first chicks hatched on the farm!

[lovinlife]

Early Wednesday morning, I heard peeping coming from the "animal room." I have pullets out there, but this peeping was different. I had moved my broody hen out there last weekend in case I got lucky enough for any of the eggs to hatch.

Sure enough, there was one lonely chick that had hatched and was out of the nesting box. It was sooooo tiny!!!

The daddy is my splash ameraucana and I'm not sure who the mama is. I put eggs under the hen from other EEs and my Australorp. I didn't see any shells in the nest when I moved the hen, so I don't know which egg the chick hatched from.

I put the chick in a brooder and it has been doing great. I've been waiting for more eggs to hatch but nothing was happening, so I went to the feed store today to pick up a chick to keep Rico (my girls named it) company. We came home with a dark EE that wasn't doing so well. So I went back and got another one.

I'm a sucker.

We were watching the chicks when I noticed the hen was clucking. I opened the crate to check on her and took this pic:

Then, I heard peeping coming from under her. The kids were terrified that she would squish the baby, so I decided to pick up one wing of the hen to see if the baby was okay. I put my camera in one hand to take a pic of whatever was under her.

How awesome is that? It's out of a brown egg, so it's a cross between my Ameraucana roo and the Australorp. I left it alone and will go back to check on it later.

I have a ton of chickens now, but these are the first ones to hatch here. I'm so glad i moved them into the shop to hatch. I'm almost certain one hatched before I moved the hen, but I never found it. There was an egg that was very evenly cracked open around one end, so I think the baby hatched out and then hopped out of the nest and something got it.

I'm excited!

 

[write2caroline]

I was checking my broody and found a peeping little sweetie a day before hatching was due, by the next day we had three little peepers. My broody did a great job of raising them and I definately think broodies are the way to go!
Caroline

 

[theoldchick]

How sweet!

 

[StormyMoon]

aww how sweet......congrats on the new peeps

 

[lovinlife]

Thanks! The baby has dried off a bit now and looks to be the same color as the first one. I'd like to leave it with the hen, but she still has 10 eggs under her and she ignored the other chick that got out of the nest. I don't think I can leave the babies with her. They won't have enough heat.

When the hen first started going broody, there were five eggs under her. A few days later, I added another Australorp egg. Another hen laid an egg in the nest and there were 7 eggs under her for nearly three weeks. Then, suddenly there were five more eggs under her - they just appeared, I know other hens were getting into the nest with her because I caught one in there. I know I should have marked the original eggs, but I didn't.

I would have thought the first five would have hatched out together. That must mean that they weren't all good eggs. If the egg I added is the one that hatched today, then there shouldn't be anymore chicks for another two+ weeks. I sure hope none of the duds break open. Yuck.