Monday, October 5, 2020

Still Hatching!

Hatching continued through the night and into today. There are 13 Brahma/Easter Eggers and 1 Brahma, with another Brahma pipping right now. It's 1:30 pm.

 

Late last night, this poor little guy had his cord wrapped around him. He was a mess.

 

This little bugger woke me up around 2 am. Guess he didn't like being by himself in the incubator.




My camera or Google Photos ate the individual pic of the Brahma that hatched, but you can see him to the right in the group pic. Still a bit wet, there.

I spent the morning putting up the 2 pens I bought last month. Finally. I really need to get all the young roosters separated this week.

 



Some of the big chicks giving themselves a dust bath.

8pm - Still have that same Brahma trying to hatch. I've helped it all I can without hurting it (took a section of outer shell off, so it could breathe.) It's weak, so it may not make it through the night if it doesn't get the rest of the shell (and placenta) off itself. There are still too many active veins for me to mess with the placental lining; don't want it to bleed out. Humidity is still good, so it hasn't 'shrink-wrapped', luckily. We'll see, come morning, if it makes it. No other eggs have pipped. :(


Sunday, October 4, 2020

Last Hatch of the Year!

Clutch #4 has started hatching! There are 3, so far, at noon. Seven more are pipped, so far. 

 


They are all Brahma/Easter Egger cross. None of the purebred Brahmas have pipped, yet. :(

The oldest chicks, from the first hatch in July, were let out to free-range with the adults today! Two of the Barred Rock/Easter Eggers are definitely roosters, along with a couple of the Brahma/Easter Eggers. I will be seperating the boys soon, into a pen of their own. Gotta fatten them up or sell them.

The second hatch chicks, from August, are staying in the old puppy playpen.

The third hatch chicks, from September, have moved out of the basement!

 

~~~~~

Updates:

#4 at about 2pm.


#5 & 6 chicks hatched at the same time, at 3:45pm.

7 & 8 were hatched at dinner time, in quick succession. It's 5:30, now.

 

#9 at 6pm. 3 more are pipped. Hope they hatch before I go to bed. Not one purebred Brahma is pipped, though. Sad about that ...

 More pictures tomorrow! Waiting for 3 more to hatch.