The eggs I put in the incubator 21 days ago hatched today!
This little peeper was the first to emerge and then it helped the next two free themselves from their shells.
This is the first time I have ever seen a chick hatch, the miracle of life takes my breath away.
So far four of the seven eggs put in the incubator have hatched. I moved the chicks to a brooder I rigged and put the two eggs from the hillbilly incubator into the real incubator. Hopefully the increased humidity will help them hatch if they are still alive.
This video is a little long but it shows the peeper breaking free of its shell.
I know exactly what you mean. The first couple of times I watched a duckling free itself from its egg gave me such an amazing thrill.
ReplyDeleteThat is AWESOME! That little guy zipped such a nice straight line in that shell. :) Congrats!!!
ReplyDeleteKaela - It is hard to believe that in just 21 days life is popping out from an egg, it makes me want to load the incubator up again!
ReplyDeleteRae - I had to restrain myself from helping.
Awesome pictures!
ReplyDeleteLuckybunny - The humidity in the incubator made pictures difficult, better pics of the bouncing chicks to follow.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, hatching can totally be addictive. It's also totally stressful for me. Every damn time lockdown comes around, I have nightmares about dead ducklings. It's terrible.
ReplyDeleteOh my! i did not know they would help the next little chickies to get out of the egg! That is so great!
ReplyDeleteA big hugs from Indiana
Leontien
Chai Chai... I'm in big trouble. I have the Brinsea Mini Advance too, and am setting my first seven... I'm not keeping that much humidity in mine... should I be????? The booklet was VERY vague about it... I've always hatched under a hen. HElLLPPPP Your's looks much "wetter".
ReplyDeleteKaela - Right now I'm sad for the eggs that didn't hatch. I want to open them but the thought of it scares me as well.
ReplyDeleteLeontien - I have been praying for you during your treatments. I think the first chick was so excited to have company so she(?) decided to take things into her own beak!
Mary Ann - So long as you keep the water container full the Brinsea does the rest. You won't notice actual visible moisture until the chicks begin hatching, their breathing and the interior egg moisture really increase the humidity level. That is why they don't want you to remove hatched chicks until you think all the viable eggs are hatched.
That's sad about the unhatched eggs. Last year when we had unhatched eggs I was scared to open them. A few days later after all others hatched, we opened them, and 2 of them were full-size DEAD babies!!! Ohh, if I had opened them, maybe they'd have lived. But everything says not to, if they can't hatch themselves that they shouldn't hatch. Who knows. Regardless, the chicks are adorable!!!! Congrats!
ReplyDelete~Lynn
Lynn - Now I may have to open them, I'm dreading it.
ReplyDelete