I had to slip them 3 eggs each this weekend.
You win this one, chickens.

So if you're looking for broodies, needless to say I highly recommend bantam cochins.