Yesterday morning when I got up, two chicks had hatched. By the end of the afternoon, all ten that Emma expected had emerged. It was a lot of fun, because these were the last, and Emma had taken the turner out the night before. We didn't have to worry about getting them out immediately to prevent them being crushed. Once there got to be three or four toddling around in there, it grew quite comical, as they are so unsteady at first, they appear drunk. They bump into each other and trip over eggs that haven't hatched, lose their balance while walking backwards and fall flat on their backs, then lie there, little wings outstretched, looking pathetic until they get enough energy to flip over. Their antics reminded me of The Three Stooges.
The only problem Emma had out of all the chicks that have hatched was one little black one yesterday. He was covered in slime, and it was drying on him and gluing his beak shut and his eyes open. Emma tried wiping it off with a wet paper towel. It didn't help. Then she added some baking soda to the water. That helped, but it didn't get it all. Finally she just gave him a bath in a Pyrex measuring cup. She said he liked it. When he was clean she wrapped him up.
Little Baby Bunting is de-slimed and ready to go back in the incubator.
After ballet last night, Emma got all the incubator chicks out and gave them a drink before bed. Two or three of them decided not to wait for assistance and just hopped right in the bowl.
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