Latest update on BeauxPeep:
Beaux will be 4 weeks old tomorrow. He/she is relatively small and has lost almost all down and is mostly feathers. I still don't know the sex. He/she has not tried to crow so maybe he/'she is a she.
BeauxPeep lives in our master bathroom in a large plastic storage bin with wood shavings, water and food. Beaux is pretty tame. Sits on husband's shoulder while he is watching TV. I haven't taken Beaux outside yet as I still have no coop and have delayed getting my father-in-law to build one until my new eggs hatched.
After the dismal failure of my last hatch, I purchased the latest tabletop Farm Innovator Incubator with all the bells and whistles. Visited the poultry barn at our local State Fair and asked lots of questions. One of the exhibitors graciously gave me 14 eggs. I set the eggs, carefully following all instructions and waited. To my delight the babies started hatching Saturday, April 14 and last chick emerged early Monday morning, April 16.
Five eggs did not hatch. Three never developed at all - just yolk and white. One was fully developed but didn't pip. And the other was too gross to tell what happened.
I didn't candle the eggs on day 18 because they were all very very dark brown. All chicks are marans - 8 look like they are black marans and the 9th is a blue/gray colored maran. They are all sooo cute and already pretty spoiled. All like to be held - will hop into our hands and fall asleep. They are in our master bedroom in a very large plastic storage bin with shavings, water, food, and heat lamp.
The problem is that we have no space in our yard for 10 chicks/chickens, but I don't want to give them away as no one will take care of them like I will!
At the most, I can keep 4 - and that's pushing it - but am going to get with my father-in-law this weekend to come up with outside housing for my babies!
I am so very thankful for all help during my first hatching experience and am open for suggestions as to how to choose which babies to keep and which to give away!
