Incubation

[dmaes0624]

Hi all! My daughter and I have been collecting our fertile eggs and putting them in the incubator, most have been developing. We found a couple in the yard, from the neighbors hens, so we put them in the incubator, it’s been 14 days that I know of, how do I know if they are ready for lockdown? Should I just go by my dates?

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

You don't have to have a second incubator if all your eggs are going into lockdown at the same time.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Hi all! My daughter and I have been collecting our fertile eggs and putting them in the incubator, most have been developing. We found a couple in the yard, from the neighbors hens, so we put them in the incubator, it’s been 14 days that I know of, how do I know if they are ready for lockdown? Should I just go by my dates?

I'd go by dates, unless you see something while candling that makes you question that method. Lockdown typically happens at day 18 for chicken eggs, and by that day, the eggs should look very dark and full. What do they look like now? Were all of the eggs put in at the same time or did you add the ones from your neighbor's hens after you had already started incubating your own?

This site has candling pics that may be helpful in assessing how close to lockdown your eggs may be. Best wishes for your hatch!