I know it's the Nth hour now, but I just discovered this thread and want to join you......although I don't have eggs from Dipsy Doodle!
I set my Silver Penciled Rock shipped eggs (from Wynette) late at night on 7/14, so I'm less than a day ahead of you all. At the same time I set 4 of my own eggs that were laid by my then brand new Lavender Ameraucana hens!! I had just brought them home less than a week before, and they had been with a roo until the night before I go them.....so I figured since the bator was running and it wasn't full, I might as well set whatever I got from those new girls those first few days!! I only got 4 eggs as 2 of the hens had recently been broken from being broody, and so only 1 hen was laying.
Well, then I couldn't help myself when I got another pretty blue egg the next day - one day later wouldn't matter, right? And then another the next day.......and the next!!! Not the best move since I don't have a separate hatcher!! But those beautiful blue eggs just made me do it! LOL
So, since I had the last egg put in there 4 days after the majority were, I decided to wait an extra day for lock-down to 'split the difference'. Then I figured for a few days I could hand turn the last 3 eggs that were set late, and didn't figure the higher humidity would hurt them for those few extra days. Well, you know what they say about best laid plans!!!
Monday night should have been lock-down for me. I planned to do it Tuesday night. That morning I thought about turning off the auto-turner....but didn't. Then about 2 hours after I left for work, my hubby called and said we had a pip in one of the Lavender eggs!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it!! It was day 18.5 and I know my temp has been good (
Brinsea bator). So I coached him through taking the bator off the turner, and had him
quickly open things up and add water. I didn't even ask him to take the divider rails out - figured I would do that later, which I did. So then the little stinker (chick, not hubby) didn't change or do anything except peep once in a while until this afternoon........and now, about 18 hours post-pip, I have a little Lavender Ameraucana chick!!!!!!!!! Woohoo!!
Oh, and another one is pipped! Of course, now my plan for hand turning the 3 'extra' eggs is not working so well since I don't want to open the bator too much with a pipped egg.
And I have no idea why these guys are early. The SP Rocks are behaving as they should. Oh, and since I had to do an 'emergency' lock-down, I didn't get to candle all the eggs!!! So now I don't have any idea how many 'good' eggs I have!
Sorry for the long drawn-out story, but I just wanted to share my excitement with others who are expecting any day now too. Happy Hatching everyone!
