The Birth of a Chick

Once set to incubate, the egg embryos develop in a constant environment of 99.5 to 99.7 degrees Fahrenheit and about 50-65% humidity. The first pips in the shell appear almost simultaneously across the tray at 20 days. These pips, little holes in the shell, allow the chick to begin breathing and strengthening their lungs. The yolk is then absorbed through their little navels and all the blood vessels leading from the navel begin to shrink (just like a baby's umbilical cord) The yolk provides nutrition for the chick's first few days.



This absorption and shrinkage phase lasts about 24 hours. During this time, we can hear little tiny peeps as the chick rests, gathering strength for the final hatching sequence. Once the yolk sac and blood in the vessels have been absorbed into the chick's abdomen, the egg home must be escaped. The tiny chick chips around the circumference of the egg until it has gone almost 80% around. It then pushes open the door it has just created and is BORN!
We marveled at our first hatch - within 36 hours of the first pip, 58 out of the 75 eggs had hatched fluffy little chicks! The remaining 17 eggs were not viable for one reason or another and were removed from the hatching tray. Our first 58 chicks were placed under a heat lamp inside for a little more than a day, then moved to the brooder.






Jeff reloads the incubator tray with another 75 eggs and the cycle continues! We have three trays of eggs incubating, each week hatching one tray and adding a new batch.














After a couple days under the heat lamp, drinking the custom newborn tea of water, garlic, honey, and cider vinegar, the little guys move outside to the Chick Safe. Jeff built this cabinet to house the brooder loaned to him by his Dad. The brooder's five levels has external feed trays on each side and an external water trough on the front. Jeff shifts from newborn tea to fresh water boosted by two tablespoons of whey to assist their developing digestion.

Each week as the new hatch moves into the brooder, the top tray moves down the line until - Freedom!!!

Our first hatch moved outside today into the sunshine and grass and great big wild world. They will spend the rest of their lives being moved every day to new pasture. The first week, Jeff has employed a hover brooder (Thank you again Joel) to help the chicks transition to a climate controlled only by Mother Nature.

I am nervous and excited to go see them tomorrow morning. As they wake up to their very first morning sunrise, their newest brothers and sisters will be busting out of their shells. We are so blessed to be part of this process. I dedicate this day and this post to our dear Drake - don't worry pup, Gr is taking his chick-herd responsibility seriously. He
won't let you down.