They're HaTcHiNg !! PIC HEAVY !!!

[jab91864]

Well there are 4 chicks now. 2 blacks, 1 partridge, 1 blue. The last to hatch was in the early hours this morning. There is one more egg to go but isn't pipped yet. I listened to it and don't hear any tapping but will let mom keep it for another 2 days.

She tucks right down and the chicks seem to absorb into her body feathers...lol. She hasn't tried to take them to food or water yet.

I moved them from the dog carrier to a brooder box with a light so they could move around easier then they could have in the other. Mom had chosen a milk crate for her perfect spot and without thinking it thru I just moved her and the whole shebang into the house... well once they hatch you realize those babies can't get out of that milk crate to eat and drink and back in.... boy what a dork.

She seems content in the brooder box (it's a large wooden box and the light is on the far end). I gave her a 3-sided box with pine shavings and she moved right in when I put the babies and the one egg in it.

I will have to try to get pics of the whole lot once they start to venture around some. They don't leave her and so far she has no interest in leaving them either.

Another week and the incubator eggs should start to hatch !!!!!!!! Oh the stress...lol

Julie

 

[jab91864]

The silkie hen and the chicks are doing great. She hatched 4 out of 5. I noticed yesterday when she took the chicks to the feeder she rolled the egg along too... it was sooo kewl. She's turning out to be an awesome mom and this is her first time !!!

I took the egg last night and opened it, the chick had died in the last week it hadn't for whatever reason soaked up enough of the yolk sak to have developed outside the shell.

Here are some quickie shots of the chicks. I believe the one lil black one is from my banty cochin.

Counting down the days for the bator chicks !!

Julie

 

[Heidi]

Congrats on the broody hatch. I love the pics. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the remaining eggs to hatch next week via incubator.

 

[BamaChicken]

Those are really cute. Now do I remember that your other eggs are due to hatch Wed?

 

[cherndon712]

Congrats! I wish I had a broody! My BO eggs were due to hatch yesterday...nothing yet!
Beautiful babies!!

 

[jab91864]

Well if the eggs in the bator are counting on the same calendar I am I think Thursday will be the day. I did slip a couple more of my eggs in 2-3 days after the others went in.

I have my fingers crossed

for a successful hatch with healthy chicks. I have already starting putting eggs (my own) up for the next batch. I have promised chicks to my brother so want to hatch some extras..........

I'm really pleased with my silkie she's done a great job, and it's a lot less stress with her in the brooder box handling it. I don't worry about them getting cold etc... She seems to have it covered !!!

Julie

 

[jab91864]

And in the bator we have lift off... pips and 4 hatches so far !! It's gonna be a lonnnnggggg night !!!

Julie

 

[jab91864]

So far we have eggs marked as followed hatched ::

Blue Maran ...3
Gold cuckoo maran ...1
cajun eggs.... 3
black maran ...1
mottled orp....2
buff orp....1
eggs from MY flock...3

I have a dead chick from one of my own. It had started to zip and I think one of the hatched chicks rolled it over when it was flopping. I say this because it's little beak was stuck to the grate at the bottom of the bator ...which with the humidity so high that is not what I expected. Anyway it never made it completely out of the shell but if it's beak was glued to the bottom it could have tired it's self beyond exhaustion or maybe even drown from fluid dripping out of it's shell (the same stuff that dried and glued it to the grate). I'm not sure. It's a shame though all the same.

I have a pipped egg that seems to be doing ok....but it is a very smallish narrow egg from Bama that was unmarked and now that it has gotten this far I worry it won't have room to turn around completely because of the odd shape of the egg.

And I have quite a few sitting there quietly doing nothing that have chicks in them....lol. I am hopeful when I come home from work (grrr I hate to leave) that I will have atleast another 6 babies. Nobody is late, the eggs were put in the bator on the 10th in the evening so things are moving along quickly so far in my opinion.

Julie

 

[jab91864]

Ok, here are pics of the hatch. I still have some eggs in the hatcher but it's just a formality really. I don't believe anymore will hatch....but ya never know there could be a slow poke.

I cleaned out my bator and started a fresh batch of 24 eggs today from my flock. My solid white EE has been laying beautiful BIG blue eggs and I put 6 or 7 of those in the bator this time around.

Julie

 

[coloradochick]

Congrats Julie

We were wondering what kind the silver/gray with the peach face is? Really pretty!