Pipping!

But in the end you have a hat full of chicks, which we call a swaddle of hope!

Pipping is when a chick breaks through the inner membrane of an egg and then through the outer egg too. You’ve waited 21 days for this to happen, wondered about the effects of the weather, the temperature, the humidity … trust me, hatching chicks can be stressful! And the pipping is only the start of it. Some chicks once pipped will ‘bounce’ out of the shell, whilst others take up to 24 hours. And did you know that the chick has a special ‘egg tooth’ which is a small sharp bump on the top of their beck that they use first to break and then to saw around the shell it to uncap it, so that they can kick their way free? Amazing adaptation. Of course the whole process is exhausting for them, which is why they need time to rest and fluff-up before tackling life. They won’t need water or food for at least 24 hours, so let them rest, don’t disturb them just yet …

Every year we ponder whether we will hatch this spring. But then the orders start coming in from folks so very excited to be beginning a flock or adding to their collection. And any musing we had about ‘having a year off’ fades to nought. Why? Because the excitement when people collect their pullets is contagious. I do remember also getting my own first chooks, so I know how special it is. It isn’t a simple operation though, for us breeding seasons starts weeks, sometimes months, before the first chick pips. First we need to choose what breeds we will go with each year, create separate housing and yards for our breeding groups and then separate them out. Then we wait 3 weeks before we start to collect eggs to hatch, that way ensuring that the lines are pure. After all of that preparation we can begin to hatch.

And so back to pipping! It’s a great moment. You can breathe knowing that the hatch is going to be OK. We will hatch every week for the next couple of months, waiting for the pipping will get to me every time! But in the end you have a hat full of chicks, which we call a swaddle of hope. Hope that they will all be strong, hope that they will all be girls and, most importantly, hope that they will all find caring and respectful homes. This year we are breeding Silver-laced Wyandotte, Barnvelder, Araucana, Australorp and Speckle Sussex. If you’d like to know more then take a look here https://www.schoolhousefarm.com.au/chickens/ for details.

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