Posted by Suzanne McMinn on April 29, 2008 @ 5:05 am
Chickens, The Old Barn
The total on my little flock looks to be 12. After the overheating disaster with the first dozen eggs, only Lucky survived. Out of the second batch of 30 eggs, 12 hatched. (I’ll update today if there are any unexpected late hatchings!) Out of that 12 from the second batch, one died late last night shortly after hatching. It seemed to have had an easy hatching, so I was caught by surprise. (Sadness!) All the rest seem healthy and happy. I’ve got them divided up in two boxes right now, but will have to make new arrangements soon as they are growing quickly. And while they’re not so active the first day, they sure get rowdy after that!
See hatch days one and two if you missed the action!
I have to confess that I helped one baby out of its shell. I know, I know, you’re not supposed to do that! But this poor baby had its head all the way out of its shell for so long. How could it peck out like that? It had its head stuck out! It got to looking so weary, I thought–if it’s going to die, I might as well try to help it. So I helped. And out it came.
It seems to be doing well now, running around like all the others. Maybe it didn’t even need my help. It’s so hard not to help when they look like they’re in trouble! (And the one that really was in trouble never showed any sign of it!)
This photo just cracks me up. That same little baby, soon after it hatched, on its back, kinda like a bug that can’t turn over. (I helped it again.)
I can see already that chickens are going to be a lot of fun. And my chicken adventure has just begun!
Cross your fingers they’re not all roosters…..
5:31
am
Good morning chickies :flying:Yes I agree that sometimes the human assist is apprapo. As long as it’s not the norm. You did fine and so glad that the peeps are happy in their little abodes. All baby things are cute/sweet/adorable/soft and sometimes fuzzy/fluffy.
5:35
am
by the way I love the calico look. What breed is that one?
6:09
am
Have their names been chosen yet?
I suppose the cats are interested in all the activity.
The babies are so cute and I don’t blame you for wanting to help crack the shell.
Amelia in Oklahoma
7:24
am
I like the speckled one! …but they’re all pretty darn cute.
7:26
am
I think, based on what my chicken lady had on her farm and what the pictures of chicks look like in the Murray McMurray catalog, that the two little banties are Old English Game bantams–so that one with the stripes will be a gorgeous chicken!
7:42
am
Congrads!
Glad your chicks hatched with out any major disasters thats awesome. And hopefully you get more hens then roosters!
8:04
am
Good morning….two years ago we had 54 chickens and 41 of them were roosters!!!
I hope you have better luck..although it is very comical when they are start practicing their crow. Kind of sounds like they are dieing or something.
8:08
am
Congradulations,chicken farmer people!
So sorry about the one that didn’t make it!
I would have helped the one out of the shell, too!
8:30
am
My son loves the pictures of the baby chicks. Wish I could hang out longer but he is begging to go on Disney.com. See you tomorrow.
8:51
am
The babies are fabulous, congratulations! I hope most of them are hens, too. Has Princess named more of them yet?
8:53
am
Congratulations on the chicks! Hurrah! I love those dark, multi-coloured ones the best.
Yes, they’ll all need names, once their sex has been determined.
-Kim
9:01
am
I’ve just loved watching the hatching of all the baby chicks. I do hope they are not all roosters for you. They are comical to listen to when learning to crow.
9:02
am
growing up I had a black Banty rooster and I named him Champ…he was the best pal…he would run up to me when I went to the chicken yard (I know this sounds NUTS) when I would squat down he would sit on my knee and cluck and we would chat…mainly wanting the back of his neck scratched….you can become EXTREMELY attached to these guys!
your babies are ADORABLE! it is so cute too when they start learning to run and really stretch their legs and they will flap their little wings so hard….man oh man I am jealous…gotta get B out of the city and onto some dirt!
Tresh in Oklahoma!
9:12
am
they are all so cute! Good luck and I hope you have almost all laying hens! Again, were any of them Ameraucana? Maybe I’ll go back and see if you answered that yesterday.
BW
9:17
am
They are completely adorable! Congratulations on the better hatching, and on feeding my chicken addiction by posting all the great pictures:)
9:17
am
A dozen is a good number. Congratulations! Now the fun begins.
You’re right–they get really rowdy. Wait til they get their wings and want to fly out of the box!
9:18
am
about the bantams, how does the smaller size become a plus?
9:23
am
Don’t you just love the Murray MacMurray catalogue? I carry it with me to show people what my birdies are going to look like! Happy watching!
9:24
am
Wow, you’ve got quite a batch of chickens there. That chicken house better be getting finished soon!
9:29
am
Yes, we did have one of the Araucanas hatch and I posted a pic in one of the updates yesterday.
Re the banties, I’m not sure there’s any benefit to them other than that they are so cute, LOL. My kids have been asking how many banty eggs it will take to make breakfast!
Princess has been naming away but she can’t keep them straight because some of them are hard to tell apart. I’m trying to encourage her to wait a bit, till they come into their own as they grow.
9:31
am
I would have wanted to help them all, lol, they look so pathetically adorable trying to get out!
9:52
am
Awww, it’s like having a box of ‘cute’ right in front of you! I am so glad you helped out one of them, I know I couldn’t stand the thought of one not making it all the way out of the shell after working so hard to peck through. Hey, women get C-sections, right .. LOL .. so why can’t we help out a chicken?
10:08
am
If you need a big laugh find a worm and toss it in the box. They seem to know right away that they’re tasty.
10:50
am
They are cute, but they’ve got sharp eyes. I hear chickens could be related to T-rex. I could see it.
10:50
am
I think the one you needed to help out is a rooster. (He wouldn’t ask for directions)
They are all so adorable! Thank you so much for sharing this fun miracle of life. I wish I could do that here, but I don’t have the time to take proper care of chickens anymore, it’s one of those things ya lose when you work out of the home. At least I can live vicariously through you!
10:55
am
I — WANT — CHICKS ! ! ! ! ! !
Oh me oh my. I am definitely going to have to do that in the next couple of years. Thanks for sharing your adventure.
12:11
pm
Can I tell you how much I want chickens now?
They are too, too cute!
An even dozen, how perfect is that?
12:36
pm
Welcome, chickies!
12:51
pm
Thanks, everyone! It doesn’t look like any more are going to hatch. I’m going to have to talk myself into disposing of the eggs soon. It’s hard to let go!
12:55
pm
They sure are cute! I won’t hatch them any more, though. In the past we’d easily get 3-4 roosters out of every five hatches. We just order pullets from McMurray now…and know the 25 chicks I get will be hens. Thank goodness! I did order a Phoenix rooster this year and I’m very excited to see how beautiful he grows up to be. The Phoenix are, by far, my most favorite rooster.
Enjoy your little guys! I’ve discovered that a little sugar or corn syrup in the water for the first couple of days really helps them pep up quickly, and gives them an excellent start.
1:23
pm
It has been such fun watching this! Thank you so much for keeping us part of it!
1:58
pm
OK I’m a city girl… Can someone explain about one rooster of a certain breed fertilizing eggs for many different breeds of chickens. It seems like you would get hybrid chicks from that combination? What about the banty hens? Won’t you need a banty rooster too? I’m chicken illiterate… so many other readers can answer.
2:20
pm
They are just the most precious little things in the world! I just want to hold them and kiss on them, like I do my parakeet…and yes, he pecks sometimes too - and has been known to take a plug out of me a time or two.
3:11
pm
Awww, they are all so cute and LOL at the one tipped over! *G* I would have helped, too.
I’m sorry to hear one passed.
I hope you have a blast with all those babies!
4:44
pm
They are so cute!!! And I’m so jealous. I want chickens too!
4:50
pm
4:50
pm
Jodie: Asked “Can someone explain about one rooster of a certain breed fertilizing eggs for many different breeds of chickens. It seems like you would get hybrid chicks from that combination”.They do cross breed this way, same as a dog ie cockapoos.My “Wyndotte” banty danced with the black “frizzle” rooster…result…the cutest black and white curly, feathered little rooster that you could lay your eyes on. Don’t know if he was ‘fertile’ it didn’t seem to matter to him.
6:21
pm
6:50
pm
Jan–thank you for answering Jodie’s question! I had thought about the same thing myself. Just guessing, I think it looks like most of my chicks are either Dominiques or Barred Rocks, so I may just end up with a lot of those black and white lacy chickens anyway since I have so many dark chicks. Though, I suppose it depends on which ones are roosters and which rooster(s) we keep! (I think, with the number we have, we’ll probably just keep one. If Lucky’s a rooster, it’ll be him.)
6:57
pm
If they are all roosters you can try again. Chicks are so cute!
7:36
pm
So I have to ask, what happens to all the roosters since you only want one??????
7:46
pm
Jenn–Phoenix chickens are GORGEOUS!!! If I ever order chicks, I want some of them!!
catslady, well, I think….commonly….people EAT them. I’m not sure I can do that. I’m going to try to find good homes. Anybody want a spare rooster?
8:52
pm
This is so fun! Living vicariously through your chicken raising.
As Mental P. said to me today. “I can’t help it, I humanize all animals!” That’s why you helped your baby chicks that needed it. So far, there’s nothing wrong with that as far as I can see!
9:35
pm
Oh that one picture is too funny. I had one that had both wings around a couple of eggs, looked like he was a stumbling drunk.
3:36
am
Congratulations!
I really wanted to post about the bluebells…they are Virginia Bluebells….for some reason i couldn’t commnent there….sorry.
But way to go with the chickens!
7:48
am
Oh! How cute! I want some too!
3:11
pm
Congratulations on your cute flock! 16 an 52 better get busy and finish the chicken coop fast.
1:03
pm
Very cute biddies. Your fun and learning experience is just beginning. It is something new everyday it seems with chickens.