Ninxy-bating the Eggs

The incubator

So it is that I have been avoiding this life changing project for some number of months now. Our preacher neighbor has offered his incubator numerous times and up until this last time we have all but turned it down saying we much prefer to just let nature takes its course. Of all of the times that we have tried to force nature's hand at doing this whole animal thing 9 out of 10 times it just hasn't worked. So, Brad and I both figured we'd just let hens do the hatching and mothering and take the fake brooder out of the picture. Somewhere in there things began to change. Feeling quite confident now, still not quite sure why, and it being a great school project I finally gave in and said we'd take him up on his offer. Now that we have hens laying fertile eggs it proved to be easy enough to gather a week's worth and place them in a straw filled bucket awaiting the great incubation....or as Garrison, Grant and Garrett have deemed it....the great ninxy-bating day. A week's worth of eggs made a grand total of 20 that went into incubation since we only have 4 hens laying at the current moment. Since this was a school project and an effort to make up for the 6 chicks we lost the responsibility was completely up to the children to care for these eggs. Grayson was faithful to turn them twice a day...which quickly fell into a routine of 8am and 8pm, keeping water trays filled to keep humidity at a constant level and adjusting temps as the outside temps affected indoor temps, thus affecting incubator temps. In all honesty, I had very little hope of any of these things hatching. For a first time event I felt we had royally screwed some of the care of them up. One morning we came in to find some little somebody had turned the dial and the temp was a mere 83 degrees when it is supposed to be kept at a consistent 99.5. To make matter's worse, it had stayed that temp all night long since the discovery wasn't made until early the next morning. Another morning we came in to find the water trays were empty and humidity was at a 46% when optimal is 55%. And yep....it had dehumidified sometime in the wee hours of the morning and been low for more than a few hours. Then one night we looked up at midnight and realized the eggs hadn't been turned at all. Now for all of those who have no incubating experience whatsoever....if you fail to turn then the chicks actually stick to the sides of the egg and develop deformed since they are now conveniently glued to one side of the egg. Another day we realized that night that one had been missed in the turning process that morning. Admittedly, I grew a little tired of ninxybating the eggs. And, though I dare not tell the children, my hopes of any of them actually making a grand appearance was pretty slim. Finally as the infamous day 21 drew near I broke it to them that reality was....some of them....or well...probably ALL of them were not going to hatch. I mean....how can an egg that you just stuck in a warm moist place just grow a real live little something with only minimal care...or well, ok....alot of care. And how on earth could these things that have been so still, so very lifeless for days on end, go from nothingness that you eat to something with a heartbeat? I just couldn't see it happening.

Unburying the eggs

Last night I heard that ever still quiet little voice give instructions to go check the incubator. Usually not one to tune into it too terribly much, since I had grown tired of seeing the same thing for days on end, I followed the still small voice and peeked in. Peering through the foggy, water droplet filled window I saw that one of the eggs had a small hole punched out of it. I thought it strange and called Grayson in asking, "Has that crack always been there?" He came to life and excitedly said, "No ma'am!!! They're starting to hatch!!!!!" A bit doubtful I peered back in to get a better look. Suddenly my own excitement took over and it was like Christmas morning. The small egg indeed had a living thing pushing through the shell. The egg wiggled and came to life as the outer shell was pushed upward and outward. I ran to Brad, as excited as all of the children now were, and said, "They're hatching!!!!". He too came in and in our tiny 10 sq ft utility room all 10 of us gathered around and took turns looking into the foggy window of the incubator. For the remainder of the night it was like a theatre had been erected in our laundry room. It suddenly became the most popular place to be in the entire house. Little ones clambered up and over laundry baskets and were told over and again not to lift the lid. Older kids stood there transfixed, chins cupped in hands as they conversed about the most recent happenings taking place within. As the hours wore on our little chick made progress. Finally his beak became visible and everyone applauded. A little while longer little tufts of black wet feathers pushed through the growing hole, tiny egg tooth now shining brightly from within the shell. We finally forced everyone to bed....hearing the wails up until sleep overtook our tired brood. I am convinced they would've slept in there with this nearly hatched chick if permitted. Tired little boys would've fallen asleep right on top of the incubator if allowed. Aubrey was, by far, the most broken hearted of them all. Her intense love of animals, not surprisingly, carried over into the hatching chicks. We awoke to little progress on the chick's behalf and surmised he had slept through the night. Readied for church we left our little brood still incubating, as the 3 Sundays before. But, unlike the 3 Sundays before, we arrived home to see great progress and Mr. Chicky's head now completely visible through the large opening that he is still pecking away at. Much to our delight 4 more have begun their pecking vigil as they take on the task of fighting their way into the world.

Marking for turning

How utterly amazing this is to me. Though I have now gone through the entire journey of pregnancy 7 times and given birth 8 times I don't think it has ever been so real to me as when it came alive in this incubator right before my eyes. Despite the fact that my midwifery practice allowed me to actually participate in almost 100 births it just never really seemed to be as alive as when watching this chick come to life. Maybe because I was so caught up in the moment of helping and being of service to those giving birth I failed to recognize the absolute miracle of life itself. I'm not quite sure. I do know that this is absolutely one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. I love that the children all get to see this at their ages...something they will take with them later into life. I love that it is not something they see pictures of on a page in a book but something that they are actually taking part of. They feel the humidity, they smell the process, the can touch it all. It's as hands on as it gets and it's a life changing project to watch something that goes from seeming nothingness to a living thing. It seems to put into perspective the miracle of life itself....and really just creates a desire to own a sonogram machine for our own personal use when baby #9 pops up.

"Can you see it????"

Life itself is amazing. How can anyone doubt there is a God when watching the miracle of life? To think that an egg smaller than a grain of sand is held within my own body and has the ability to divide into millions of cells that become this beautiful baby girl that I cradle in my arms is incomprehensible to my mortal mind. Wrapped snugly and securely in her sleepywrap while we worship at church she is lulled to sleep by the rocking motion of my own body and the sound of my heartbeat against her ear. Sounds and movements so familiar to her. A mere four months before this was her world, where she grew from nothingness to a complete and perfect human being. I glance down at my sleeping angel, short brown hairs barley cover a pale white head, blue veins visibly pumping blood through her entire being. A tiny fist curled up against my chest and the gentle movements of her tiny chest as she breathes in and breathes out in her deep slumber. Life. How could something so beautiful and so perfect be so nonexistent and by the hand of God, in His perfect timing, be brought forth to life?

Jeremiah 1:5 (New International Version)

5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

I look over at bigger baby who turns circles as beautiful older girls dance around him, praising without inhibition. Little boys play instruments keeping near perfect time with a drum, shaking shakers and beating the triangle. I take it all in as I marvel over the miracle of their lives. It is no less amazing to me....even more so.....that these bigger little people came from my body....each one birthed at a specific time God ordained before the beginning of time itself. I smile at them and 7 happy faces smile broadly back. I am captivated by this moment in time. The gift of life surrounds me and it is an amazing thing.

Psalm 139:13 (New International Version)
13 For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

Ecclesiastes 11:5 (New International Version)
5 As you do not know the path of the wind,

or how the body is formed in a mother's womb,

so you cannot understand the work of God,

the Maker of all things.

Another version of Ecc 11:5 reads interestingly and so very true:

"As you do not know the path of the wind,
or know how life and the spirit enter the body being

formed in a mother's womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things."

The discovery of the 1st chick's hatching

Watching him work away at the shell

Progress viewed from the moisture covered window

The suspense grows

The captivated audience



His egg tooth and black head now visible...behind the one in front you can see the 2nd egg starting to hatch, the chick within beginning it's pecking journey to freedom