There have been two chicks out for most of the day. The others are slowly making their way out, peck by peck. I had a lovely lunch out with my friends, Karen and Sandy, and I am proud to report that I was able to talk about something else besides the chicks. Or kittens. So yeah. Yay me. ;)
One of the eggs is actually rocking back and forth. The egg that we initially saw with a hole in it is still not hatched. The hole has only been enlarged a bit. I guess the chicks vary in strength and stamina. Some of them will most likely have died, and some will not make it through the hatching, which is sad but reality. Some may not even make it through the week in our kitchen, although we do plan to do our best. The two that have hatched are fluffy and gold, and will grow up to be red/brown. They have bright yellow beaks and feet. Like many young animals, their feet are freakishly large.
The pen is prepared, with a plastic dome over the bedding. A heat lamp is installed in the dome, and Marc has been adjusting the height of the dome until the temperature is right. It needs to be 100F for the first week, and I think 5 degrees less per week. The feeder and water dispenser are ready as well. There is almost a constant cheeping coming from the incubator, not just from the hatched chicks but from within the other eggs. Several little yellow beaks are poked through hard-earned holes, announcing their tiny but significant presence to the world.
I'm heading up for a nap. All of this birthing stuff is exhausting!
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Post nap, two more chicks arrived. One of them is black. Cool.
ReplyDeleteMini, the dog, has become very interested in the chicks. The temp under the heat lamp dome was a bit high, so the first two chicks were tucked just on the outside of the dome. We opened a vent in the top to cool it off a bit and tucked them back under. I opened the incubator and let Mini look inside, and she was very excited. She's watching Marc now, adjusting the dome. It's cute. She's always taken her role as protector of the smaller creatures around here pretty seriously, (when they are not irritating her to the point of madness, that is)and so we want her to be able to see the chicks and get to know them. She was very gentle looking into the incubator, but went a bit overboard with the licking when I showed her a chick. They are still so small. I've seen her carry eggs in her mouth so gently that she can bring them to us unharmed. The only time she has ever broken one is when I told her to put it down and she did, dropping it on the ground.
The kittens are too busy biting each others' faces to pay much attention to the chicks.
We're at six chicks now. They're popping out all over the place. There are eggs that look almost ready to pop open, but then one hatches out of the blue. It might be a long night. I thought more of them would be hatched by now, but I guess they have their own timing.
ReplyDeleteThe first few are now wonderfully fluffy and unspeakably adorable. Bright black eyes, soft, yellow down and tumbling little bodies. And loud voices. Considering we can hear them cheeping while they are inside their eggs, it's no wonder they are so vocal now that they are out. I wonder what they are saying. Momma?
Here I am, guys!!!!!!