and though we lost power overnight, Duck #3 managed to free itself from its shell successfully, and is now warming (and fluffing) up under the heat plate. It looks no more lethargic than any other creature which spent three days trying to birth itself into the world, and I expect a full recovery.
Egg number 4 will get an eggtopsy shortly. Its 34 degrees outside, I'm in no particular rush, but it has to be done. Actually have to move the New Years Hatch to the barn, to join the early December hatching, so I don't need heat in as many places, and can reduce electrical loads on my service.
Incubator (a Keebonix 12 egg round incubator, looks like every other round 12 egg incubator) is already cleaned out, washed, disinfected, dried, and warming back up. Consider this official notice that I'm placing 12 fresh chicken (mutt) eggs from my flock into it today, with an expected hatch last week of February.
and YES - that is a cheap bird food bag for the songbirds in the yard, not my little dinosaurs. It fits the black plastic tote I use as a brooder almost perfectly, and whatever they made the bag from is both durable and very easy to clean. I have a few dog food bags the same size, which I put to the same purpose. Remove food, water, birds, heat plate. Carry bag outside, hang on the line. Put "fresh" bag in. Wind and rain will clean the old one for me.
Sure, I could put more effort into it, but why would I want to???
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