First time hatching chicks

[Lifestudent]

When we came home from vacation there were 27 eggs in the nests and my wife decided that rather than throw them away or cook them and feed to our dog, we should buy an incubator. $45 later I was going through the ritual of turning the eggs at least twice a day. Once when I was working my wife had to turn them and she decided we needed to buy an automatic egg turner (slowly rocks the eggs back and forth, 4 hours for each time).

Out of the 27 eggs we have 14 baby chicks. No, I didn't candle them. I just put them all in the incubator. They started hatching two mornings ago, and yesterday morning we had two more hatch. I left the other eggs in the incubator to see if any more hatch. It was very exciting watching the chicks push their way out of their shells.

Our roosters are Rhode Island Reds, and we have a mix of different breeds of hens.

 

[bobbi-j]

Good for you! It's fun, isn't it?

 

[Lifestudent]

Good for you! It's fun, isn't it?

Yes it is. We've raised all of our chickens from baby chicks, but this is the first time we hatched our own.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I know if you go away for a few days, and come back you don't know when the chicks will hatch, plus they will be staggered because they were laid diff days.

I recently borrowed a rooster, I have one incubator the eggs will start to hatch in about 10 days, but I put eggs in here and there, so I will have a staggered hatch. I am not worried though, I dry hatch, and I have been there done that. candled, I tried to keep eggs of the same age together. Dad is blue splash maran, moms very I do have a blue splash hen too.

 

[Lifestudent]

Here are some pictures I took of the chicks hatching and of some of the chicks afterward.

 

[chickieluver26]

This is a really late response but cute chickies and I love how in the first video the dry one runs over and seems like it says " hey guys wanna play?!?! No, well you guys are no fun!"