14 October 2015

Chicks hatching

Hubby and I awoke to the cheep-cheep-cheep of newly hatched chicks this morning, and now that it's light we have even more.  When we first got up, there were three and a half hatched, and now we are up to ten with more working on kicking out of their shells.  I set 24 eggs, with only one being marked as a Meatie and the rest from Tiny and the Flashy Girls.  The Meatie hatched last night, along with one early-bird Wyandotte.

The eggs are hatching over a day early still, so I still have not compensated enough for the incubator's thermometer and thermostat being off.  The first hatch I left it at the factory preset of 100.0*F, but for this one I changed it to 99.0*F ... the independent thermometer/hygrometer said the temp was running around 100-ish.  I'll be waiting until the first of the month to set another batch, so note to self: adjust the thermostat lower yet.

Hubby has been getting little video clips of the chicks while we wait for them to finish hatching.  One chick fell between the egg flat and the side of the incubator, and is stuck on its back ... but Luanne had cautioned me against opening the incubator before the hatch was done, so that little sticker is stuck kicking and cheeping until the rest hatch.  It is not easy leaving the incubator closed when watching it.  Pics after we open the incubator.

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