Have you seen the 36 chicken eggs?

Have you seen the 36 chicken eggs yet at the Chicago Ridge Public Library? We are on Day 15 and it is almost time for our baby chicks to hatch! They are expected to hatch on Day 21, which is Monday, May 12th! We do not know at what time they will hatch or if they will begin hatching morning, noon, or night. But we will anxiously await their little peeps! If you haven't been to the library to check on their daily developments, now is the time to do so. We have the daily development growth charts posted at the door when you walk in and on our Youth Services windows. Today, the big events are that the scales, claws, and beak are becoming firm. It is truly amazing at how fast the baby chicks grow inside of their eggs.

Tuesday, April 15th, 2014

Today we cleaned and plugged in our incubator to begin our 2014 Chick It Out at the Chicago Ridge Public Library program! We gently cleaned the incubator to prepare for our eggs which will arrive next Tuesday, April 22nd. We are so EGG-cited!!! Can you guess how many eggs we will be picking up next Tuesday? Write your guess in the comment section.

Also, be sure to stop by the library each day this week to make a craft to celebrate National Library Week!

We can see a beak!

Look closely at Egg #26! We see a beak!!!

Monday, April 29th--Day 21

Major Growth Developments

•The neck begins to spasm.

•The egg tooth pips through the shell.

•Exhausted and wet - but alive - the chick has hatched!

 

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

Day 20--Sunday, April 28th
Major Growth Developments

• The lungs are using the air cell for breathing completely.

• The embryo occupies all of the egg except air cell.Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

 

 

Day 19--Saturday, April 27th

Major Growth Developments

• The yolk sac begins to enter the body cavity.

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

Day 18--Friday, April 26

Major Growth Developments

•The beak breaks through the inner shell membrane.

•The lungs begin to function.

On Friday, we took out the automatic egg turner. The eggs no longer need to be turned after day 18. We will now prepare the incubator for the hatching of the baby chicks.

1.Open the incubator

2.Take the eggs out of the automatic egg turner and place them carefully in the egg cartons that they arrived in.

3.Unplug and take out the automatic egg turner.

4.Place a layer of cheese cloth (like a very thin paper towel) and place over the wire rack.

5.Add sponges to the bottom channels of the incubator to increase moisture. Fill with water.

6.Place the eggs back on to the cheese cloth. The eggs will now rest on their sides.

7.Close up the incubator.

8.Remove the red vent plug from the top.
Information & Image from the University of Illinois website:http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

Day 17--Thursday, April 25th

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/

The Chicks Have A New Web Camera Address!

Please click on the following link

http://chickitoutchicagoridgepubliclibrary.click2stream.com/

to watch the eggs and chicks!

On late Friday afternoon, you will see the eggs moved from the yellow turner to laying flat as the chick's prepare to hatch.