the "not-so-bad" Blue Wheaten Ameraucana Hatch of 2010

[Mahonri]

OK, it's almost 1AM.

Problem with days off is, "the honey-do list".

I've got to get chick mash, flowers for the back yard, mow and trim the back yard, make certain the pool is in tip top shape, (DW's niece from Utah is in Tucson and coming up to visit on Sunday afternoon, she'll want to go out and see the chicken operation), new printer cartridges... this list goes on and on and on.

So one last look at the bator and I'm going to "try" and get some shut eye.

 

[peachick]

Wow. hes pretty entertaining isn't he LOL
what a nervous Papa. makes me think you need a cigar when this is all over

OK, so I dont have the incubators you have. But seriously I am so relaxed about hatching eggs anymore.
I open that sucker up all the time... remove the newly hatched chicks... sometimes still wet. I use a little spray bottle. 2-3 squirts to replace the humidity and close it back up. Put new chicks in the brooder, under a heat lamp, and every 2-3 hours go back to the incubator and pull out more chicks. Easy!

If you think about a mama hen on eggs, shes never in ideal living conditions, she gets on and off the nest, some times days are cold. sometimes eggs are in the sun, sometimes its a rainy day and shes wet. sometimes she has to fight another hen for her nest and an egg breaks.... so many possibilities. Once her eggs start to hatch she is still getting on and off the nest until they are done. I have a free range phoenix that showed up last weekend with 6 tiny chicks. Watching her with them is REALLY educational.... those babies are so much more hearty than we give them credit for.

My wheatens usually come out of the shell kicking and screaming. they fluff out quick and are just beautiful little creatures

) So Im not surprised you say these guys have big lungs

)... they want out of that 'bator!!

as for the coloring, (in my mind) the whetens are more yellow'ish and the blue wheatens are more white'ish. I have a little one now that looks like a white chick but his wings are coming in blue.... maybe hes going to be a blue splash... dunno. Mahonri, if you dont get a splash rooster.... I'll send ya this one

 

[Mahonri]

Kat,

Thanks for the encouragement. Don't know what woke me, but I'm awake.

It's been 24 hours, I'm pulling out chicks and putting in more warm water. The Brooder is ready!

There are:

9 chicks out (I haven't counted who is who from the next four)

1 zipping

12 pipped
9 in the hovabator
3 in the Brinsea (no chicks hatched from here yet?!?!?!?!?)

So maybe I'll get 22? if I'm lucky?

 

[peachick]

today is the due date right?? they are gonna be jumping out of their shells all day today... and some even might hatch tomorrow.
The incubator that has no chicks yet... go candle the eggs and see if there is movement.... or at least listen to each egg, you can hear them moving and chirping inside the egg if they are ok.

its good that you have a to-do list today

..... step away from the incubators!

 

[Mahonri]

Well, one in the brinsea looks like it has some more movement now.

Last time every single egg in the brinsea at lockdown Hatched! I'm wondering if the humidity is off or something this time.

I have it steady at 66%-68%... temp is steady 99.6...and verified with a probe from another thermometer

I'm about to pull the pipped ones and put them in the 1588.... never mind.... stepping away from the bators... slowly

 

[Mahonri]

11 out. 2 more just popped their tops with one zipping.

8 pipped
5 in the 1588
3 in the brinsea...none hatched here yet.

 

[LarryPQ]

 

[kathyinmo]

My server went down! Look what I have missed! Thank heavens Kat showed up! I still say 60.

 

[Illia]

Kat, so I'm guessing, based on down color, I got 1 Wheaten or so from you and the other 3 are Blue Wheatens. . . I can certainly do with that.

 

[joel david]

Quote:
I might have a drink for him

Quote:
I'm totally new to this but that is what I keep thinking when I see all the posts with people freaking out about hatching and brooding chicks, nature is so not a controlled environment.