Silkie eggs hatching out today

It is 10am and I have four chicks hatched out so far with two more that have pipped but resting at the present time.  There are two dark chicks, one buff and one white.  Yoo hoo.  Then I went outside and my black Silkie hatched a buff chick and my multi-colored Silkie hatched out a dark colored chick.

Before I went to bed last night, a couple of the eggs in the incubator had already pipped…broken thru the shell enough to breathe. The two eggs below, I actually chipped some extra shell off so the chick could get plenty of air.   It makes it harder for them to zip out of the shell so I may end up helping them out if they aren’t out in a couple hours.  I usually take them out of the egg turner and lay the eggs down but I thought I would try it this way for a change.  It does make it easier for me to tell which eggs have pipped.

I have the four chicks that hatched from the incubator in the bathtub.  I put towels or old t-shirts down on the bottom of the tub since it is so slick.  I am trying to decide whether I want to let the mommas outside that hatched their chicks keep them or put them in the tub with the other four that hatched out today, too.  After recently losing one of my chicks to a snake, I believe, I am not comfortable leaving them outside.   I think snake because that is the only thing that could have gotten into the small 2 inch by 4 inch openings.  I have wood along the bottom that is approximately 18 inches high, too.

I have a number of things I should do today but I am pretty sure I will just be staying home enjoying the baby chicks.  I love to watch them take their first steps…so funny.   It is only a matter of hours and they are up and running around.

Yes, it is a good day today.  Maybe I will spend some time in the kitchen cooking up some foods for the next couple days.   I can make some egg salad, put the beans in water to soak, make a pot of chili and  some spaghetti sauce, and there is a cake that is calling my name.   Some days, I just love being home all by myself just piddling.  Other days, I just have to get out of the house.  Two and a half more moths and my husband will be retired and we will have all day, every day together.  I can hardly believe it.  We are going to have so much fun and get so much accomplished.  I tell him his honey-do list is growing every day.  He just smiles.