For three weeks in April, I was a crazy Mother Hen, turning chicken eggs three times per day, fretting about temperature and humidity, hauling eggs home on the weekends... hoping in the end all my hard work would pay off. I got 2 dozen eggs from the U of I Extension Office, of which 21 were fertile. Three died early on, and one that I expected to hatch never pipped. Tuesday, April 29th was hatch day, and Room 208 was quite blessed with 17 little peepers!! Here is a photo journey from the incubator to the brooder. Enjoy!

That one on the right is almost hatched...

It's awfully messy in there, and wet...

Here I am completing the great "Chick Switcharoo," changing out the wet handi-wipes for some dry ones so the humidity can go down and the little ones can dry off and fluff up.Hi Mommy!!He's not dead... just dead tired!
Hatching out is hard work!!

Meanwhile, in the brooder, 8 little chicks explore their world...
Someone's going to check out the water trough...

Soon, everyone knows how to drink!
Chicks have lots of group hugs...

Look at that perfect little chicken physique!!
He's strutting while his friends put their beaks to the pine shavings--and like it!

Hey, scoot over so I can eat, too!!

Here's me with a peep...

Linda's grandsons came to visit...

On Friday afternoon, it was time to take our chicks to the farm.
I put a note to the custodian asking him to throw the box away...
That little black chick is wondering what it says!
The first thing I heard when I got to the farm was one of the roosters crowing!
He has a LOT to say!!
There is also a dog that lives on the farm.
This is Molly. She's very sweet.
Here I am showing one of the chicks to farmer Nate...
He said our chicks were "handsome."
Finally, the chicks were in their new home...
under the heat lamp in the chicken coop.