Three babes!

We have 3 chicks! One blue, one yellow (not sure if it's white or buff yet) and one that could be either black or blue (we're hoping for black so we have a big variety). Awwww! Off to upload pics...

A pip and a ZIP!

Today is hatching day! We had a pip yesterday around 2pm (the star crack that begins the hatch, kind of like the first contraction). Not much going on in the incubator last night besides some moving and peeping eggs. I got up around 2:15am (it's hard to sleep when you're in labor ;)) and we had a total of 2 pips.

As of this morning, our second pipper (the one that pipped during the night) is hatched! It looks to be a blue Silkie (they're all Silkies, but the person I got the eggs from doesn't separate so the colors are a surprise). Pictures to come when I get back from yoga.

We have a pip!

A little star crack on the top of an egg, found by my mother (who of course had to go ruining my fun and blabbing to the Mr. before I could LoL). I can't wait! We should have at least one baby tomorrow, if not tonight.

Cheep CHEEP!

We were sitting in the living room, when all the sudden we hear some very loud Cheep cheep CHEEPS coming from the other room. I thought maybe they were pecking at each other, or out of water, or sitting on top of their water jar yet again. As I go to check on them (the box was in the hallway) I open the door a little further and am greeted by two furry faces! The two Easter Eggers had escaped and were coming out to investigate.

They are so darn tootin' cute that I let them roam around the kitchen for a bit before returning them to the bucket. I guess this means it's time to move them to the dishwasher box so we don't have any night wanderings.

The 3 day wait begins!

We're officially at day 18, so I removed the egg turner and the eggs are laying on the screened bottom. This gives the eggs 3 days to get into correct pipping position to hatch on day 21 which is Saturday. I also upped the humidity by putting a small bowl of water in there. It's driving me nuts because I now can't open the incubator until they're hatched. We're getting excited!

Weight check

The meaties are now over 8 pounds! I just did a rough weigh on them, since they squawk and scream bloody murder when you try to pick them up- but divided by 21 birds that's quite the growth!

Pics

They're getting so big, so fast! These are from a couple of days ago (actually, the same day the candling pics from yesterday and the candling videos were taken).




Closeup of the wing feathers growing in



Here's my little half splayed baby, she's a runt compared to the rest of them. I move her from food to water a few times a day to make sure she's getting enough to eat and drink. She wasn't a willing participant in the photo shoot, you can see she was a bit disgruntled.




And here's one of the Easter Eggers, the kiddo's "favorite"