Bad storms and incubating eggs

[MLG1900]

Well, I am in Southern NJ and we have a very bad wind and rain storms today. Tornado watch in effect until 6pm tonight.
Today is day 21 for my chicken egg incubation. On day 18 of lock down, I had basically 18 eggs. ( I dropped the penlight on the 19th egg and cracked it lightly but put it in lock down anyway) I heard some peeping on day 19 but no external pips, by morning on day 20 three chicks hatched. That night 4 chicks for a total of 7. By this morning 3 more hatched for a total of 10. I took them all out washed a few that were sticky and placed them under the brooder plate. I have 8 eggs left in the incubator. 2 are zipped and 2 are pipped. But this crazy weather keeps blinking my power on and off!!! Oh my gosh, I pray the power stays on for these little babies. And I hope everyone incubating through this storm also can keep their power. I am thinking of everyone today and praying for all our little chicks!

 

[nchls school]

Tennessee here. Storms all day yesterday, windy and cold today. I took the eggs out of the incubator and put them under brooding chickens and turkeys. It'll be a confusing mess come time for the eggs to hatch, but better that than to worry about the electricity going off and not coming on again.

 

[MLG1900]

Tennessee here. Storms all day yesterday, windy and cold today. I took the eggs out of the incubator and put them under brooding chickens and turkeys. It'll be a confusing mess come time for the eggs to hatch, but better that than to worry about the electricity going off and not coming on again.

Oh wow! You are so lucky you had some broody hens! I wish wish wish I get a broody hen this summer! In my 4 years with chickens, I have only had one broody and she was a BO.

 

[nchls school]

Many breeds are good at brooding. Every hen I have broods so I always have two or three setting. The breeds I have now are phoenix, Yokohama, and serama. In the past I have had silkies, favorelles, and marans brood too. The larger breeds tend to break eggs because of the size and clumsiness. I'd place silkies as the best all around breed to have as broody hens; big enough to cover a good amount of eggs and small enough to be able to hatch the smaller, more fragile eggs.

 

[MLG1900]

Well, I had a surprise in my incubator. I am not sure how this coloring happened. It is from a BO mother (hatchery chick) who lays a brown egg and my barnyard mix rooster Mostly black with a little yellowish / brownish coloring on wings and neck. (incubated from a greenish / blue egg). Here it is. Out of 6 eggs that hatched today. Two of them seem to have more of a "comb" than the others. Makes me wonder if some hens have combs on hatch day, too? Any thoughts on where these "reddish" colors on the face come from? I am guessing roosters genes?

 

[SnowyChickenMomma]

Cooooool since we have look a likes we should stay in touch and send updates pics of our babies as they grow