Anthony's turn

Connor's Chicks

Still having fun photographing them!

Miss Erin's Daycare kids enjoying a visit from the chicks

You Tube Hatching

Watch one of our chicks hatching on You Tube. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-T4X2Z4i9M
Called Easter Chick Hatching from Kramerrooster

What's on the other side of the fence anyway?

Out for a stroll!

Connor and his friends holding the chicks

This is why we do this! Look at these beautiful kids and their smiles! Connor really took on the responsibilities of hatching out the chicks this year. From the beginning to end. He really wants to carry on this special tradition for his children!

Connor and Koen

Kaitlyn and Brittany

Brayden and Brooke

Can I get a ride to the feed store?

Ready for my close up!

These 3 are waiting for the rest to arrive!

Connor is so excited about the chicks! It was a long night.

The "peeping" started around 2am. After the first couple chicks

arrive and start "peeping" the rest work even harder to get out of

their shells.

Hhmmm, aren't we all working hard to come out of our shells! ha ha

Keep Smiling! Robin

On my way out!!

Chick Facts: when the chick is pecking it's way out of the egg

it turns it's little body around and around inside the egg. This is

how it breaks off it's little umbilical cord. So we never assist

the chicks when they are arriving. We let nature do

it's thing. Other wise we could actually hurt the chick or worse.

There's a little useful tid bit for you!

The first 3 chicks! Thursday April 9th

Here are the first 3, cuddling together inside the incubator

on the drying tray. Once they are dry and fluffy, we move

them into the brooder. I'll post pictures through out the

day. Lots of chicks still to come! Oh, it's so exciting!

The first peck! Wednesday, April 8th

Well they started pecking yesterday afternoon. Most of them

are making their long journey out of the eggs now!

2009 eggs!

Here are the 2009 eggs in our incubator! There is a lot of preparation involved. First we have to count the days on the calendar so they will start hatching on Easter weekend! It takes 21 days for incubation. So we have to make sure we have ordered the fertile eggs, get the incubator ready and at the correct temperature and then wait!

Every day, Connor's job is to check the temperature and the humidity levels. The water bucket that keeps the trays inside moist have to be filled every few days.

The gray metal trays holding the eggs, tilt every half an hour.

Our estimated hatching time is for next Friday, Good Friday!

We will photograph the process and post the images to the blog so you and your little ones can enjoy the experience with us.

Stay tuned! Keep Smiling, Robin

Scott holding his rooster, age 7

I wasn't kidding when I said that this tradition goes back a long way. Scott's Dad & Mom, Papa Ron & Nana Red started hatching chicks at Easter for Scott and his sister Shay when they were little.
I remember the first Easter I was dating Scott, we arrived at his Dad's house and there was a box full of baby chicks. Well, I was hooked! A few years later, we got married and had Connor. Scott bought a large incubator and we continued the tradition!
What do we do with these chickens, you ask? Well we let the kids enjoy the experience and then we take them to our friends farm!

Connor's baby shoes!

In 2007, I decided to have some fun and started photographing the chicks. On the first day they hatch, they are very docile. I could plop them in anything and they would just sit and look at the camera. Yes, they pooped on everything!

Now, I didn't set up any elaborate back drops and lighting equipment. I was just using our little compact Sony digital camera and grabbing fun little props from around the house. But our friends and family loved it!

So this year I'm going to be prepared and take some really good photos! I've got a ton of fun ideas to place the chicks in, stay tuned!!