Sitting with a cup of coffee. (coffee lovers)

[Peep_Show]

There are no dumb questions, btw. Sometimes ignorant answers, but never a dumb question.

 

[pollitos2013]

Thanks Finn - I want to try hatching eggs again soon - we used a broody hen and borrowed eggs and got one chick last time.



And then how many days in lockdown?

 

[Peep_Show]

Hopefully just three as Hatch Day *should* be on Day 21, but chicks cannot read calendars very well.....

 

[vehve]

Usually about 3 days, but it can vary. Basically they can hatch pretty much from day 19 to day 25, 21 being the average.

 

[vehve]

Darn it, Peep was quicker.

 

[Peep_Show]

You "lockdown" the incubator until all chicks hatch. Luckily, chicks can survive without food and water when fresh hatched for 3 days as they live off the yolk they've absorbed. It allows for time for the stragglers to hatch out.

 

[Peep_Show]

Hey, I type for a living!

 

[vehve]

But, if possible, go with a broody. Saves you a lot of trouble.

 

[Alaskan]

@Alaskan - I loved the stinky people blog post about going to the big city. My horse friends and I joke that we are always the only ones in line at the store who have poop smells wafting off our boots...

I love the blogs but I can't seem to comment there so I comment here - something about wanting my browser login...

Thanks for telling me. I am so happy you liked it!

As to candling.... I don't have a fancy anything to candle, so seeing into the super dark Marans eggs is a joke.... or an exercise in frustration.

Looking into a white egg is very easy.

I am not sure how easy it will be to look into the olive eggs.

But even though my olive eggs are not super dark, they look like they have many pigment layers.....

You "lockdown" the incubator until all chicks hatch. Luckily, chicks can survive without food and water when fresh hatched for 3 days as they live off the yolk they've absorbed. It allows for time for the stragglers to hatch out.

true.... but I am also a 'poker', just can't keep my fingers out.

Luckily the Brinsea can pop right back up to proper temp and humidity... and I haven't had too many issues with chicks not being able to hatch.

I actually found that I HAVE to open the silly thing during hatch with the quail chicks. They can't go for very long at all without food and water. So, I have to pop in tiny little water holders and sprinkle food, about once or twice a day..... even when they haven't all hatched yet.

Luckily, except for one upside-down quail chick, they have been just fine too.

 

[pollitos2013]

Thanks for the advice - we will try a broody in the spring when it gets warmer. Can the broody and the baby chicks share the big coop or do they need their own place - I already learned the ard way that they need their own run...