Lockdown? What's that?

[Preservation Acres]

What does lockdown mean? Is it anything that I need to be concerned if my incubator is a broody hen?

 

[journey's end]

Lockdown is when you stop the turning, raise the humidity, and don't open the incubator for anything, from day 18 until hatch. If you have a broody, she'll know what to do, so lockdown doesn't apply.

 

[Preservation Acres]

Thanks!

 

[jenjscott]

I might be mistaken, but I think it is a phrase that has been coined right here on BYC.

 

[journey's end]

Could have been. But it's used on Alberta Chickens as well.

 

[juliecox]

If I can ask, why don't you open the incubator during lockdown?

 

[jenjscott]

The idea is that a hatching egg needs high humidity, and opening the incubator drops the humidity and allows a pipped chick to become stuck in the shell from drying membranes. Some people subscribe to this theory and some do not.

 

[Preservation Acres]

Interesting. If I can keep broody hens around, I think I'll just go that route. It makes her happy, and she does all the work.

 

[speckledhen]

Aw, I like IBW, though lockdown is certainly very descriptive for the last three days. (Intense Bator/Broody Watch). I don't "lock down" as tight as some do, though.

 

[mulia24]

yap, hen is the *best* bator in the world.

1. don't care power failure
2. don't care cold night
3. don't care hot day
4. don't care that stupid thermo and hygrometer calibrated and accurate or not
5. (she don't need those device)
6. don't care *dead* bulb
7. don't need any thermostat and don't care it near or far from *heat source*
8. will be *best* *brooder* you've ever have (no bulb or electricity)
9. will be the *teacher* that teach the babies what to eat what to not eat and how to survive.
10. will be protector of babies, huss that bad roo, bad girls.
11. *green* bator and QC passed

she will hatch and keep the babies.

but, unfortunately, some girls are exactly not a good mom.