Janoel

[MisfitMarie]

The Wyandottes are just beautiful, if not for the blue/green eggs and the heat tolerance of the Araucanas I would stick with Wyandottes...but it gets so hot here in summer I need to 'hedge my bets' so to speak by having some heatproof chickens around, last summer we had 10 days in a row of over 55C.

I'm not sure how long it takes to clean the incubator - I was driving down to town to pick up the eggs so left dear hubby that job! Took him a couple of hours I think.
Thus far our eldest chicks are only 4 weeks so I haven't had to worry about where to sell them yet - but our local fodder store wants to take any surplus hens we can produce and I think most of the roosters will end up in our freezer. A couple of older cockerels we were gifted are 7 weeks old now and outside full time - the joys of Australia in summer! The four week olds haven't had any heat for the last week either, they are snuggled up safe and sound in the shed though.

There is heaps of cheeping and chattering from the kids! They love the babies, and seem to spend every waking minute cuddling chicks while they are small.

I hope you get some peepers very soon - my fingers are crossed for you! Looking forward to pictures...!!

I didn't know that Araucanas were more heat tolerant. That's great to know! I've heard that the heat is more dangerous for chickens than the cold. I live in Portland, Oregon and the seasons are somewhat mild... sometimes we can have some extreme days, but it's rare.

Honestly, I'm getting a little anxious about the eggs. There's been some sight wobbling, but I haven't heard any peeping or seen any pipping yet. I'm hoping there's some auction through the night. It would be awesome wake up in the morning to some progress. This is my first time incubating, so I'm really nervous and hoping it's not a bust.

I wonder if I could convince my boyfriend to clean the incubator for me.

 

[MisfitMarie]

FIRST EXTERNAL PIP! Still waiting on the five other viable eggs, but WE HAVE OUR FIRST EXTERNAL PIP. It's midnight, and I'll be up all night... pouring myself some coffee as we speak. I AM SO STINKIN' EXCITED!

 

[backyardjack]

Yay come on chicks you can do it aha any news?

 

[dorpersheep]

FIRST EXTERNAL PIP! Still waiting on the five other viable eggs, but WE HAVE OUR FIRST EXTERNAL PIP. It's midnight, and I'll be up all night... pouring myself some coffee as we speak. I AM SO STINKIN' EXCITED!

Yay woohoo! Fingers crossed for lots of fuzzies by morning!

 

[dorpersheep]

Miss 8 has been playing with the newborn chicks for the last 24 hours - now she has gone to bed and we can't hear the TV for the favourite chick screaming for her mate!!!

 

[MisfitMarie]

Miss 8 has been playing with the newborn chicks for the last 24 hours - now she has gone to bed and we can't hear the TV for the favourite chick screaming for her mate!!!

Hey, guys! Well, I have some mixed news... One chick is OUT! Hoooraaay! I have one little fuzzy chirping up a storm in the brooder. I am slightly concerned, because I have not been able to detect any pipping (internal or external) with any of the other eggs. I tapped on them as I held them up to my ear, and there were two that seemed to "tap" back in response. So, I am leaving them alone for now. I am hoping that they are just running a little behind schedule. The first check came out so fast, yolk fully absorbed, clean shell, READY to come out... I guess it just has me a little worried about the others. But this is my first time, so I might just be worrying about nothing. Most of all, I just want to make sure my little fuzz-butt isn't left all alone. =) I will have to send some pics as soon as I get a chance!

 

[MisfitMarie]

One chick is out and dry, sleeping in the brooder. A second chick is hatching as we speak! I also swear I hear another egg close by peeping.... Check out how LIGHT this little one is for a Black Copper Maran chick! Even the one hatching in the incubator is super dark.... I thought that was kind of cool:

 

[dorpersheep]

yay X2!! or Hopefully 3!! or more......

super excited for you Marie, awesome news. That littlie in the photo is extremely cute regardless what colour it is supposed to be! While I wish the silky bantams we have hatched so far would grow up a bit bigger than they are going to, I am loving all the different colours and patterns they pop out with. Definitely as much fun as breeding paint horses, you never know what colour or pattern you are going to get with those either.

 

[backyardjack]

How are they did he/she get out yet? I've got everything cross for you and the chicks

 

[MisfitMarie]

Three little chickie-babies are here! I opened the rest of the eggs. Three were just full of yolk and lacked any sign of development. Two were early deaths that I had left in the incubator, because the Marans eggs were too dark for me to be sure. That leaves my hatch rate on these shipped eggs 3/8 OR 3/5 if you don't count the eggs that never started.

They are super cute! The little wheaten-looking one tends to walk all over the other chicks, though!