Originally Posted by
Nsampsel 
I sold all of my Orp babies yesterday, along with my Silkies & turken. Only babies I have left out of the 22 hatched from this batch are1 Mottled , 2 Blue Ameraucanas, 2 Easter Eggers, 1 tiny black banty from my Sarah, 1 Saxony Duck & 1 Black East Indie Duck. The little BEI hatched out today. After it pipped I slipped it under Sarah & she finished hatching it. Then I slipped HER baby under her, the Houdan & the 2 EE's. She didn't like the 2 Ameraucanas & the Saxony...too big I guess. So now she has a brood of 5 counting the duckling. Definitely a strange looking crew
Some of the babies were hatched a week & almost 2 weeks ago & she still took them.
I hope my broody can do even half so well! She's due this Fri/Sat along with my incubator crew. It's odd - her eggs appear to be developing, but she never seems to do anything with them. I've had other girls tuck eggs up under their wings, back by their feet, etc., but she always has the 4 eggs in a little clump under her breast. Hmm. Well, we'll see soon enough. I just hope she doesn't kill them if they hatch. It's her first time. We'll see.
It seems like one of the girls must have been sitting on one of the eggs in my incubator before I collected it, because it pipped on day 18 and hatched day 19. Well, it zipped day 19 and then sat around too long and got hopelessly glued in. I waffled about pulling him out because I don't want chicks with leg problems (had one hatch with a slipped tendon in the last batch), but I went ahead and did it. He was glued all the way around and squirmed and pushed to free himself as I was freeing him up. Tough little guy, and his legs are just fine. But, I tell ya, as I was trying to decide, I was watching the fluff that was showing through his zip blow around, completely dry, in the breeze from the fan. All I could think about was Yinepu's observation that the direct air gets them stuck if they take too long. I think I'll get a Reptipro or build an incubator next year. Getting stuck in the shell is way too stressful for these little guys.
In other news, I had two more pips last night and woke to a third this morning, so it looks like things will be getting underway here shortly. The early-bird chick has been pretty calm - probably exhausted - but I bet he'll perk up with a buddy.
I haven't taken a picture of him yet, but here is the incubator in lockdown. Won't be long now! I better go get the brooder ready...
