Day Three and Four Spring Chicks 2016

Day Three and Four  

Spring Chicks 2016

Hello Friends!

Monday's hatching was quite disappointing, and super sad.  We had twenty-two Buff Orpington eggs in our incubator.  Ten hatched (two died), and twelve didn't 'peck' or whatever it is called when the chick doesn't break the shell to try and get out.  We kept the incubator going for two more days, but nothing.  I figure I did something wrong, most likely had the humidity up too high and the chicks got too big and didn't have room to break out.  I really don't know, but am so disappointed in myself for not doing better!  So, on Wednesday we shoveled and got off of our hill (after literally shoveling and blowing snow for three and half hours) and went to the local Tractor Supply Store and bought twelve "Black Star" pullets (female chicks).  The Black Star chickens are also called "Black Sex Link," but Black Star sounds a bit nicer!

Our chicks and the new Black Star chicks got along really well.  It helped that Dd sat with them for the first hour, and then I sat with them the second hour!  There were four Black Star chicks that had a lot of crusted poop that needed immediate attention.  Dd said that since I was "better" at getting the poop off, I should do it!  Ha!  I didn't argue, what thirteen year old wants to wipe poop with warm water and Q-Tips?!!

In this picture you can see the small cardboard box the Black Star chicks came in.  I couldn't believe they shoved twelve chicks in one tiny box! 

We had put up two "door socks" that I had made a few years ago to keep drafts from coming in under doors into our house.  I first put them in the brooder box to keep the eight chicks close to the heat lamp, and to not wander off.  Then I pushed the socks (filled with black beans) over to the edges and out of the way; but the Black Star chicks immediately saw those socks as perfect roosts!  They all love to climb up there and lay, but our Buff Orpington's still love to sleep on the floor.  

Here one of our Buff's is walking on me, while the others are curious about that box!  

These Black Stars are very pretty, with soft fluffy, "silkie" type feathers.  I'll try to do a new post with the details regarding the Black Stars, for those who are curious about this breed.

I've been checking each chicks bottom once a day for impacted poop, and this little girl cozy'd up and closed her eyes!  So sweet and trusting.

Our little brooder is looking a bit fuller now that we have twenty chicks.  I'm SO glad none of the Black Star chicks were sickly--all have lived their first 24 hours with us.

Thursday I took back the borrowed incubator to my friend, Michele, who let us borrow it.  She asked us to give her the unhatched (now frozen) eggs so she could do an autopsy to find out what went wrong.  She also has a friend that works for the government, regulating/inspecting chicken farms and she wanted to autopsy our eggs too.  I was tempted to do that as well, but Dd and I were just too attached to these eggs and weren't ready for that with our hearts still sore.  

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