November Hatch-A-Long (2014)

[losttexan]

What do you all mean by lockdown...is that when you begin counting the days?

I have an olive egger .....I put four eggs under her Sunday after she had set on a golf ball for a few days. This is day three. The eggs are mutt eggs from a neighbor. As far as I have seen she has not come off the nest at all. Her nest is in a dog crate. There is food and water in the crate and I started opening the door for her in the day time in case she wants to get out of the crate. People assure me she will not starve herself, but I wonder.....

Lockdown is the time (usually three days before hatch) that the humidity is raised, turning stops, and somehow, you are to resist opening the 'bator or touching the eggs until hatch. You have a broody, so it means when you quit touching the eggs.

 

[losttexan]

What do you all mean by lockdown...is that when you begin counting the days?

I have an olive egger .....I put four eggs under her Sunday after she had set on a golf ball for a few days. This is day three. The eggs are mutt eggs from a neighbor. As far as I have seen she has not come off the nest at all. Her nest is in a dog crate. There is food and water in the crate and I started opening the door for her in the day time in case she wants to get out of the crate. People assure me she will not starve herself, but I wonder.....

You are doing everything you need to be doing. For those that have done a 'bator hatch, broodies are so amazingly convenient - they just take care of everything for you! Depending on the size of your dog crate, you might want to move the food/water outside of it. Sometimes the hen won't partake if it is too close to the nest. I have had success with a dog crate placed inside of a larger wire enclosure.
1) It keeps her secure from the other hens that may force her off the eggs, lay additional ones in the nest, or break eggs jockeying around for position.
2) It makes her get up to go eat/drink. That gets her to stretch her legs/wings and take those massive broody poops.
3) You can monitor her intake so you can rest in peace that she isn't starving to death.
4) It will provide security for the first few weeks of the chicks' lives, so she can teach them chicken skills, and give the others time to see them, so the babies will be accepted easier into the larger flock (if you have one - wasn't sure about that).

 

[vpatt]

I haven't touched them since I put them under her...except for putting one back in the nest. I think it must have just fallen out as she is sitting on all of them as far as I can tell. She is a wee bit touchy so I'm just letting her do her thing. I just hope she is alright.
:/

I guess I don't need to say I am new to all this. The Hatchalong app sounds like fun, but it wont download to my phone or my Kindle.

 

[thecluckenfarm]

Lockdown is the time (usually three days before hatch) that the humidity is raised, turning stops, and somehow, you are to resist opening the 'bator or touching the eggs until hatch.  You have a broody, so it means when you quit touching the eggs.

love the description lol I'm going crazy. At lest 5 hrs since first pip and all I hear is chirp, chirp, chirp and eggs rolling around. I think I'm watching a movie in slow mo and glued to the bator window

 

[thecluckenfarm]

I haven't touched them since I put them under her...except for putting one back in the nest. I think it must have just fallen out as she is sitting on all of them as far as I can tell. She is a wee bit touchy so I'm just letting her do her thing. I just hope she is alright.
:/

I guess I don't need to say I am new to all this. The Hatchalong app sounds like fun, but it wont download to my phone or my Kindle.

She knows what she is doing. It will be fine. Sometimes they kick the egg out if they know it is not viable. I have a broody duck that will sit on any thing. The bad thing about her is she will even sit on stinking eggs and hiss if you came near her!

That sucks you can't get the app! It is great.

 

[vpatt]

You are doing everything you need to be doing.  For those that have done a 'bator hatch, broodies are so amazingly convenient - they just take care of everything for you!  Depending on the size of your dog crate, you might want to move the food/water outside of it.  Sometimes the hen won't partake if it is too close to the nest.  I have had success with a dog crate placed inside of a larger wire enclosure.
1) It keeps her secure from the other hens that may force her off the eggs, lay additional ones in the nest, or break eggs jockeying around for position.
2) It makes her get up to go eat/drink.  That gets her to stretch her legs/wings and take those massive broody poops.
3) You can monitor her intake so you can rest in peace that she isn't starving to death.
4) It will provide security for the first few weeks of the chicks' lives, so she can teach them chicken skills, and give the others time to see them, so the babies will be accepted easier into the larger flock (if you have one - wasn't sure about that).

Thank you! I will set the food out right now. It is right up against her nest. I may move the crate after the eggs hatch....hopefully I will have a better spot prepared by then and hopefully some of the eggs will hatch. And I hope she will go off the porch if she needs to have a huge poop...but what are the chances? Lol

 

[losttexan]

Thank you! I will set the food out right now. It is right up against her nest. I may move the crate after the eggs hatch....hopefully I will have a better spot prepared by then and hopefully some of the eggs will hatch. And I hope she will go off the porch if she needs to have a huge poop...but what are the chances? Lol

I get my hens to poop where I want by creating a clean place, or placing something valuable there that absolutely cannot get chicken poop on it - works every time!

 

[vpatt]

I get my hens to poop where I want by creating a clean place, or placing something valuable there that absolutely cannot get chicken poop on it - works every time! 

Lol... I'm sure that will work for me too.

 

[ChickyChickens]

What do you all mean by lockdown...is that when you begin counting the days?

I have an olive egger .....I put four eggs under her Sunday after she had set on a golf ball for a few days. This is day three. The eggs are mutt eggs from a neighbor. As far as I have seen she has not come off the nest at all. Her nest is in a dog crate. There is food and water in the crate and I started opening the door for her in the day time in case she wants to get out of the crate. People assure me she will not starve herself, but I wonder.....

Lockdown is when you stop turning the eggs (day 18) and you don't open the incubator that much!!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Lockdown is the time (usually three days before hatch) that the humidity is raised, turning stops, and somehow, you are to resist opening the 'bator or touching the eggs until hatch. You have a broody, so it means when you quit touching the eggs.

The day you handcuff yourself away from the bator in order to keep yourself from touching the eggs.....