We finally have some new baby chickens. Our first 2 attempts using a broody hen failed. Our first attempt with an incubator failed - thanks to TXU for a 6 hour power outage.
Three weeks ago today, we put 17 eggs in the incubator. We candled them at 10 days and removed 5 that we could see weren't developing. This morning at around 8:00, 2 were showing the "pip" - the place where the beak first breaks through the shell. By 11:00, we had our first chick - a black one. We watched it break through and emerge from the egg. Amazing! It's exhausting work being born.
Seven hours later, we have 2 black and 3 yellow peeps. They're all still wet and will stay in the incubator until sometime tomorrow. I'm hoping we have at least 3 more before then. There are pip holes in at least 2 other eggs that I can see.
We're hoping these chicks (assuming some of them ARE hens) will start laying eggs this winter when production from the rest of the flock goes way down.
S.T.A.B.L.E.R.
4 years ago
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