Some of you might remember, I won a half dozen EE eggs in a photo contest on BYC. Harley's Girl shipped them to me (+ 1) and I have been incubating them with some of my own flock's eggs for the past few weeks. My forays into candling have been difficult but interesting, and it seems I must have had a few viable ones because they are now popping out of their shells!
Last night, on Day 18, I removed the egg turner from the incubator, setting the eggs on a wire rack to let them hatch. I checked each egg for pips and there was nothing. I closed up the incubator for the night.
This morning, a baby chick greeted me from inside the incubator! It had pipped and zipped while I slept! A beautiful, fluffy, golden-yellow chick, just hours old, was peeping and hopping about, as perfect as miracles get. I promptly named the chick Harley, after Harley Girl's favorite rooster that passed away, and set up a brooder next to the incubator. I checked through the eggs again, and saw that one of my flock's eggs was rocking every so often, and that another of the EE eggs was zipping along one side. I could hear the chick pecking at the shell from inside! It is crazy!
So as I write here, another may hatch, and my eyes are wide open with amazement. I have known this would be exciting, but I am literally thrilled! The idea that in three weeks you can have new chicks to raise is still so new to me. I am used to purchasing them from the feed and seed or ordering them from hatcheries. This chick hatched itself! I can hardly take credit for any of it. Oh and God was there, too, I am sure of it. This little baby was too perfect for anything otherwise. So thank you, God, for watching over a miracle while I slept. Harley is the first of many more to come.
Here are the photos:
well who do we have here?
Harley!
Harley's eggshell!
And now Harley in the brooder with a Beanie Baby friend
Last night, on Day 18, I removed the egg turner from the incubator, setting the eggs on a wire rack to let them hatch. I checked each egg for pips and there was nothing. I closed up the incubator for the night.
This morning, a baby chick greeted me from inside the incubator! It had pipped and zipped while I slept! A beautiful, fluffy, golden-yellow chick, just hours old, was peeping and hopping about, as perfect as miracles get. I promptly named the chick Harley, after Harley Girl's favorite rooster that passed away, and set up a brooder next to the incubator. I checked through the eggs again, and saw that one of my flock's eggs was rocking every so often, and that another of the EE eggs was zipping along one side. I could hear the chick pecking at the shell from inside! It is crazy!
So as I write here, another may hatch, and my eyes are wide open with amazement. I have known this would be exciting, but I am literally thrilled! The idea that in three weeks you can have new chicks to raise is still so new to me. I am used to purchasing them from the feed and seed or ordering them from hatcheries. This chick hatched itself! I can hardly take credit for any of it. Oh and God was there, too, I am sure of it. This little baby was too perfect for anything otherwise. So thank you, God, for watching over a miracle while I slept. Harley is the first of many more to come.
Here are the photos:
well who do we have here?
Harley!
Harley's eggshell!
And now Harley in the brooder with a Beanie Baby friend
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