I'm showing you the pic of the finished product first because, to be frank, hatching chicks are quite grotesque. They started hatching early, which is a sign I had my temperature too high, so I need to get a thermometer to double check my incubator's settings. Early hatching and too high a temperature can be associated with malformed chicks and sticky/bloody navels, but I seem to have escaped that, phew!
On Thursday, when I filled up the water reservoir, I heard a little 'peep' so I opened up the lid and could see that a couple of the eggs had little pip holes in them and some of them were chirping at me and rocking! I turned up the humidity to the max it would go (70%) to help keep their membranes soft and left them to it.
I go quilting on Thursday night and my husband rang me there and told me, "There's this noisy little bird flopping round in the incubator!" I didn't rush home straight away, but must confess I was a little tempted! I left it in there overnight to fluff up and by the morning it had been joined by three more.
I had to go to work but saw two more hatch before I left. I had transferred the fluffed up ones into the brooder box by then. They had a heat lamp, food and water and I crossed my fingers that they would be okay.
I needn't have worred! Chicken babies are incredibly self-sufficient (unlike the blasted turkey poults).
By the time I got home, there were only a few to go. My son got to watch one hatch, although he got a little inpatient.
So all in all, I have 13 little bundles of fluff running around in the brooder. I set 21 eggs, removed 4 infertile ones on candling at day 10 and had a couple of uncertains and 13 ended up hatching. Not too bad but if I work on getting my temperature more accurate, I hope I will get even better hatch rates. My rooster's fertility isn't top notch either but he is trying to get around 10 ladies ;)
How cute! Are these family pets, egg makers or destined for the pot? Or all three? I bet the kids love them when they're this little, I know mine would.
ReplyDeletelovely!! So so cute. I had a broody last year and let her have 6 fertile eggs - we got 5. 2 boys and 4 girls so all in all pretty good. I was so keen to do it again this year, but she didn't go broody again ( maybe last year was too much for her as her 'son' ( no relation really) fancies her terribly!
ReplyDeleteAw I want some!
ps where about ( roughly!) are you in Northland? We're inbetween kerikeri and Kaikohe, are you anywhere near there?
The purebreed hens I might keep, the crosses I might sell to people wanting backyard chooks and any roosters are looking at a short, but enjoyable, life ending up in the pot. And the kids do love them, almost a little too much if you know what I mean!
ReplyDeleteAnd we live in Oramahoe area, so probably not far away...
Hey sis, do you have a tute or link for the crown you made for Mr W's 5th B'day?
ReplyDeletewow chances are you're about 10 minutes away from us! How small worldy!
ReplyDeleteps - you'll never guess what - after I wrote that it seems Maude has ( hopefully) gone all broody. She's stolen all the eggs, even the plastic ones and was sitting on them all this morning looking like a large buddah and went all growly when I tried to take them away. So I spent the morning cleaning out the broody house just in case!
ReplyDeleteOh fingers crossed! Babies are so much fun. And it is a small world! Maybe I could get some Elderflower cuttings off you in late summer (I think that's when you're meant to take them)?
ReplyDeleteAnd Cat, I don't have a tute, I just made it up. I was planning to make some more for some little girls for Christmas. If I get around to it, I'll photograph as I go and endeavour to write a tute.