when does a broody go on lockdown?

[hughes homested]

i have a broody who is supposed to hatch today but she just was off for her potty/lunch break so it has me wondering if any of her eggs r going to hatch. i read that they will stop coming off once they hear the baby inside or feel it moving approaching the hatch date. can someone elaborate on this for me? do they lockdown a day ahead? after the first pip? we have only had 1 mama hatch babies before & she stayed in the nest starting on day 19- hers also all hatched by day 21 tho. this broody we have now broke 2 eggs in her nest 10 & 12 days into this sit so im not sure her eggs didnt all get contaminated. i was pretty limited on what i could do about it so i just cleaned her nest as much as possible & left the eggs alone. theres probably not much hope but i was thinking if even one of these expensive eggs/1st time babies for her were still going to hatch, i wasnt going to call it quits on them. of course i intend to let her be until it is far later than the hatch date just to make sure they r not late but i am curious. thanks.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Some hens do get up even on day 21, though most sit solidly on days 19, 20, 21.

I have had eggs break and the rest of the hatch do fine, so there definitely is hope.

If in doubt, candle the eggs.

And yes, as you now know, expensive eggs are best for experienced broodies who have a good track record....but I've also used first time broodies with good success. Sometimes not so much.

LofMc

 

[JaeG]

You could candle them to see if they are alive. If you can see veins just under the air cell it's still good. No veins, a yellowish gap under the air cell and a dark blob under that means it has died. Or you might see a little shadow in the air cell wondering why it's suddenly so light. That's a baby that's internally pipped and is working on the next stage.

I've had broodies get off pipping eggs for a break, but they had been sitting tight for a few days prior to that, and the eggs hatched out just fine. It was humid though.

 

[hughes homested]

This girl has been coming off twice a day the entire 21 days. Only for a few minutes each time. It is extremely humid here. I am terrified of candling.

 

[bobbi-j]

If it's extremely humid, I wouldn't worry about it if she's only off for a few minutes at a time.

 

[hughes homested]

So she just came down for her evening break...sigh...looked and there's nothing going on with her eggs. She has tipped the oldest egg up onto its pointy end sort of but that's it. The shell on that one started out as an off white color but now it is dark on one end. Sort of looks old or something now. Certainly not polished looking like the others..they look like they did when I put them under...only shinier. Is that a sign of it being rotten?

 

[Birdinhand]

the incubation conditions of a broody hen are so much better I wouldn't worry about it. to me, the term "lock down" is really for those of us tempted to open an incubator repeatedly and over monitor things. if it's a hen doing what she has the instincts to do, chances are all is good, IMHO. often with a hen, it seems like nothing is happening and then you wake up to a clutch of chicks. fingers crossed for you, keep the faith!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Outside appearances mean little unless there is a crack.

Candling is easy. Take a flashlight out at night. Cup hand with egg pointy side down. Shine flashlight through pointy end. Look for light air cell at fat end and big dark blob in the rest of egg at this point.

If egg is all light grey shadow or clear, nothing happened.

If you see any dark blob, wait several days until 23 or 24 before calling it lost.

If high humidity and not cold, things probably are okay.

If at day 24 nothing has happened, check eggs again. Smell. If okay, hold egg to ear. Gently shake. If it kathuds with a heavy slosh, it is bad. If no chirps, gently crack open while holding inside a zip bag in case it is bad.

You will likely find just yolk or green goo. Sometimes you find dead chicks. What you find will help you begin to figure out what might have gone wrong.

But watch and wait until then. Keep us posted.

 

[hughes homested]

Thanks for all your replies. I'm trying to remain patient. I'll update u guys tomorrow..........

 

[hughes homested]

Well....our little silkie "zoey" was down for her break this afternoon as usual so I ran to look and.......NOTHING happening with her eggs. Still waiting but not looking good. Poor girl--i can not talk my husband into buying her a chick after I spent so much on some fertile eggs for her already