What are the chicks doing during lock down?

[JulieZ]

What is happening to the chicks during the "3 day" lock down?
Do they sometimes hatch earlier then 3 days and be all healthy?
Are they beginning to move around inside the shell?

This is the one thing I have not read up on & I keep staring at them ... waiting ...

 

[Julie08]

they are absorbing the yolk and getting into hatching position, yes they can hatch early and be healthy, what are you hatching?

Julie

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sometimes you can see the eggs rocking as the chick moves around inside the shell getting into a good position for hatching. After it is in position and it rests a bit, the chick will peck a hole through the egg shell so it can breath. This is called pipping. Then it will rest, sometimes for a very long time. Then it will zip, which means it cuts the shell in half so it can push the egg shell apart and come out. Then it rests, usually not for a very long time. Then it pushes the egg shell apart and a very wet chick pops out. It lays there, rests, and dries off a bit. Then it gets up and plays soccer with all the eggs that have not yet hatched. Eventually all that are going to hatch complete the hatching process. Don't worry about the eggs used as soccer balls. It does not seem to bother them.

If the average incubation temperature is a little high, they should hatch early. If it is low, they will hatch late. Some areas of the incubator can be different temperatures, even with a forced air incubator. In any incubator some will hatch earlier than others. It is not a big deal.

Hope this helps.

 

[JulieZ]

Quote:
Ridgerunner ... Yes, very much! TY !!! I THOUGHT I saw the egg move but chalked it up to my eyes which could be the case but I'd like to think other wise. I knew something other then sleeping had to be going on.

Julie .. I have 3 Barred Rocks & a Dixie Rainbow x Buff Orphington for a mystery hatch. After this hatch, I have 45 eggs going in. My "One Boy" BO with LB, BR, BO & Dixie Rainbows. I'm extremely anxious about my mystery bird.

 

[Ridgerunner]

BO Roo with Light Brahma - Red Sex Link. Difference in color may not be real great.
BO Roo with Barred Rock - Black Sex Link
BO Roo with BO hen - Yellow chicks confused with Red sex Link Males
BO Roo with Dixie Rainbow - No idea

 

[gryeyes]

What amazed me about lockdown was the actual sound of peeps I heard from the eggs. And then the tiny tapping sound as they worked to pip the shell. I never really saw the eggs MOVE, but I did see the water in the reservoir wiggle, so I knew there was movement.

I just completed my very first hatch EVER this past Saturday. Partway through the lockdown on the next to the last day, I heard an actual ANNOYED series of peeps from one egg. Cracked me up! (Even if it didn't crack the egg up just then.)

 

[JulieZ]

Quote:
Ridgerunner ... Why do you say difference in color may not be real great? Are you talking ugly chickens with each possibly having different colors then the next? I've yet to find any great photo's of the black/red links. And my BO's may take awhile to figure out if I go with the BO x LB? The BO x Dixie's ... Will probably end up with ET.

 

[nicoletm24]

i love hearing the first peeps coming from the eggs before any pips are made

i get sooooo excited then!

mine hatched on day 19....so, yes, they can hatch early....

good luck

 

[JulieZ]

Today is day 19 !!!! Stop teasing me, Nicole.

 

[featherz]

I remember when all my guineas started pipping before I had even taken the turner out - almost 5 days early!

it was late at night and I started hearing peep peep peep peep and looked in.. PIPS. Ack! help! LOL. It was funny. They were rockin and rollin (and still are today even at a month old

)..