# 535 - Incubator Chicks Hatching!

This past week, we have been shocked to find that our first attempt at using the incubator has been a success! We actually had hatchlings this week!

The first chick to start pecking through an egg brought me tremendous excitement. WHAT? It's really working?!

This egg is the first to have a chick start to hatch. Sadly, this chick
was obviously hatching prematurely, and this chick died after the first
24 hours following hatching.

Of course, we had a couple of eggs that didn't make it. We had to candle the eggs, which is really easy to do, then take out the eggs that did not contain a growing chick.

But, we missed this one, and it soon began to be a potential mess, so I removed it quickly.

After a while, I could see that the first egg that had begun to hatch was having problems. Soon, the chick behind it began to hatch.

To my surprise, the second hatching chick would be the first to fully hatch. The concern for the first chick that was trying to hatch became more intense. The chick was peeping loudly from the first egg that was not making progress, as hour after hour passed.

I also knew we needed to remove the egg holders, so we did it quickly because I was scared it would hurt the chicks.

The process of hatching seems to go like this, in my experience...I first heard peeping, which scared me as I looked around the room carefully and then it dawned on me that the sound was actually coming from the incubator, even though the shell had not yet been cracked. The chicks peck an initial hole, then they make a "zipper" line, and if all goes well, the chick pushes the top of the shell upward with a burst of mighty strength and then they are BORN!

The chick works to hatch itself, then falls asleep, then suddenly perks
up and wiggles around, then falls back asleep. It is precious.

However, this in an exhausting process for the chick, it will peck for a while, then sleep, then peck, then sleep, and it can take a few hours. Then again, there are other chicks, as our third chick, who pecked the initial hole and was fully hatched with ten minutes.

Since we had no idea these eggs would be hatching, Sgt. Dave and I had no choice other than to work very quickly together to get the egg-rotator out of the incubator. I carefully cradled the chick so that it would not be pulled any direction that would affect hatching, he took out the rotator and I carefully laid the hatching chick back on the grate for it to finish its hard job of being born.

I must say, it was an unexpected, yet amazing experience to hold a hatching chick, but not one I want to do again. It was completely nerve-wracking, but I didn't want the chick to be caught in between the rotator trays. Back in the incubator, after another hour or so, it hatched face down and fell back asleep as we cracked up.

Sweet baby.

This chick would be the first to hatch and is now strong and healthy!

This is how an egg shell looks after a chick hatches from it...the top of the shell that is white is the air bubble area where the chick's head had been and is the zone for it to start pecking the zipper.

The other 2/3rds of the egg shell had a membrane that had blood vessels, kind of like a placenta. This membrane holds the chick's blood circulatory system until the final stage of hatching as the chick develops its own vessel system and the blood can be absorbed into its own body. This is fascinating to me. There is also a yolk sac at the bottom of the chick's body that is absorbed before hatching and that provides nutrients so the chick can recover from hatching over the next 24-48 hours...this egg yolk goes into the body of the chick and the abdominal hole is closed. If this process is not complete before hatching, you will likely have a chick that won't survive. You can see the "umbilical cord."

God's plan with nature is so incredible! I'm glad we had an incubator to help it along.

The little black feathered chick was the first to crack the shell and to zip, yet it was still in the shell nearly 24 hours later, with its peeping becoming more faded and weak. I researched the matter and found that chicks can literally get stuck in their shell. I checked the egg and found the area that the chick zipped was as hard as glue...the chick and the shell felt as if glue had dried everything in place. The solution was to slowly and gently rub warm water on the area and to even use Neosporin to keep the area moist and hydrated because the water will still eventually evaporate. I had Neosporin and helped the chick out a bit so it could move again.

Even with the assistance it needed; the fact that the chick needed ANY assistance was a really bad sign. After the chick came out, the yolk sac was still attached and to make a long, horrific process short, I will say that the egg sac suddenly filled to enormous proportions and I knew that the internal parts of the chick had prolapsed...the intestines were soon visible.

It broke my heart. The chick lived about 24 hours. It was a very difficult Farm Life Lesson.

All I could do was make the chick as comfortable as possible and to keep it protected from the healthy chick pecking, especially because we had a third chick making a rapid hatch.

As the third chick hatched, the strong, dried out, found-its-legs chick was in a pecking mode, so I put the newly hatched chick into the bowl with the chick that was struggling. This seemed to work out. Soon, the newly hatched chick could join the other strong chick.

The good thing is that out of the first three chicks we have ever hatched with the incubator, two are thriving.

I am very grateful these two chicks have each other as cuddle-buddies.

This Farm Life Lessons chick loves those two little fuzzy chicks!

# 507 - Country Life in an RV - Nearing an End!

Ohhhh...Country life during this time of year is even better than I imagined. The weather has, for the most part, been delightful. We love being outdoors and savoring the beauty of our acreage.

Can you believe that we've been in the country, in "camping-mode" for almost one year? I cannot believe time has passed by so quickly!

Good thing is, we have met with our loan officer for our home to be built, but it will probably take until around June to get all the paperwork together for submission. We have to have the specs of the house finished and all the bids attached for every sub-contractor needed to construct our new home in the country. That is taking a LOT of work!

And, you blog buddies already know one of the reasons for the hold-up...my indecisiveness, which is now becoming more narrowed. I now realize we need a 1 1/2 story home with extra bedrooms upstairs and that's for another blog post, but it is important. Of course, I will be looking forward for your feedback!

Over the past few weeks though, we have had fun. I learned to load the .22 rifles.

 

Our oldest daughter and her husband had their huge fifth wheel pulled out here by a dear friend so that Heather and my first grand-daughter, Coraline, can be here whenever they want.

Grand-Daughter Coraline during her time with me, her Nana!

Heather is helping me in a HUGE WAY to finish the development of our architectural plans and to get prepared to build a house in a more organized fashion. Heather is EXTREMELY detailed oriented and no small matter will go unnoticed in her presence.

I have enjoyed having my oldest child and my grand-child out here in the country more than can be expressed.

 

 

At our local Feed Store with my daughter and grand-daughter.

Of course, Heather is like me, her mom...we step into the feed store, she hears the chicks and gets chick-struck. We end up adding three more chicks to our flock of twenty.

And these chicks have names...Penguin, Copper and Calico.
For Heather's daughter, of course, because Heather doesn't act like
an excited little kid when she sees sweet baby chicks. Oh Nooo!

Then, my youngest daughter, Stefie, calls me and says, "Hey! What about me? I want to get some chicks!"

Oh Lord, go ahead. Why not make our flock an even THIRTY!?

Since their own family are business-owners, lots of travel is always on their schedule, and we are so happy to be a lay-over station for whenever they want to soak up some more country life!

 

Heather, Coraline and me enjoying dinner in downtown Livingston.

I've been spoiled by Heather...she's been cooking for us. I guess Heather and I spoil each other because I get to play with the baby and free the young mom's arms, which she then uses to spoil me with a delicious meal! It's a beautiful plan between a mother, daughter and grand-daughter!

Farm-raised pork from my son-in-law's family's farm, made into
meatballs with Parmesan and other great ingredients, browned
to perfection and served on toasted French bread with sesame seeds
and with freshly grated Parmesan. So delicious!

And Pappy is happier that a dog with a real bone as he holds his grandbaby.

And Gracie the puppy found in the forest has turned out to be such a wonderful dog. Getting through the puppy stages has been difficult, but she's a sweetheart and will also be a great guard dog. Already, she is almost six months old and has been killing gophers/moles on the property. It's disgusting.

She digs and digs, then traps them, kills them, and plays with their carcasses for a long time --- flinging them into the air to catch them and so on. Yuk. Gracie is my first country dog...it's a new experience, let me tell you.

Anyway, the past couple of weeks have been more excited than I can express. We are making strides toward building that makes me feel as if I am ALMOST breaking into a full run. Almost.

For now, I am enjoying our current living conditions because the hardships that have come with living in an RV for this year will soon be over. I would NEVER change this experience for anything.

Well, I might have bought the de-humidifier a LOT sooner, but other than that, I'm doing great and having the time of my life!

# 505 - Country Difficulties with Bad Weather

Recently, our youngest daughter, Stefanie, and her boyfriend, Brice, came our place for several days. We had a great time, in spite of the constant foul weather that keeps the acreage from drying out.

Worst part about this middle transition zone from city life to the country has been the mixture of consistently bad weather with the country roads running through our acreage that present serious problems with vehicles getting stuck.

Here is Brice getting his own truck unstuck after he helped Sgt. Dave get the Dodge out of a very soft, terrible mud hole that was leading the truck toward a ditch.

It was a mess.

I've also been forced to drive through mud holes, but I have been fortunate enough to not get stuck. Interestingly, I made some stuck-in-the-mud observations. First, I acknowledged the quickest route is not necessarily the best route. I observed that good choices may be bypassed simply because of stuck-in-the-mud routines. And finally, getting stuck in the mud reminded me that life doesn't always go our way, but it is our personal challenge to do the best with what we are given and to be gracious to others, even during our worst moments.

It also made me very happy to see that my daughter is dating someone who maturely and respectfully dealt with his beautiful prized truck being stuck in the mud, the back-end precariously stuck between two oak trees as the wheels sank deeper into unstable muck. Brice kept a cool head and displayed the kind of strength that I grew up with...Brice is the kind of person who becomes more intensely focused on solving a BIG problem, and he accepts help with graciousness...that's not always easy, especially if an ego gets in the way.

Regardless, I have been reminded to be THANKFUL that I came from a family who values pulling together during hard times. I know that I was blessed to grow up in a strong, supportive family. That family still sticks to the same values...we will always be there for each other and be respectful to each other.

During Stefie and Brice's visit, even though there were farm-life disasters, we had many more farm-life awesome moments. We four had a great time on our hike. Yes, that is Brice behind us with a machete. He is so funny! On our hikes, we went into a few ravines and I would get stuck into a deep section with a steep incline that Brice would try to help me out of...but it seems I always choose what appeared to be the worst way out. And believe me, that's not new for me. Sometimes, the hardest way for others is the easiest way for me. HaHaHa. But, true!

Me and Stefie with Brice lurking in the background.

Stefie and I enjoyed our time together.

Suddenly, Stefie became concerned about being too exposed, so she improvised to create sly cover.

Sgt. Dave stayed ready to handle any wild critters that might cross our path.

The dogs enjoyed playing ball with Stefie and they loved having their doggie friends, Belle and Thor, come visit.

And it is funny to hear Stefie and Brice tell us that we live on land that makes for an AWESOME dog park.

It was fun while it lasted. Now that the kids are gone, again, I am back to my normal routine here on the acreage and am enjoying the weather as it improves.

For a chick update, all twenty chicks have survived nicely...they are healthy and growing strong. I love the variety. It is such fun watching their antics.

I love country life. Every day is an adventure!

 

# 504 - Last Laying Hen is Gone - Bad Humor Ensues

Well, we found a log home builder that we seem to like and that has floor-plans we prefer. This is one of the plans we are considering with seriousness.

It is not that big, just at 1,600 square feet, but it has options to make it a larger home. One thing is for sure, we want to have plenty of space for our grown daughters and their own families with our grand-children to enjoy during their extended visits. We will do all we can to make our home welcoming for our brood.

However, I am sad tonight because my last laying hen is gone, The mysterious predator has now killed all of my full-grown laying hens. I am one sad Farm gal. It looks like the past year of free-ranging freedom is over.

Sgt. Dave has finishing buying all the supplies needed for a new chicken coop and he will start work on it, as soon as the rain stops. The weather has been horrible. The one sunny day we get is when he is at work. Things have not been going very smooth.

The twenty chicks are finally all feathered, but still very young. However, within a week's time, they will need to be moved to larger accommodation. My husband will take care of that chore. In a few days, they will be transferred to a cordoned area of the barn for another three weeks of growing bigger and stronger.

And our puppy, Gracie, has a nose on her that can smell anything! She finds bits of my chickens that were killed and she comes running out of the forest with a chunk --- running toward me with it, as if she's retrieved something valuable and CAN'T WAIT to bring it to me! The latest was a wing section that had belonged to Beaker. Not fun. As she dropped it at my feet, my heart sunk to that same level. Gracie could see that I was not happy...she wants to please and it seemed to upset her that I was not happy with her present. I tried to say, "Good girl," but it wasn't easy with the lump in my throat.

Gracie is turning out to be a really good dog. I know she will also miss her little play buddy. Gracie and Survivor literally stuck together all day. I am sickened to know the attack upon this chicken occurred after we put the dogs up. If I had let them out, then the chicken would have had her guards.

Anyway, as the chicks have been in a limited space that is reinforced for their protection, I stopped by the feed store to buy two different chick feeding systems. One just needs you to pull out a mason jar from home and you are set; the chicks love their feed!

As the chickens grow older, we have found the easiest way to feed them is through the standard feed bucket but to put the water in one of those large dog auto-watering bowls. It holds a great deal of water and the chickens learned very quickly how to drink from this bowl which is super easy to refill and clean.

I try to focus on the chicks and knowing that this next flock will be living different from our first flock. Not as much freedom on a daily basis, but I hope to keep that predator away or catch the predator in action so that I can HANDLE it, permanently.

The parting of my last full grown laying hen that I had started calling "Survivor" was very sad for me. Yes, it's a chicken, but I've had these chickens for over three years...they were a part of our daily life. They gave us eggs that we found to be delicious. Having chickens provides entertainment. It's great for the kids in the family to come over and see real chickens, to see their habits and to learn how they have an internal clock for waking up at dawn and coming back to roost in the coop at dusk, on their own.

Liyla chowing down with my first flock of chickens that
have now been killed by a predator roaming our acreage.

 

My daughters, Heather and Stefie are in their twenties. Our family often employs a warped sense of humor to get us through rough times. Laughing is a proven coping method, even if it is often HIGHLY inappropriate. Throughout our lives together, we've often had to flat-out HIDE our inappropriate coping methods from others because they'd be horrified, but I am sharing this round with you.

Soon after I found my chicken to be gone, as predator meat...I sent Stefie a text message about it because Stefie KNOWS my chickens are important. She helped raise those chickens. She named them, in the hopes we would never consider them for the dinner table. So, I was not expecting her next text messages as she and Brice began sending me the photos below. Yes, this is the kind of comfort I get from my kiddos...
 

 

 

 And Stefie says, "I love you mom!"