1st time hatching our own eggs!!!

[Teacher Mom]

OMGoodness!!! My hubby and kids made an attempt in Feb. None of the eggs hatched. He did some modification to the homemade incubator and my heartbroken dd was willing to try again. She kept a log of when she turned the eggs each day and was so good about it. I was really, really impressed with her. I don't really recall ever having to yell at her to be sure she had turned the eggs. The kids LOVE their chickens and the idea of being able to hatch chicks from the already beloved chickens was a huge factor in attemting to do this.

Anyway, we were gone all day. Never thought a thing about them because they were not due for another three days.....But we were home for maybe a half hour, eating our dinner, and my dd hears something and goes in the tv room. Our young kitten of just over a year has the lid tipped a little...My dd SCREAMS that we have chicks!!!! I couldn't believe it either!!

I thought my husband was attempting something that just couldn't happen with his cardboard, homemade contraption.....but they did it!!! We have the original two that were discovered. Third one was born and my dd captured it on film. And another came too. They are lots more in there that hopefully will be born too!!! Gosh darn if they are not the cutest things!!

I got home from my meeting tonight to find my two adorable kids laying in front of the incubator waiting and listening for any other chicks that may be born during the night....

I think that they will be good AP parents to their own offspring someday :tu

[Stonebeck Farm]

How egg-citing!

Have fun with all your new babies.

[Teacher Mom]

seriously!!! oh my gosh are they sooooooo cute!!!! We have five now. The kids are having a blast with them (and so are my husband and I). It's so cute how long it takes their fuzz to dry!! They look so sickly at first, but not the first ones that were born yesterday are nice and yellow/white and fluffy!!! So cute!

[BHope]

When our fish had fry we hung out in front of that aquarium for HOURs. :giggle I can only imagine what it would be like with little chicks. :heart

[Stonebeck Farm]

this was our first year to have in two hens brood and hatch their own--we never even saw that "ugly" stage. They just show up walking around all fuzzy and cute. :yes

[Teacher Mom]

we have a total of five (or did I say that already). Two more have broken their shells. It is just soooooo cute.

Seriously - WHO KNEW????

I'm so glad that my hubby decided to do this experiement with them!!!

[Amber]

:heart

[JustMandy]

I love chickens and hatching eggs. I have 6 little fuzz butts that I hatched last week next to me in a tote :giggle

What kind are they?

[Teacher Mom]

rhode island (rooster) mixed with two unknown breeds :shrug3 We think some of them are red sex link. This is our first time doing this! We are nervous and excited and have spent most of our day waiting/watching for additional hatchings....

One seemed to be stuck to the shell. My dd was starting to freak out and so I pealed some shell off. Now I am worried I should not have did that :doh

in the time it took me to get on here and write this....she is now walking around. :phew :clap

Still waiting on more.....:yes

[JustMandy]

I helped one and it died. Dh helped two and they lived (and probably would not have with out him). Most of the time you are good to leave them alone.

It's always fun! I've hatched 3 batches in the last 6 months an dhatching day is always great!

If they are hatching early, your temps were probably a little higher then normal. I did this on purpose :shifty to get chicks faster...it can be bad for development but I heard too many people that had success with 19-20 day hatches so I went for it.

[Teacher Mom]

two more have hatched!!!! Yay!!! Give me a "c", give me a "u", give me a "t", give me an "e" What's that spell??????? C U T E.....oh my goodness are they soooooo cute. I am amazed at how quickly they are moving.....We have five in their nesting/growing box and the other three are still in the incubator. We have one more that my husband tried getting the shell off (it was already cracked and the beak was coming thru for awhile), but it wasn't fully ready. It is still breathing and we are not giving up on it. We will let nature run its course. It's eyes are not open at all yet. But we'll see what happens.

This was a great thing. We have raised chickens I think three times now from little chicks we got at TSC. But this was the first time hubby tried this. I htought he was nuts, but now I am glad he did it.

The kids are just as excited as can be!!!!

And let me tell you the incredible lazy day me and the kids have had just laying on the floor watching the incubator. It cracks me up!!! It was like we were couch potatoes watching TV all day.....the chick channel :giggle

[klpmommy]

I want to see pics!!!!!

[Teacher Mom]

Ok. I am a little bit slow, but here are pictures! Sorry they are so big. I am l.a.z.y. about having to resize. I will delete in a few days... Oooops I posted them backwards. The first one is current. The last is when they were first being born.....

http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k492/TM-140/May%202011/P5140104.jpg

http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k492/TM-140/May%202011/P5140101.jpg

http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k492/TM-140/May%202011/P5110074.jpg

http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k492/TM-140/May%202011/P5020020.jpg

[Stonebeck Farm]

cute
:yes