First Chicks of 2012 and the Kids Learn the Ropes

This morning I moved 11 eggs to the hatching incubator....the first one was already starting to pip...

As of this evening the first chicks of 2012 have begun to hatch!  These are more of the meat chicks, but it looks like the first one may be a blue.

And this afternoon we started teaching the kids the "ropes" aka leash/collar training them.  The easiest way to do this is to attach them to a fence with a bungee cord.  When training this way you must NEVER leave them unattended.  They did pretty good for their first time.  I also took this opportunity to weigh each of them.  Genesis was a natural....she didn't struggle and relaxed within just a minute or so.  She is now 33# at 47 days of age....

Next up is my favorite, Glory.  She was less than impressed with the whole exercise, but she is getting the object of the lesson.  She is also 33# at 47 days of age...

And the not so little princess made her feelings clear.  She is the heaviest of the girls at 35# at 47 days of age...

Being a typical boy, Beaux was a bit slower to catch on.  He preferred the tugging method of protest.  His growth is catching up, he is 29# at 48 days of age...