The size difference between these chicks amazes me. The #bressechicken in the center and the #maranschicken on the right hatched the same day / both came as hatching eggs from @alchemistfarm The #buffOrpington on the left is less than 2 weeks younger than the others and maybe half the size. Hatchery stock. There is a huge difference in quality between a good breeder and a hatchery. These Bresse babies are the nicest, friendliest and most mellow birds I've ever had. So far they have been my favorite chicks for their personalities alone. #petchickens #backyardchickens

Just got home tonight. We had babies a bit ahead of schedule. So far only 6 of 14 hatched. I think my post office mishandled the eggs, and that's why we have such a poor hatch rate. There were 7 #bressechicken eggs and only 4 hatched. 1 was a dud and 2 quit after about a week. 2 of my 7 #maranschicken eggs hatched so far. I am going to leave the other 5 eggs in the incubator a while longer just in case. We usually have a 90%+ hatch rate, but since the post office lost my eggs for a couple of days, there's no telling what those poor guys have been through. I figure I'll be lucky to get 50% this time around.