IT HAPPENED!!!

[junior67]

I'd bet Optimus Prime wants to hatch on your daughters bday!

Nothing too exciting overnight- Optimus made a 3rd pip, Egg #5 made a 2nd pip and Egg #10 made their first pip! There is a lot of movement and cheeping going on from inside the incubator... I will be sure to update with anything exciting!

I'm feeling much better... I think the baby duck peeping sounds are healing me

You can name one Faith if it hatches tomorrow. My daughter's middle name is Faith. Lol. So glad I didn't miss anything. Of course tomorrow is even busier than today. Lol

 

[MochaLatte]

You can name one Faith if it hatches tomorrow

Deal!

Still nothing super exciting... they have made some extra pips on their eggs and cheeping about in there, but nothing else big yet!

Still waiting for Egg #2, 6 and 7 to make their first pip!

 

[MochaLatte]

Eggies #2, 6 and 7 have all pipped now... which means all 8 WH babies have pipped on the correct side!

Egg #11 has a pretty large spot missing shell now!

 

[MochaLatte]

Optimus Prime, egg #5 & 11 have been making some pretty serious breakage in the last hour! I think one of them wants to be Faith!

 

[junior67]

Optimus Prime, egg #5 & 11 have been making some pretty serious breakage in the last hour! I think one of them wants to be Faith!

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OH BOY! OH BOY! OH BOY!!!!!!!!! SO EXCITING!!!!!!!!!! But maybe neither of them want to be Faith so they are trying to get out before the 21st. LOL They are fighting for who gets to say they are the oldest. haahaa.

 

[junior67]

Oh I went out to pick up the chickens food today to bring in and of course Annabelle and Nugget had to come running out...... LOL Well then the auto door closed so I had to help them into the coop from the people door. LMAO! Then I helped Annabelle up on the roost since she always takes forever walking around looking before she jumps up and it was getting pretty dark in there. So I figured while I was in there and they were calm I would do a pelvic check on some...... well Marshmallows are very far apart (but I thought hers were far apart months ago too... but I swear I can fit 3 fingers if not more......), Rosies didn't seem apart really at all. Then I tried to check Ditzy for the heck of it even though I don't think she is close and she was just squishing down and trying to crawl under the one next to her so I just let her be. But I don't think she is close. Her comb is growing a bit and getting pink but still no where near as big as Annabelle's yet. But maybe just maybe Marshmallow will lay soon?????

 

[junior67]

Optimus Prime, egg #5 & 11 have been making some pretty serious breakage in the last hour! I think one of them wants to be Faith!

View attachment 2967156View attachment 2967157

oh look #5 has a 21 on it (tomorrow is the 21st which is my daughters b-day) and a 72 on it and I was born in 72...... Hold on #5 you can't hatch till after midnight as you would make the perfect Faith with those numbers.

 

[MochaLatte]

Oh I went out to pick up the chickens food today to bring in and of course Annabelle and Nugget had to come running out...... LOL Well then the auto door closed so I had to help them into the coop from the people door. LMAO! Then I helped Annabelle up on the roost since she always takes forever walking around looking before she jumps up and it was getting pretty dark in there. So I figured while I was in there and they were calm I would do a pelvic check on some...... well Marshmallows are very far apart (but I thought hers were far apart months ago too... but I swear I can fit 3 fingers if not more......), Rosies didn't seem apart really at all. Then I tried to check Ditzy for the heck of it even though I don't think she is close and she was just squishing down and trying to crawl under the one next to her so I just let her be. But I don't think she is close. Her comb is growing a bit and getting pink but still no where near as big as Annabelle's yet. But maybe just maybe Marshmallow will lay soon?????

Oh boy you had your hands full LOL!

It sure does sound like Marshmallow will be soon! The days are getting longer now, too which will help maybe...! How exciting!!!

 

[MochaLatte]

oh look #5 has a 21 on it (tomorrow is the 21st which is my daughters b-day) and a 72 on it and I was born in 72...... Hold on #5 you can't hatch till after midnight as you would make the perfect Faith with those numbers.

I will tell #5 to slow their roll hahahaha.

What a cute coincidence! I hope it's a girl!

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

Baby OP is doing great! (S)he made a third pip in line overnight! I was just looking at them and cheering them on and heard many peeps in response. Egg #10 joined the pip-party as well! The eggs that haven't pipped yet are rockin' away and working at it, it seems!

So excited!!!

Also - I have a question for you. Have you had good results sexing from the time of hatch by the bill color? I heard it's pretty accurate with boys having all over darker bills at hatch and girls having only a dark spot near the tip?

I have honestly, and slightly embarrassingly, not tried to sex by bill color. I read that it's about 75% reliable, presumably by pros, so figure in my noob factor and it would be about as reliable as a coin flip.

One thing I did have good results with on my last (Jan 3-4) hatch was with assistance. I didn't keep records (for a change LOL) but I think I helped 6-8 of 22. My perception was they were having trouble with the membrane, like the hard shell portion would separate and chip away just fine, but the membrane wasn't penetrated. Two I thought were goners for sure because I busted blood vessels but they all survived and I can't tell which I helped. Can you?