Coops Dad
Free Ranging
I started with 22 eggs which were laid within the prior three days, chosen for size and parentage. We have two Ameraucana roosters over 6 RIRs, 2 New Hampshires, one White Leghorn, 12 Ameraucanas and 5 Ameraucana/Marans mixes.
Candled at 7 days, 6 were clear. At 14 days, two had quit. Out of the 14 remaining, ten hatched on day 20 and 21. The four unhatched stayed in the incubator for another two days and, when it was clear that there was no pipping and no movement, I opened them carefully to find mostly developed chicks.
I'm not sure why this hatch went so poorly; the two roosters are definitely taking care of business. They each have their harem and seem to keep "busy". My wife suggested that maybe the extreme heat affected the viability since we've had a month straight of 100*+ heat with several days inching the mercury to 105*-107*.
Here is a pic of the little nuggets that hatched. I love the strawberry blonde- second chick from the left. One of the chipmunks is tiny, just a little peanut. Furthest to the right. My wife's fave is the gray one in the center.
Candled at 7 days, 6 were clear. At 14 days, two had quit. Out of the 14 remaining, ten hatched on day 20 and 21. The four unhatched stayed in the incubator for another two days and, when it was clear that there was no pipping and no movement, I opened them carefully to find mostly developed chicks.
I'm not sure why this hatch went so poorly; the two roosters are definitely taking care of business. They each have their harem and seem to keep "busy". My wife suggested that maybe the extreme heat affected the viability since we've had a month straight of 100*+ heat with several days inching the mercury to 105*-107*.
Here is a pic of the little nuggets that hatched. I love the strawberry blonde- second chick from the left. One of the chipmunks is tiny, just a little peanut. Furthest to the right. My wife's fave is the gray one in the center.
