Flights of Fancy

At the time I composed this, Mar. 5, the little chicks were getting quite adept at flying. When I put them it the box to transport them from place to place I need to quickly cover the top. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly they grow.
They were a little over a week on the 5th they had their wing feathers and about 1/2" long tail feathers.
It is still too early to determine whether they will be hens or roosters.
I candled the eggs and it looks like none of them are developing. I was afraid of that. The first day the thermometer got up to 104. The book says it should only get up to 102. I think that might be what killed the other 7 eggs that Luna had been sitting on.
I am still going to incubate them the full 21 days as I am far from an expert on candling. I do it just to see if I am right or not. I candled Brennan's and I think 1 is growing, 1 is not and the 3rd I had trouble seeing through the shell so I am not sure about.
Frizzee has laid an egg for the past 2 days so I placed each one in the incubator. I have never seen her mate with Pat, but since it is Brennan's chicken I thought I would give it a try.

Little Ones are doing Great!

I found this Draft in my posts. I do not know why I never posted it.

Luna was outside the pen this morning and did not seem to be able to figure out how to get back in. I walked outside to she her pacing the perimeter desperately trying to find a way back in. Evidently it was easier to fly out than to fly back in.
All five little chicks seem to be doing quite well.The first four already have wing feathers emerging.
The picture is a little blurry. The chicks do not stay still for long.
If you look closely you can see all the new wing feathers. They all have cute little tail feathers emerging as well.
Eve is the little yellow chick to the right. The yellow chick on the left is the first hatchling. I do not have any names chosen for the others.
I am still keeping the other 7 eggs under a light. One of them rocks occasionally, although I did not see any movement today.
Last night we came home and the wind had blown so hard the pen had collapsed! Mama Luna had it all under control though. She had all the little babies safely tucked under her. Gary helped me move the pen into the shed and I gathered everyone up and put them where they would be safe. This morning the wind had died down and I put them back on the porch. Everyone seems happy and no worse for the wear.
The first 4 chicks are one week old today. Eve will be 1 week old tomorrow.

The New Family

This is my very first attempt at You Tube. This has been such a gratifying experience I just wanted to share it.

I have been taking other short videos. I will try to get them up as well. Upon checking on the new family I was pleasantly surprised to see two new faces.
A couple of hours after I took this video I checked on the new mom and her new family to find all of them out of the planter and running around the little pen I had set up for them. I counted not three but four; one yellow with black spots, one golden brown, two black!
I had not thought they leave the nest so quickly. Eight eggs were left without a mom. I scooped them up and ran into the house. I am not sure when I last moved so quickly. I covered them with a towel, ran out to my toy store and grabbed a small box, brought it inside, lined it with aluminum foil, ran upstairs,, grabbed a lamp, ran into the toy room, grabbed some books, then set up the whole affair on top of the dryer. Now the nest is empty except for the remains of the eggshells.
Within 2 hours following this mad dash, one of the eggs had a little hole pecked out.
I spent most of the rest of the night checking on my new little hatchling. I finally went to bed at midnight with not much progress made in the hatching process. Around 6 am I woke up to the sound of very excited chirping!
What a glow to my heart.
Footnote: while I made all those checks two other eggs showed movement. Who knows they may hatch as well. It all depends.

Hatch Day!!

Today was supposed to be the day the eggs hatched.
I was a little less than optimistic at the chance of hatchlings, but as I walked by Luna today a little yellow head was poking out from under her wing. Judging by the dryness of its feathers and how active it was it may have hatched yesterday.

Here is mama and her new baby.

There was one point that Luna stood for a couple of seconds and I saw another chick! This one was a fresh hatchling, still quite wet. I have not seen it since. Until tomorrow I will just have to be happy with these pics.
It is hard to see in the pic but the egg tooth is right on the tip of the little chicks beak. If you click on the picture you can see it better.
This sweetie hatched from one of Luna's eggs, but she bears the markings of not being a pure White Leghorn chick, she has little black speckles on her back.
I bought a little incubator in case Luna leaves the nest before all the eggs hatch. She is sitting on the last eggs that Lady laid before she died and I would like to see if they will hatch.