The suspense is killing me

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MontanaChickDoc

MontanaChickDoc

Crowing
7 Years
Jul 2, 2016
686
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central Virginia
Day 20. Humidity and temp are good - 100F and 65%. First time with new rooster, new incubator, and incubating eggs from my own flock. That's a lot of firsts and I am an impatient wreck. There is not a sign of ANYTHING happening. Everything looked great at lockdown on Sunday - movement, vasculature, air cells maybe a titch on the small side but I am scared to death to open the incubator to see if there are any internal pips or if the air cells have grown any. I have to sit on my hands to keep from lifting the lid every hour to see if maybe there is a pip I can't see from looking down through the lid. I may need a valium. OR a support group. Oh wait, I have a support group, it's you guys! Ugh. I may not sleep tonight. And I have to work tomorrow. I may call in sick. I may die of a heart attack before I can call in sick. Please, something, anything show some sign of doing SOMETHING.
 
Hatch chick cannon.gif
The only thing to do now is wait...and stare at the incubator!

If they hatch late, your incubator temperature is likely off. Get a good thermometer and calibrate it.

Brinsea spot check is one of the best
 
You are not alone, I have 2 broody hens with 14 eggs divided between the 2, I expect to see hatching a week from tomorrow or so. I am a wreck as well, even though I have hatched with a broody hen before. Afraid to mess with them too much. Last time I just put 6 eggs under a broody hen and other than making sure she had food, water and whatever she needed left her alone until hatch day. the only candling I did was 2 eggs that didn't hatch after about 2 or 3 days when expected. This time I am a mess. Even though last time I had 4 of 6 hatch with no problem. Stay strong at least you don't have much longer to wait. :hugs
 
Thank you, it helps knowing others are also playing the waiting game. My attempts to let broodies hatch eggs has always ended in semi-disaster. Big Momma although an excellent mother (partridge Cochin) tends to smash the eggs with her giant feathered feet. Hens want to brood nowhere but in the nest box, and all attepts to make them a safe beautiful nest somewhere else end in complete refusal to cooperate on their part, and me stuffing eggs in my bra until I can either fire up the incubator or move the nest back to her approved location - where other chickens will continue to also lay eggs on top of the others, risking breakage, etc etc.

Sigh.

But on a happy note, I saw one egg rock slightly as I checked on them before bed :yesss:
 
MontanaChickDoc said:
Thank you, it helps knowing others are also playing the waiting game. My attempts to let broodies hatch eggs has always ended in semi-disaster. Big Momma although an excellent mother (partridge Cochin) tends to smash the eggs with her giant feathered feet. Hens want to brood nowhere but in the nest box, and all attepts to make them a safe beautiful nest somewhere else end in complete refusal to cooperate on their part, and me stuffing eggs in my bra until I can either fire up the incubator or move the nest back to her approved location - where other chickens will continue to also lay eggs on top of the others, risking breakage, etc etc.

Sigh.

But on a happy note, I saw one egg rock slightly as I checked on them before bed :yesss:
Click to expand...
Have you chirped to them yet? Sometimes they chirp back!
 

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