Brooding in very dry weather - day 18

[jessmorris]

Hello all,
just a quick question - its day 18 for me here in a very dry Lancashire. I'm going to spray the eggs today but have noticed that the turfs beneath the hens are as dry as a bone. Shall I just spray the eggs once, today, or should I do it again tomorrow, and onwards? Should I spray the turfs themselves? Its much cooler today but still dry. I suppose for folks in East Anglia etc its always this dry but its a bit of a novelty here and I'm unsure. (I had a silkie stuck in an egg a few weeks ago and don't want a repeat of that scenario!).

All comments welcome!

best wishes,
JM

[RichmondHens]

Give the eggs a good spritz today and again tomorrow. That should be sufficient. It's dry as a bone everywhere at the moment.

[jessmorris]

OK, will do. Thanks RH.

[jessmorris]

..interestingly, when I sprayed the eggs this morn, they were so greasy from the hen the water just rolled off anyway!

[Suechooks]

It would have increased the humidity in the area anyway. Are you getting excited? I love the anticipation of the couple of days before hatching then seeing that little head peeping out! Lovely! Got 2 rampant broodies and 1 seriously considering it! Help

[jessmorris]

Go for it SueC.
I AM excited, but have resisted urges to a) candle, b) pick up eggs and listen for cheeping. Decided this time to leave the broodies and eggs completely alone. It does mean they may be sitting on some duff eggs but I have found that looking and lsitening just makes the anticipation worse, not better!!

The broodies are all hunched right down now. I reckon they can feel stirrings within the eggs - due Sunday morning, but some may be early! I'm at a wedding all day Sat til Sun am so hoping to come home to hutches of chirpy cheep cheeps!

[jessmorris]

Just a quickie - when I emptied the nestboxes after the hatch, the turfs were still very damp at the base and the hutch was soaking so I guess the turf itself must have kept the humidity up. I still spritzed though - makes them sound as if they are at a spa!

[BUFFS]

i bet this dry spell has been very difficult for you ,but i envy you the sunshine,we have had rain every day except yesterday for the last 3 weeks,it seems its either a feast or a famine...good luck with the clutch of eggs..

[jessmorris]

It was very dry when they were brooding, but has been very wet since the hatch! Fine today though so hopefull they'll all be out and baout in the run.