The new incubator seems to be doing a really good job. We had “dry membrane” issues with 3 eggs, but I don’t think we’ve seen that before. We did open the brooder up a day early, because of all the ones that had started hatching 3 days before. Next time, we’ll wait for the target day, to see if that prevents this issue.

Most of these chicks are meant to bolster our current numbers, but we plan to start a batch of Blue-laced Wyandotte’s next along with a batch of barnyard mixes and bantams to sell. The operation seems to be working, if we can keep the predators at bay!

Interestingly enough, they did seem to hatch out around days 22 or 23, instead of 21, but she did an outstanding job with them. She hatched out 11 but we did lose 3 after the move to the nesting box. Unfortunately, the roosting box in our coop is a good 3 feet off the ground. The last time we had a hen hatch in this box, she brought the chicks out and when she went back to the nest, several of them didn’t make it back up the ramp and died that evening when it got too cold. It was heartbreaking.

So, now we move the hens to ground nests in a different coop, where the chicks can easily go to and from the nest. We’ve done this countless times – always at night (so the hen is less prone to vacate the new nest when we put her in) but never in the dead of Winter.

Unfortunately, it appears that 3 were somehow unable to get warm that night and did perish. Not an ideal situation and we’ll probably do some extra “post move” checking the evening we next move a hen in the Winter.

Regardless, we have 8 little bantam chicks running about with “their mama” (really a collection of eggs from the various hens that were laying at the time.)

We ordered Welsummer and Cream Legbar chicks, adding to the genetic diversity of what we have. What’s truly amazing is that we placed this order in mid-January and these things arrived on Feb 6 (pretty much exactly when they promised.) The key here is February! I expected them to ship in late March or later, due to the weather. These little chicks made the trip overnight, when the temps dropped to near freezing at our house, and all arrived seemingly healthy. My daughter says they included a heating pad, which must be the case. I was really amazed with this whole thing.

In the first 72 hours, we have lost two chicks. If we manage to have 13 make it through the first 7 days, I’ll be very happy. All seem strong and healthy now, but you never know.

I’ll definitely be using Meyer again!