Never Give UP!

[jimnjay]

We have all heard about chicks taking 23 and 24 days to hatch and today I had one do just that. I could not believe my eyes. I was pretty sure this much abused Silkie egg would not hatch. It had been shuffled between two broodies and had gotten cold twice. I candled yesterday and saw a little peep moving in there and I put it back in the incubator with eggs that are due tomorrow.

That little guy just unzipped that shell in the most perfect circle I have ever seen. It is inside chirping up a storm. Picutres to follow. I hope the guys that hatched on time will accept it. I may keep it seperate for a day and add it to the ones that are due tomorrow that way it will be well recovered and ready to fend for itself. After all its been through, I have no doubt that it will make it ok.

 

[chickbea]

Yay!

I also had a chick hatch out two days after its siblings, and the little gal never looked back. Now she's the biggest of the bunch!

 

[mudhen]

Yeah, great story, jimnjay! Definately post pics!

and BTW, chickbea, your avatar pic is too scrumptious!

 

[jmofaustin]

What a week, I too had a chick hatch at 24 days and to top it off, the other egg was chirping for 2 more days (26) and finally I decided to open it up, this was yesterday, and out popped a baby with wing feathers already growing in. The reason she hadn't hatched was because she was breech. I believe the only reason she didn't die is because I put a pin hole in the shell at 24 days because she hadn't pipped herself yet. These eggs were under a broody silkie who left them to get cold all day twice while she sat on another nest. I took the eggs out of the nest and put them in the incubator at 16 days.