Should be hatching on Monday!! I hope.. :)

[Mugs06]

ok long story.. I had a silkie hen go broody. She hatched one single egg and we got a pretty chick. (5-27) then I am guessing about 4 days later she was sitting on some more eggs. We had left for CO for a vacation (5-29) and I have no idea when she began to sit on the other eggs. like I said I am guessing (5-31) We came home and she was sitting on 8. We were going to let her hatch these out but she got taken by a fox. So I went and got an incubator to try to save them. I candled them today and 6 out of the 8 are good I think. 2 of them have no veins and no movement. just a black line and what i call "goop" at the bottom. The other 6 all have veins and I can see them moving around. They take up just about, maybe a little more, than half of the egg. I am thinking that if they were set on around the 31st or so then they should hatch on thursday. I am wondering when I need to take them off the egg turner and when to start checking on them for pipping. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

ETA: I think they will be hatching on Monday from what I have seen and read here! Thanks everyone for posting here so us newbies know what they heck we are doing!

 

[Mugs06]

anybody? I was looking at pictures and I think it will be next monday. so when should I "lockdown"?

 

[kizanne]

So I'm not experienced at anything you are talking about. But didn't want to leave you hanging.

First, I'd go into lockdown today if you aren't already in lockdown. For the first eggs this would be hatch day and there are many reports that turning doesn't matter after day 14. So I'd up the humidity if you plan to and lock it down.

Good luck keep us posted.

 

[mstricer]

I go into lock down today to with 130 eggs, We can hatch together. Take out you turner today and add water in the bottom. I would also get a small jar or bowl and stand a sponge upright into it right below one of the vents. You can either lay them on their sides in the incubator or stand them upright in a egg carton. Actually we are hatching during a New Moon and the Summer[FONT=arial, sans-serif] Solstice. Which is, according to the Farmers Almanac a best time to hatch. Good Luck[/FONT]

 

[hdowden]

it takes 21 days to hatch and day 18 is lockdown and you up the humidity then. if she started sitting on the 31st then this would be day 19 so you should already be in lockdown

 

[Mugs06]

Thanks all! After reading all I could find I have decided based on their devolpment that they are about a week off or so. I think they will be hatching next monday. I will lockdown on friday. They are all still moving and looking good so fingers crossed!

I can keep the humidity at a level they like. I don't have any idea what level it is at. I just have the one thermometer in there. And it's pretty consistant at 99-100. Wish me luck!