Welcome to our family blog to keep you updated on all the happenings around the Walker cottage and "farm". Even though we live in a rural section of the Tennessee Mountains life is far from boring as you will see.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Hatching Chicks

Springtime brings the miracle of hatching chicks from our eggs.  There is something awe inspiring in going through the process of seeing a dormant egg come to life.  So this spring I thought I'd share the process with you through pictures that I took while becoming the "mother hen" this past week.  

Of course during the twenty-one days  previously- where you turn and mist the eggs in the incubator two to three times a day- you being to wonder if there is any life inside the eggs. About halfway through you notice that the eggs are getting heavier to help boost your faith. Another thing is careful watch that the temperature in the incubator stays consistently at the right temperature.  Wouldn't you know it right in the middle we got a bad storm and our electric went off.  After an hour when the temperature started to drop in incubator, even though it wasn't that cold outside, I began to build a fire in our wood-stove to warm up the atmosphere. Right before I lit the match the electric thankfully came back on.  What fun, huh? 

The last week you don't do anything to the eggs.
  At last the hatching process begins. The first sign is a crack and small hole in the egg, you can see a tiny beak poke out, and the sound of peeping lets you know that there is life.



  The egg will begin to move and then have spells of rest as the chick begins the arduous task of breaking out, which can take up to 24 hours. Larger cracks appear in the eggshell and the peeping becomes louder. Sometimes a leg will stick out and spin the egg around as the chick tries to free itself from the shell.



You watch the heartbeat of the chick vibrating the shell and cheer the enclosed chick on.  At last the egg is separated and you can see the newborn chick more fully.




The chick takes another rest before one last huge effort to finally separate itself from the shell- some landing on their stomach while others land on their backs.


Totally exhausted and panting the chick rests for awhile before it tries to move again.  This is where I move the newborn chick from the incubator to what I call the nursery- a box lined with newspaper with a heat lamp located right beside the incubator.

Soon the tiny chick lifts up its head and opens its eyes to view the new world it has entered.


The chick begins to flop around using its tiny wings to move sometimes landing on its back or trying desperately to roll over to its stomach.  


Any move or effort drains it strength and the chick will often lie in different positions to rest as the down slowly dries on its body. When awake the tiny chick peeps loudly in protest or to announce its accomplishment to the world. Hatching takes lots of work.  I too am worn out with having to stay up late keeping an eye on the hatching chicks.



Here I hold a brand new baby chick just born in my hand. Nothing like touching a miracle firsthand.


After fifteen minutes have passed, I give the chick its first drink in a red lid that is water with probiotic and electrolyte mixed in.

Thirty minutes later the chick will stagger as it tries to take its first step using the wings for balance as the legs are still too weak.  The head wobbles with the effort of holding up its body and uh oh, the head drops and the chick falls headfirst down.

A sibling that has been born earlier comes around to check on the new baby.


An hour later the chick's body feels lighter as some of the down is dry. Now the chick staggers around checking out the new world it has entered.  I keep giving the baby chick a drink every thirty minutes or so to help build up its strength.


Twelve hours later after the chick has been born, its fur is all dry and they are activity running around on spindly legs, stretching tiny wings out, and preening.  The chicks also cheep loudly letting me know that they are hungry. So I gather these tiny mites that are only a couple inches high and carefully carry them down to the brooder in an enclosed box to the hen house where they will grow into mature hens.

Talk about adorable fuzz balls!  I feel quite proud of myself as the mother hen of ten baby chicks.