TeaChick's Chicks

[TeaChick]

Wanted to share this with those who might appreciate it!

 

[chickenboy190]

Very interesting. =)

 

[TeaChick]

Very interesting. =)

=)

 

[TeaChick]

A friend of mine offered to set some eggs for me, so I gave her my all-important white Leghorn eggs. (I prefer them for now b/c they're egg machines and I don't know how much longer my three hatchery hens will be laying eggs for me, so I wanted to be able to replace them sooner rather than later.) But I digress....
She's been emailing me and keeping me posted on their progress. One of them hatched last night!!!

And two more hatching this afternoon!!!

We didn't get to watch any of them hatch, but DS got to watch one pip and knock pieces of shell off and poke a hole in the membrane and make it bigger!!! This is what he looked like:

(except that he has crow's feet; yes, he's a kid, he's had them since he was 4 lol He has just smiled that much.)

 

[TeaChick]

We ended up with a dozen chicks. Feather sexing on them right after hatch was really inconclusive; they looked like one or two cockerels and the rest pullets. I hope that's what we have!!! But I'm not holding my breath.
I'll feather sex them when I put them in the other brooder tonight. Right now, they're in a small brooder in the house; DH said he didn't realize that them being inside the house meant that they'd be in the living room. I'm trying to get a space cleared for them in the utility room, but I can't do it myself and you know what they say about wanting something done right.....
Anyway...

My dozen Leghorn eggs didn't make it. The thermometer was reading about 12* cooler than the actual temperature, so I was incubating at a consistent 114*F.

I candled the Comet batch I had set; one Leghorn egg and seven Comet eggs made it from those 18 eggs. I've got them in an incubator with a clear top (and a reliable thermometer), but nothing is happening. This morning ended day 21, so......waiting.......waiting.....concerned......waiting.......
At what point do you give up and candle?

 

[TeaChick]

UPDATE!!!

I candled last night and one of the chicks was moving and looked like it was trying to get into the air sac.
I've been so anxious about them b/c I couldn't see movement in any of the rest of them, so I candled again this afternoon. The same one is in the air sac and
it chirped at me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, it looks like I'll get one. I hope I get more.
After losing that dozen Leghorn eggs and most (if not almost all) of the batch I have left, I've been feeling pretty discouraged about hatching.
I'm not giving up, but it's a hard thing.

 

[TeaChick]

I have my first ever external pip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And my youngest (with whom I share all my chickens) got to hear the chick peep inside the shell!!! He's not as excited as I am, but I think that has something to do with a little monkey named "George".

What are ya gonna do?

 

[TeaChick]

I took pics of the chicks and of my external pip, but my phone is in the kitchen and I am not.
I will post them ASAP. =D

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

I have my first ever external pip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And my youngest (with whom I share all my chickens) got to hear the chick peep inside the shell!!! He's not as excited as I am, but I think that has something to do with a little monkey named "George".

What are ya gonna do?

Hooray!

 

[TeaChick]

Thank you!