May 2020 Hatch-A-Long

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

That should be just enough time I think. You can kind of tell their demeanor changes from "thinking about being broody" to "serious business broody" after about a week of sitting. They take shorter breaks and don't even look at you as much, lol.
I've never tried less than a week of sitting though.

All of my broody hens accept eggs and most of them accept chicks after dark placed under their wings. If you're unsure of her or feel like she won't accept them after hatch then you can wait to give them to her until lockdown and she should still treat them just like she did all the work. Lol

Thanks for sharing you excellent experience on broodies!!!

 

[goat114]

My eggs are 2-3 days too early for lockdown what should I do put the egg turner back in or just leave them be and hope for the best..

 

[FortCluck]

My eggs are 2-3 days too early for lockdown what should I do put the egg turner back in or just leave them be and hope for the best..

You don't have to turn them after 14 days (last 7 days). It won't bother them if you don't have the turner in.

 

[kelseyk]

Someone needs to kick me off ebay! I keep looking at all the hatching eggs for sale and keep coming up with more chickens I want! I am seriously debating getting some Swedish Flower Hens now.

 

[goat114]

You don't have to turn them after 14 days (last 7 days). It won't bother them if you don't have the turner in.

okay good to know

 

[matlock585]

Man oh man... This is an active group! I got busy for a few days and I had like 40 pages of posts to catch up on.
I set my eggs last Sunday evening so they are due 5/17.
I have some mixed EE, RIR, and some maran crosses that I purchased locally.
I "stacked" some homegrown eggs that I bought for eating on top. My intent was to use them to transfer heat throughout the incubator. I'm using the FI 4250 and it seems to have hot and cold spots. To my surprise a large amount of the eating eggs that were refrigerated are developing. I have no idea what they'll be. Some are green eggs, some white, several light brown speckled ones. Also I haven't looked at them deeply, I just wanted to check a couple of the EE eggs that I bought to hatch to see if they were starting and I looked at one of the white eggs that I was using for a heat sink just on an impulse. I was shocked to see the yolk was enlarged and veining beginning. I looked at 5 more of the refrigerated eggs and all but one were starting. I just can't believe it. Guess I should pay my egg Lady a bonus for those couple dozen.
Tomorrow night will be my day 7 candling where I'll look at each egg.
I've got a lot to get ready.
It's been a couple years since I've had chickens here. I've got to make a new brooder, grow pen, and redo the fence for my coop because I moved it.

 

[Minky]

Visual sexing. I've only vent sexed the little ones, 3-6 days ish. I looked at the older ones but I don't know what I'm looking for once it's big, lol! You would think it would be easier.

Do you have a good video or link I could watch or a tip for vent sexing. I have 30+ chicks they are a day old now so I was going to try tomorrow. Along with some other old wives tales like if they pull their legs up, etc.. do some guessing...

Or if I post baby pics, can you guess? I have 50% Marans, and the rest maran/mixes (OE) and then 5 Lav. Orpington, and a few EE from my own backyard mix. Both my CLB are roos of course....
:-(

 

[Minky]

Me again. Does anyone have a hatching spread sheet they want to share? I feel a bit like geeking it up and taking a lot of stats.

 

[Knighstar679]

5 of my eggs for my black east indies have internally pipped. Now I am starting the ever slow process of waiting for ducklings!

 

[CindyinSD]

Of the eight of the original eleven gosling eggs (from the first batch) that made it this far, five are poking at their aircells. The eight developers from the second batch have been temporarily relocated to the chicken incubator. I took out thirteen eggs that weren't developing after five days and gave them to a wistful Cochin hen after stealing the lonely little egg she had been sitting on.

If they develop and she continues sitting, she may keep them. If they don't but she remains faithful, I'll give some of the incubator ones to her--maybe not quite so many. She seems to be challenged a bit covering them all. I've had to poke one or two back under her on a couple occasions today. I'm working on a broody coop for her but I had to stop because it's settled in to rain. Oh well... I will get it done... just not today.