DIary of a novice, shipped egg, broody hatch

[appps]

So have just done our last candle.

The eggs in the incubator have done nothing so all gone in the bin.

Of the six still under penny.

Three look like this, almost totally full of black and cant see the red veins at the bottom.


Two look like this, mostly black but with some veins still showing


and one looks like this which is pretty much what we saw when we candled at day 10.


Are the five all okay even though some are fuller with black than others? Does that mean some are more advanced so could hatch earlier?

The only thing Im concerned about now is that she is nesting on a cardboard base and she wont keep any hay under her so they are going to hatch onto a surface with no grip. I dont know if Its okay to wait till they hatch and then replace it with a bit of carpet Ive got. Its been lying round the back yard so dont really want to put it under the eggs now.

 

[cwrite]

I'm glad you mentioned that bit about smooth surfaces. I hadn't even thought of it. Snowy has done the same thing. The eggs are directly on the bottom of the dog box & the hay is piled up in a circle around them & she sits on top like a lid. I wonder if it's because it is so hot here. The chicks are going to need a rope with a grappling hook to get out of the nest. Lol. I might put some of that grip stuff under the eggs if it feels slippery without disturbing her pot shaped nest. Hopefully that won't upset her too much.

 

[appps]

Day 19 !!

We're getting close now! Penny didn't come out this morning when I opened up so suspect she knows it's nearly time and has gone into her own little broody lockdown.

Have been having a chat with other broody hatchers and a common thing I've noticed is that while the expected due date for an incubator hatch is 21 days,the more common date for a broody seems to be a day earlier on day 20. That's tomorrow for us so will be listening for any little peeps coming from the nest from here on out.

Very excited to have finally reached this stage! Hopefully my next update will be to share some photos of five little fluff balls

 

[maddogdodge]

I'm so excited for you!!

Good luck, can't wait to see how it all goes!

 

[cwrite]

Any peeps yet aaps? It seems the closer you get to hatch day the slower time moves.

No sign of anything from mine & apparently Snowy didn't get the memo about talking to the chicks before they hatch.

It's too quiet.

 

[appps]

Tell

Any peeps yet aaps?  It seems the closer you get to hatch day the slower time moves.    No sign of anything from mine & apparently Snowy didn't get the memo about talking to the chicks before they hatch.     It's too quiet.

Tell me about it lol

We just got home from school so went and lifted penny's skirts lol and had a little peek and no sign of anything happening.

One bounced this morning when she got off for breakfast so the little blighters are in there

 

[CB and CG]

Fingers crossed for some babies tomorrow Appps. I will be keeping my eye on this thread

 

[appps]

Today is day 21. Nothing happening yet that I can see. We just let the chooks out for the morning so our broody got off the nest and we held my mobile phone torch next to the eggs without touching them and could see that they all had very large air cells.

Now here lies my problem. These are long distance shipped eggs,two were broken during transit (which I discarded) so it wasn't a gentle flight. I rested them before setting. One of the air cells I have just seen is lying across the top of the egg rather than up the big end like the rest of them. I think they call that detached.

I don't know if I should just trust it to the care of my silkie or if I should take it out and put it in the incubator in an egg carton to get the air cell up to the correct spot? Have posted asking for advice.

I do have the one in there that I think stopped developing but I'm not sure which as I can't see my pencil mark anymore. Not sure if it's this one or not.

Edited to add, decided to leave it to Penny, think mother nature will probably do a better job than me Will just sit on my hands and cross my fingers instead!

 

[appps]

Okay so obviously when that memo went round about hatching early under broody's my lot didnt get it. We are on day 22 as of last night and still nothing. Penny got up and had her breakfast so I could have a good close look and not even a teeny pip hole happening.

Starting to get very nervous I have to admit.

 

[maddogdodge]

Oh dear.... Is it common for them to hatch late?... I hope nothing bad has happened! I was really hoping you'd at least get a couple of little chicks!!