Last night, around 1 a.m. the first Black Orpington chick popped out of it’s shell and announced to the world that HE WAS HERE! 🙂  I think all the first born are boys, someday I will mark them just to see if it’s true.  Another followed earlier this evening and all but one have at the very least pipped the shell.  It’s always exciting to watch the chickens hatch, and goodness, this time I nearly forgot they were there!!!  When I went in one day late to put them in the hatch position and increase the humidity one had already made a small pip in the shell! Imagine my suprise as I held it up to the light to candle and saw that!!!  I quickly hurried and get everyone settled in, and hoped that he hadn’t really punctured the inner sac and would be ok.  He was, because he’s out and about as I type this to you!

I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the SOLE GLO Family 1 chick that actually developed into a chick.  Pierre I guess just couldn’t get the job done with these big buff hens of mine.  Out of almost 3 dozen eggs, only 1 chick, and I’m anxious to see if it follows suit with the rest of the buff ones or can prove once & for all that the black chick is from GLO Family 1!  I have my doubts, the more I read, the more I learn.  I guess if this one pops out buff, I’ll have to accept that he is a product of some accidental breedings through wire walls and I suppose will have to beef up my dividers to prevent this sort of thing in the future.