Has anybody gone into lockdown yet? I go into lockdown tomorrow
I dont feel ready though. I am so unconfident this hatch. I cant see into the eggs well or at all and the ones I can see into a little Ive convinced myself they arent growing at the proper rate agh. Im sure all is fine with them but these colored and dark eggs are difficult. I cant wait though to see my chick variety and I hope most that go into lock down hatch. Me being silly counted my chicks before they hatched and I have most of them spoken for I hope enough hatch so I can keep some.
I understand how you feel, I have these green eggs this time which I cannot see into, I thought they would be easier to candle then the choc. eggs. I just marked the air cell lines on days 7 & 14 and will again tonight (day 17) & other than that I just have to believe they are doing well...
Gracie will decide on the lockdown for us... we have been lifting her off the nest once a day to stretch and scratch, she only stays off maybe 5 minutes at most when she does that. I have caught her on camera getting off herself a couple of times, again, it's only for a couple of minutes and right back to the nest. After Wednesday night we won't get her off ourselves at all... if she chooses to get up she can. That's as close to 'lockdown' as we can get, I guess.
We moved her nest box a couple of more inches away from the wall, and added some straw under it for insulation from cold coming up through the floor...
Good plan! The broody hens DO gen. "lock themselves down" so don't worry if she doesn't even get up for food or water for an entire day or 3, also she may look like a zombie-- eyes kinda glazed & sluggish to respond if you make noise. That is how a couple of mine were those last few days and even in nice weather I got concerned, but it is normal, they really stay right there esp. once the first internal pip happens, until they give up on any unhatched eggs (which you may need to make a decision to remove when the first hatched chicks need to eat & drink , so you need to time from the first hatch not more than 72 hrs then if nec. you would need to either help the chick or make Gracie give up on unhatched eggs so she can take the hatched chicks for their first drink & food).
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So I've got the staggered hatch thing here. Right now is day 17 on 11 chicken & 6 duck eggs, w/ 1 chicken egg added later to hatch the same day as the ducks. I candled back on day 14, last sat, and the only 1 chicken egg was a big question, I'm thinking it is unfertile but I've been leaving it in b/c it is one of the largest browns & I think poss a SFH egg which I really really want, so I'm holding out hope for it...
Since I really can't see into the colored eggs, the ducks aren't due til a week later, & the weather here has continued to be terrible I've had a hard time getting organised on a brooder. I have several options but now it is just too cold for the outdoor options so I'm going to have to rig up one in the bathroom : ( done it b/f just not real happy about it (no basement no garage & no electrical at the barn for heatlamp). Oh, well, in the back of my mind I knew it was gonna end up being brooder in the bathroom when I set the eggs, now I need to get on that To Do item today! (Which includes upgrading the brooder for the 2 NYDH chicks who are also not outdoors for a couple more weeks yet.)
Hope everyone stays warm & that lockdown preparations are going well for all.
