Throwing the baby out with the bathwater

I put a few eggs into the incubator.. it was 8pm, so I knew NOT to count that day as day 1.. so starting with march 24th I counted to 21.. chicks were due April 10th.
April 9th, not one peep, zip.. or quiver.. I flashlighted the eggs, 2 very dark, 7 clear as can be.. DARN IT!

So I walk away a bit dissapointed.. as these eggs are my coveted Seremas.

So I go ahead and wait.. day 23 nothing.. day 24.. nadda..
(too stupid to give up, too lazy to clean the inc)

8am day day 25.. I tell hubby.. we need to empty the incubator.. the whole batch is a wash.. he answers.. so sorry hun.. I know you really wanted this batch.. We sit.. we sip our coffee in quiet dissappointment..

The darn birds outside.. that we always enjoy listening to, to start our day.. were pretty sharp today.. rather screachey.. we both look at each other and jump up...

YES>> WE HAVE A BABY.. lol.. there, screaming his fool mini head off is the tiniest black serema..

Just one lone chick.. thats ok.. I can love him, hug him and sqeeze him.. lol he can be my sidekick and since Mr Haystack is the champion Serama dude.. I will honor him by naming my new best friend.. Howie..

I guess my point here, besides bragging, is don't be too quick to throw out those "dud" eggs. For those of you that are quicker than I with the calendar, know that I miscounted, Howie was born right on time.. BUT: I didn't know that.. had I thrown these eggs away on MY perceived day 22..

Congrats, Howie is darling! So happy for you!!

Congrats Miss Frans, I too did not clean out the bator for a few days more, until it was stinking... No babies, but I did give it my best...

Congrats!!

Such a cutie. Congratulations. Glad you waited.
I always wait several days more because eggs can take 2 to 3 days to germinate. I usually wait at least 24 or 25 days.

Congrats on the one little baby!! Just don't squeeze him too hard, or you won't have a Howie :)

What an incredible story: Congrats to you and Hubby. WOW I am sitting here watching my own serama eggs, I have five in the bator, and, the first hatched early this morning. Then I turn on the computer, Daves and I read this story and see this beautiful baby and on top of it all........I feel honored darling but, but, HOWIE I don't know darling I have a feeling it's not gonna be a happy chick with a name like that. hmmmm. Hay.

Congrats on the baby! It is darling!

Thanks everyone..
this is the noisiest chick I have ever had.. he had water, feed and warmth.. I even gave him half an egg carton.. thinking he might want back in the "womb".. I think he just likes to talk..

They are social creatures.

I had to hand raise a single chick. I had to sleep with my hand hanging in the brooder to keep her quiet. She still thinks she is a person and hates hanging with the other pullets.

Maybe you'd better buy Howie some friends so he'll grow up knowing he's a chicken...

{{Any excuse to acquire more.}}

I put a little stuffed animal in with one that I had single for a while.. at least it had something to snuggle with. In fact, I think it was Murphy!

I've heard a mirror works with single ducks, I don't know about chickens.

up date, up date. How is little darling doing??? UP DATE.

Good morning everyone!
Mini Howie has had a little rough weekend. DH and I left to go to a 2 day sheep shearing class, not wanting to leave the two babies, Jack the puppy and Howie the mini chick, alone, I sent them both to my dd & dgd. They live in town and just love coming out to the farm..
Yesterday morning dd called and said Howie didn't look to good.. he was kind of wobbly and they hadn't seen him eat..
Being so far away, I was pretty sure we would lose him.. I felt bad for the girls.. they hadn't done anything wrong..
We were headed home around 5, a 3 hour drive, and get a call from dgd... "grandma, Mom tried to kill shark bait (she doesn't like the name howie).. he went to sleep and she set him outside" She goes on to tell me he is about frozen so she brought him in and put him under a light.. and sure enough he unfreezes and starts to wiggle and scream.. IT"S A MIRACLE.. Howie has now been given up for dead twice! The phantom chicken.
I don't believe he had eaten and barely drank for the 2 days.. which he still should have been ok.. but not in the cold.

He is now under a heat lamp, eating drinking and when you walk away he screams his fool head off!

This message was edited Apr 18, 2010 6:16 AM

LOL that Howie is sure a fighter..... Way to go DGD....

Good save! I hope he makes it!!

Ok, so I do take everyones advice.. swirl it all up and come out with something I can live with..
Howie seems to be struggling a bit.. like he doesn't know how to eat.. and everytime he finds the water.. or I put his beak in.. it's like the very first time.. he just goes nuts and drinks like mad.. food is a hit of miss.. I have a little hard cooked and crumbled egg yolk.. oatmeal, corn flour, and of course a bit of real chick starter..

Still not eating.. when you put your hand in his beddie he runs up and sits in your palm.. He is a little wobbly.. I am kind of worried the kids (my sitters) may have had him on flat surfaces watching him.. maybe a touch of splayed???

Anyway.. I remember a little easter chick that chirps my delightful spouse bought me one year to try to stave me off of chicks for awhile.. I dig it out.. set it in with Howie.. make it chirp a little..

Darn it if Howie isn't eating everything in sight before that big goofy bafune gets all his food... Darn lucky "Stuffy" decided to take a nap or Howie would have had to duke it out with him.

LOL!!!!!!

I think Howie is rebelling cause he need's a name change, Like maybe (Luckie) Ya think...Hay

Definitely better than Shark Bait!

I have a luckie.. I happen to like Howie!!!

hi
i just put 42 more egg into the bator
i trying for a better hatching
elle

little Howie is still doing well

He's probably wondering who killed the rabbit and am I next???...LOL

All babies are alike! They need TLC! Literally! If an infant isn't handled and cuddled, and talked to, they'll fail to thrive, and can be mentally unstable! You did GOOD!!!

Glad he is doing well.

Now Mr Haystack.. you know that is just a chick in a rabbit costume, right?

And stuffy isn't dead silly, he chirps when ever the human mommie (me) puts her hand in the little housing bucket.

Of course, Silly me: I knew that...Didn't I???