9 chicks!

This morning when we arrived at the library, we had 7 cute chicks waiting for us in the incubator!

We now have a total of 9 baby chicks!

More pictures to be updated later!

Please stop by and see our little ones! They are so cute and each unique in their different colors!

By the end of Wednesday we had fourteen baby chicks! They are all very CUTE!

Saturday hatching!

The baby chick called Saturday made their first pip hole in the egg on Friday afternoon. Saturday hatched on Saturday morning at 8:40 a.m.

Watch below to see the hatching!

A CHICK HAS HATCHED!!!!

A CHICK HAS HATCHED!!!

We have a little black baby chick that was born this morning, Saturday, April 24th at 8:40 a.m.

Yesterday I was in our YouthServices Workroom at 4 p.m. and I heard peeping! I went over to the incubator and saw that Egg #5 had made their first pip in the egg! A pip is a tiny crack where they start to break their egg shell to hatch. We were all very surprised to see that a chick could be starting to hatch on Day 17. I googled on the Internet to see if this has happened to people before that a chick could hatch before their 21 days of growth and I found that our breed of chickens that we are hatching "Bantam Chickens" can begin to hatch as early as Day 18! WOW!!!

I went to the store and bought some "gauze bandages aka.cheesecloth" to help cushion the chicks when they hatched. Many of us stayed to help on Friday night to take out the automatic turner 1 day early. We took out the turner, added sponges to the water tray for more moisture, put the gauze bandages down over the wire rack, and carefully laid the eggs on the gauze so that they can hatch.

This morning at 8:40 our first chick was born....4 days early!

Our Hannah Montana club attendees were the first to see our new baby chick!

We named our first chick #5 Saturday after a children's book titled

A Chick Called Saturday

written by Joyce Dunbar illustrated by Brita Granstrom

I will upload pictures and hatching videos this afternoon after Hannah Montana Club & Bakugan Club. Stop by the library to see our first baby!

Updates

April 23rd - Day 17

Day 17

Major Growth Developments
The beak turns towards the air cell.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

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April 22nd - Day 16

Day 16

Major Growth Developments
The embryo turns its beak toward the air cell.
The chorioallantoic cavity lines most of the inside surface of the egg shell.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

Updates

April 21st Day 15

Day 15

Major Growth Developments

• The scales, claws, and beak are becoming firm.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

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April 20th Day 14

Day 14

Major Growth Developments

• The embryo turns its head toward the blunt end of the egg.
• The skull has begun to ossify.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/
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April 19th Day 13

Day 13
Major Growth Developments

• Fingers of the wings are covered with feather papillae.

• The left and right collar bones fuse to form the wishbone.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

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April 18th Day 12

Day 12
Major Growth Developments

• Scales appear on the lower legs.

• The embryo continues to grow and move.

• The ribs begin to ossify.

  Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

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April 17th Day 11

Day 11
Major Growth Developments

• The toe claws begin to curve downward.

• The bottom of the feet become padded.

• Feather germs on the back and tail appear as long, tapering cones.

• The beak begins to harden.

• The comb appears serrated.

• The embryo begins to draw calcium from the eggshell for its growing bones.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

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April 16th Day 10

Day 10

Major Growth Developments

• Claws begin to form.
• The comb is visible.
• Flight feathers appear.
• Feather tracts appear over the sternum.
• Lower eyelids develop.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

April 15th - Day 9

Day 9
Major Growth Developments
Upper eye lids begin to cover the eyes.
The knee caps begin to form.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

Wednesday, April 14th Day 8

Day 8

Major Growth Developments

• Three rows of feather germs are visible on the tail.
• The nictitating membranes (inner eye lids) begin to form.
• The egg tooth begins to form.
• The bone marrow cavity of the femur begins to form.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

Chicken Quilt Challenge

Thank You to everyone who participated in the

2010 Chicken Quilt Challenge!

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(If you haven't finished your quilt yet, or even started...don't worry their is still time!

If you would like more information on how to make a quilt, please ask Kathy, Kathryn, or Irene)

We really appreciate all of your hard work!

The quilts are BEAUTIFUL!

Stop by the library to see the chick quilts on display

Updates

Tuesday, April 13th

Day 7

Major Growth Developments

• A row of feather germs appears on the tail.
• The sclera of the eye begins to form.
• Feather papillae appear on the thigh.
• The leg bends at the knee.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

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Monday, April 12th
Day 6

Major Growth Developments

• The beak becomes visible.
• The wing bends at the elbow.
• The allantois begins to fuse with the chorion.
• The ribs begin to appear.
• The gizzard begins to form.
• The intestines begin to loop.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

Weekend Updates

Sunday, April 11th Day 5

Day 5

Major Growth Developments

• The reproductive organs begin to form.


• The bones of the legs begin to form.


• The crop begins to form.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/
Saturday, April 10 th Day 4

Day 4 - April 10th

Major Growth Developments

• The somites extend to the tip of the tail.


• The toes begin to form


• The allantois is visible coming off the hindgut.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

Day 3 - April 9th

Day 3

Major Growth Developments

• The head begins to turn onto its left side.


• The tongue begins to form.


• The amnion completely surrounds the embryo.


• The tail has appeared.


• Wing and leg buds are visible.


• Soon other organs such as the liver, kidneys, and lungs will appear.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

Day 2 April 8th

Day 2

Major Growth Developments

• 25 hours: The heart begins to form.
• 33 hours: The ears begin to form.
• 42 hours: The heart starts to beat.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

Day 1

Day 1

Major Growth Developments

• 18 hours: The alimentary tract appears.
• 19 hours: The brain crease begins to form.
• 20 hours: Somites appear.
• 21 hours: The brain and nervous system begin to form.
• 22 hours: The head fold begins to form.
• 23 hours: Blood islands appear.
• 24 hours: The eyes begin to form.

Information & Image from the University of Illinois webpage: http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

THE EGGS HAVE ARRIVED!

Chick - It - Out...The eggs have arrived at the Chicago Ridge Public Library



Stop by to see the eggs. They are located by the Youth Services workroom.