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Maybe 11 or 12....I think.what day are you on now? Or I should say Martha is on?
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Maybe 11 or 12....I think.what day are you on now? Or I should say Martha is on?
I wonder if she claimed the eggs the others had laid when she moved the nest. I wish mine would move away from right in front off the darn door! Sheesh!
As I expect hatching any day now, I seperated the inside by a piece of fencing to keep mom(s) and babies safer. Also cordoned off a section of run outside the small door they are nesting by for their own food and water. The rest will use the big back door but can access the run from outdoors as always. They free range all day and come and go.
Digger did not come off the nest at all today. Unless I missed it. That makes me nervous when she does that. It was 90 out today. I assume she knows her babies are close.
If you find that Martha gathered the eggs of th others, I would mark them but not remove them until you know if her first eggs are fertile. I don’t know about you, but breaks my heart thinking my girls will sit til their hearts break when nothing hatches. That way at least she (they) will have an opportunity with the other eggs if you need to pull the other unfertile ones. But that is just me
I'm so confused, as I just checked the chart @Miss Lydia sent me, and I swear what I saw in the two eggs that "had something" was way more like 22-day or later egg, which just isn't possible. We are day 13 at best, I think. To be honest, I was not prepared today, so I'll try to be ready tomorrow. It will be easier once the rain stops, and I did order an inexpensive portable candler on Amazon that will arrive tomorrow!There should be no issue removing any. I remove the one fresh layed daily by someone with no issues. (But not today or yesterday. They are close and the girls know it and do not leave the nest unattended now). There should be no harm in leaving them. If I understand correctly, mamas will boot the eggs that do not hatch in a timely manner or that they deem unsuitable. So should you have live hatches, I might assume they will be fine. At a week you will see veining easily and even a dark spot within thise veins. At 2 weeks that spot will be bigger and not just a kind of perfect pencil eraser size or shape. More like a black grub Anyhow, if you are seeing none of that, you may have unfertile eggs or it is a newer egg you are checking. Can’t wait to see what your girls are sitting on!!
I hate to say definitely, but boy it seemed like there was the diagonal line between the dark area and the air sac. And the air sac appeared way larger than any of the earlier ones. Hmmmm.If you are candling (from the fat end, the air sac), at that gestation you should see very little actual darkness. Save for the embryo spot. I candle from the side also. And look from all sides. Mostly cuz it just fascinates me lol. But you are right...it is difficult unless you are comfortable and dark. Took me days to figure out an effective strategy for candling mine! Even harder with the chickens until I brought a blanket. Will be easier with your new candler!! Yay!!