Final Head Count

Sorry it took me so long to post, but I have a final head count for my first incubation hatch: 27. Thats out of 40 fertile eggs, which gives me a 67.5% hatch rate, and 70% is considered successful. One one hand the low hatch rate bothers me, makes me feel like a little bit of a failure, but on the other hand, considering what these poor eggs went through during our first incubation attempt, I'm rather pleased than ANY hatched. As my mother so helpfully pointed out, I am only one chick away from a successful hatch rate and the egg that I cracked with the beating heart may have been the one that made it. Greeeeeeeeat.
All but 6 of the eggs hatched within 24 hours of the first one mid-day Saturday, and there was one straggler that hatched late Sunday, but I've since noticed that that one has some problems and probably will not make it. It seems like when the yolk was being absorbed into its abdominal cavity it didn't quite all make it in and it has this weird dried lump thing hanging from where it's umbilical cord should be, and one of its legs is a bit malformed. I'm encouraged by the fact that it was strong enough to go through the ordeal of hatching, so I'm watching it and giving it the benefit of the doubt, although this evening it seems like maybe it is going downhill a little. It would be so easy to let this break my heart but I simply cannot allow that and am looking at the greater scheme of things and keeping in mind that I really don't want sickly animals in my flock, let alone deformed ones. I chipped off a tiny piece of the six eggs that didn't hatch just to make sure there was nothing in there that simply needed a little help, but there was no movement in five of them and the other one expired soon after I helped it hatch. That one also looked like it had the same issues as my little gimp chicken. I have decided in the future that if an egg does not hatch on its own, then I will simply leave the incubator on a couple days to give it a good chance and then discard the eggs sight unseen. I could have lived the rest of my life without seeing a failed chick.

On to more positive things, though, I have 26 very healthy and very active little biddies. They are an interesting mix of colors, with a few looking like purebred Wyandottes (black and white), a few looking just like my Ameracaunas did (tan and dark brown) when they were little, and a healthy smattering of ones that are an interesting mix of the two. For example, there is one pretty little chick that is black but with a bit of chocolate brown right on the top of its head and green legs. :) Ameracuanas have green legs, for any of you who don't know, while Wyandottes, and I imagine most chickens, have orange legs. I have casually spotted at least 5 chicks of all different color mixtures with green legs, so it looks like my Ameracauna rooster has had some play with the ladies after all. The Wyandotte (or as Ayden calls him, "bad") rooster is more dominant and generally rapes and pillages while the white Ameracauna rooster stands back and looks frustrated then jumps on top of the hen as soon as the bad rooster has finished and gives her a little attention of his own. Its quite disturbing. My poor hens.

The chicks have settled into their new brooders and seem very content. I will never brood in a cardboard box with straw ever again. These totes are ingenious. I have them lined with paper towels, and once a day I put a clean layer down, which takes me all of 30 seconds and voila! Clean chick house. The above picture was taken I swear 5 minutes after changing their paper, so don't go thinking I let my babies live in filth even though it may look like it in the picture. White definitely shows everything. I have since divided the chicks equally among the two totes, so they are much less crowded and it does not get dirty quite as quickly. Everybody is eating and drinking like champs, with the exception of my gimp chick. I was just watching one of them eat out of its feeder a few minutes ago and it would peck peck peck in the little feeder hole then scratch at the paper towel under its feet furiously in the typical chicken fashion (left foot left foot right foot right foot) then peck a little more then scratch a little more. It was cracking me up. Its amazing to see their little instincts kick in, and you can just see that chicks little though bubble... "Mmmm.... thats tasty! But for some reason I feel that a quick left left right right scratch is in order..."