Fast hatch and feistiest chick EVER!

[Meara]

I noticed late this afternoon that an egg had pipped in the incubator. I checked back not long after (I tend to "check back" rather obsessively) and was surprised to see it zipping already. I went to check back again just a little bit later and not only had he finished zipping, the little guy had leaped out of his egg and was running all over the incubator climbing on everything and cheeping his lungs out. He was still soaking wet, but I mean he was RUNNING and HOPPING. I've never seen anything like it. The egg he popped out of was completely empty and clean inside except for discoloration on the inside shell. I guess he'd been biding his time in there absorbing every last drop and napping until he was ready to spring like a jack-in-the-box!

He was so rambunctious that I opened the incubator and put a towel in there and tucked him into it like a nest and closed the lid. He went along with that for about three minutes and then BOING he was out of the "nest" and running all over and climbing on things again and the entire time he was looking around curiously and peeping his head off. And he never stopped! My intention was to leave him in the incubator for the first 24 hours, but after more than an hour of this I finally gave up and removed him. Now he's with the other chicks and he's finally settled down for the night. Well that was a welcome break from my usual hatching tribulations. I'd like to think I finally did something right but I have a feeling he's just some sort of super chick!
Anyone else ever had a hatching go like this?
I can't wait to see what the little bugger does tomorrow; I bet he's going to be a trouble maker

 

[jcfuente51]

haha i love those troble makers when they are litle...


in what day did he hatch?

 

[debilorrah]

That's a rooster, mark my words.

 

[Meara]

It gets even weirder because I couldn't remember exactly what day these eggs were on.

I had taken them away from my broody hen in exchange for some newly hatched chicks. Then I put "her" eggs in the incubator, but I wasn't exactly sure how many days she had been sitting on them. I had a "ball park" idea give or take 2 or 3 days. The incubator was at a VERY low humidity, around 25%, until I saw that egg had pipped today and I jacked up the humidity to around 60%. How's that for a new incubation strategy?! So much for raising the humidity during lockdown! That egg was the first to pip and hatch out of six. It'll be interesting to see if the other eggs hatch as quickly and cleanly.

In my flock the roos have traditionally been the cuddly sweethearts, especially as chicks, and the hens have been tame but sort of quiet and stand offish (don't really like being cuddled) as chicks and adults. This chick doesn't follow any of those patterns. I think he's special

 

[CrazyChickensEverwhere]

Quote:

Agreed. Lol. I had a chick who hatched and was very active 20 mins later, and hes 5 weeks and its a roo.

 

[Meara]

No no no! I have a magic incubator that only hatches pullets

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
It's a roo.

 

[jcfuente51]

roo .

for the energy he has

 

[CrazyChickensEverwhere]

Quote:
I think you need a new magic bator because you just hatched a boy