Female bathing herself 22? days into incubation
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Female bathing herself 22? days into incubation
This is the first time my IRNs are laying eggs so I have lots of questions. My female has been incubating the eggs for about 21-23 days now (I don't know exactly how long because I was away when it started). I'm just wondering roughly of all the eggs IRNs lay the first time after mating, usually how many are fertile? Also, my female was bathing in the water this morning after not bathing herself the whole time she was incubating, does this mean that the eggs are about to hatch? What behaviors should I expect from the female when the eggs are about to hatch? Any help would be appreciated, thank you very much!
Your female will quit sitting the eggs a couple days before hatching, this is called a cool down period. She will also bath frequently and then go in the nest box and shake off, this is her way of getting humidity in the nest box so the chicks hatch out easier. It's not at all unusual for all the eggs to be fertile for the first mating but then again you may have some that are not.
Donna
Donna