Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Hooray! 16 babies so far - 4 EOs and 12 Ameraucanas. Several more have pipped. I've decided the first chick hatched is always a male. I haven't proved it yet, but I think they act like it. The first one here was a light blue (I think) Ameraucana. I have the eggs separated into 4 groups by a wire pen. Chick #1 decided to climb over the divider and in to the next group. This has happened before when I tried to keep chicks separate during hatch. He is the biggest, driest, and lightest color so far, so I can mark him somehow when I take them out. He has picked at smaller chicks and sat on the Spot Check probe. I hope I don't have to wait 6 months to find out if it's a boy or girl.

@Shnookie it's funny you said that about first one out being a roo. I have wondered the same thing before. My hatching experience is extremely limited but in each hatch (Bator and broody hatched) I have always thought the first one out acted roo-ish. Congrats on your littles!

Hatching was over yesterday. 26 out of 28 chicks living in the basement. I lost one EO and one Ameraucana so have 8 EOs and 18 Ameraucanas. My most successful hatch so far. The incubation process I used seemed to be good. I have kept notes for next time. I still have problems with hatches. I had the eggs separated according to different lines and planned to mark them. HaHa that went out the window so they are all together. I will just have to keep them long enough to pick the ones I like, and hope for the best. The eggs from BC were from two different lines and some of the Ameraucanas were from my chickens. I was going to sell some of my own chicks when they were smaller. Oh well. They are all cute. I had hoped for a couple splash - don't know if I got any. I thought I would get mostly black but I see several blues. Since I didn't lose many chicks I wonder if I will get more females than usual.

EOs are from 2 different roosters - one group from pullets and one from a 4 year old hen. I did put a small cable tie on the first hatched chick to see if it's a male. I suspect he will outgrow it soon.

1 Cream Legbar chick & 2 precious White SHOWGIRLS!!!!!
Weird thing was the Legbar hatched first, while the bantams hatched this afternoon.
I'm crossing fingers for a few more...6 would be nice, or 8 or 10 or a dz

(( THREE are Pipping, but Not going to jinx it by counting my chickens before they hatch))


CONGRATULATIONS Shnookie ~ you had a GREAT hatch! :baby ckick:

Thanks Poultryprincess. Good luck with the rest of your hatch.

Here's a couple of pictures of the babies.

Very cute! Congratulations!

Kathy, sooooo cute!!

I collected 2 dozen eggs from my chickens because I didn't think I would get so many chicks from this hatch. Now I'm torn whether I should hatch them. I don't really have room for them, even though I am selling some hens today. I tried to sell a dozen pure Ameraucana hatching eggs that were extra when I filled the incubator this time. There was no interest at all, so I cooked them for the chickens. :) Maybe I'll just try the EOs since I got less of them.

Omgawd, the chicks are Adorable!!!
How old are they in the pics?
What breed are they.....so darn CUTE!

I have 1 Legbar,
2 Blue Showgirls,
5 White Showgirls
& 1 half out.

I "really" have to fight the urge to take the older chicks out.... it is Difficult!
But I'm trying to give the last chick a fighting chance.
I'm happy with the hatch, it is @ 50%
Since I didn't gather /store the eggs for hatching, I did quite well.

Will post pics once they get moved to the brooder.