Day 18

Today was lockdown. Lockdown happens when the chicks are getting close to hatching.  We stop them from being on the turner, so that they can figure out where the top is.  This will help them to get out, as they will pip and then break the shell in a circle before pushing off the end and coming out.  Also for lockdown, we can't open the incubator, in case one of the eggs has already piped, we don't want them to dry out.

Here's all the eggs that are viable (and have a chick inside) just before lockdown

For lockdown we placed the eggs into two different boxes.  One of them is a cereal and the other is a pudding box.  They are nice and short so that the top goes back on the incubator.

Here's the all the eggs ready for lockdown

We took the eggs from the turner and placed them in the boxes, then we removed the turner.  Before we put the top back on the incubator the egg with the number 2 on it (top left of left box) was really moving around on its own. There were a couple of other 'wobblers' as the chicks inside are getting ready to make an appearance. 

We figure that anytime from Friday to Monday we'll have some little chickadoos in the incubator.

On lockdown... still growing... still cooking... still wobbling... ready to hatch!  (oh and Buttercup, Edith and Margot are still CHEEPING!!)