Hatch D Is On!

Hatch D, our final hatch for 2014, has begun!  As usual, it's early...

For now the cam is still on the chicks in the brooder box until one of the eggs starts unzipping, probably in about 4-6 hours.

Hatch D has 11 eggs:  3 bantam Cochin eggs from the local high school, 4 dark green Bear eggs and 4 blue Americaunas eggs (either Bug or Rose for a mama).  Right now #11, a blue egg, has pipped--you can see it in the photo below, the egg behind the shot glass.  The pip is on the top left kinda towards the back.

We MAY have a broody mama for this batch if she is broody ENOUGH.  Wiggles, our blue mottled Belgian d'Uccle hen, is terrorizing the other chickens and stomping about all flared up and grumpy, but isn't setting yet.  If she starts setting and we don't get more than 4-5 chicks, we'll try her as mama.

Either way, we'll be partitioning off part of the brooder box for Hatch D since they will be so young--we don't want the older chicks trampling them.