Chilifur
Rest in Peace 1966-2013
I'd like to jump in here as it's my first time hatching eggs as well - had 47 to start with, 24 of those were Polish eggs that had shipped in. Truffles, my black Silkie, had just gone broody so I put a couple of silkie eggs under her - thinking they were not fertile or too old to be still fertile - and then put a few Polish eggs underneath her a few days later.
After 4 days I candled and saw development in all but one Polish egg. Oh jeez. Black Copper Silkie Marans, anyone?
June 6th is the date for the Polish - but who the heck knows at this point? All the others are in a still air incubator with me hand turning them 4 to 6 times a day. So far, we've still got 40 of the original 47 altogether.
Just candled Truffle's eggs and at first I thought *her* eggs weren't moving, but it looks like they are just so packed in that there's not room to move!
On leaving the nest - Truffles gets out of her nest each morning, sometimes every other morning, and starts bawking like she's laid an egg. I've got her in my living room instead of out with the rest because I want her close! Anyway, she goes off like an alarm clock nightmare and I take her right outside and set her down. She lets it all out and I take her right back in. Her food and water are right outside her box (bottom of a small dog crate) so she'll partake and get back on the eggs.
I can get eggs out anytime, she makes a lot of noise but won't attack. I also pet her and occasionally offer her treats throughout the day. Maybe that makes a difference?
As far as the eggs go, I'm such a nerd that I identified every single one by either laid date or (with the shipped ones) a number, and then their weights. I track when it started incubating, when it stopped and for what reason, how it's being incubated, and any other relevant notes. When one of the Polish eggs she had looked to be a yolker, I took one out of the incubator and put that under her. A few days later, that one was just a blood ring. So I didn't take the chance of doing that again, regardless of whether it made sense or not.
Now I'm wondering if/when Truffle's own eggs start hatching, and if it's earlier than the Polish - do I remove the Polish eggs to the incubator (at least 4 days behind the broody hen) or will she stay on the eggs at least another day or two?
How soon do they start moving before they pip, usually? Hard to believe it's only 3/4 more days!
After 4 days I candled and saw development in all but one Polish egg. Oh jeez. Black Copper Silkie Marans, anyone?
June 6th is the date for the Polish - but who the heck knows at this point? All the others are in a still air incubator with me hand turning them 4 to 6 times a day. So far, we've still got 40 of the original 47 altogether.
Just candled Truffle's eggs and at first I thought *her* eggs weren't moving, but it looks like they are just so packed in that there's not room to move!
On leaving the nest - Truffles gets out of her nest each morning, sometimes every other morning, and starts bawking like she's laid an egg. I've got her in my living room instead of out with the rest because I want her close! Anyway, she goes off like an alarm clock nightmare and I take her right outside and set her down. She lets it all out and I take her right back in. Her food and water are right outside her box (bottom of a small dog crate) so she'll partake and get back on the eggs.
I can get eggs out anytime, she makes a lot of noise but won't attack. I also pet her and occasionally offer her treats throughout the day. Maybe that makes a difference?
As far as the eggs go, I'm such a nerd that I identified every single one by either laid date or (with the shipped ones) a number, and then their weights. I track when it started incubating, when it stopped and for what reason, how it's being incubated, and any other relevant notes. When one of the Polish eggs she had looked to be a yolker, I took one out of the incubator and put that under her. A few days later, that one was just a blood ring. So I didn't take the chance of doing that again, regardless of whether it made sense or not.
Now I'm wondering if/when Truffle's own eggs start hatching, and if it's earlier than the Polish - do I remove the Polish eggs to the incubator (at least 4 days behind the broody hen) or will she stay on the eggs at least another day or two?
How soon do they start moving before they pip, usually? Hard to believe it's only 3/4 more days!
