Chicks Hatching (Ⅱ)

5 Chicks Hatching (I) Waking up at 4: 00 in the morning was much harder than I thought! However, when I remembered what I was going to do that morning, I struggled to get dressed quickly so that I would not miss the chance to go to the hatchery with my aunt and uncle. The moment I entered the incubator room, all my sleepiness evaporated. The smell was absolutely horrible! As five adults hastily prepared the bins that would hold the newborn chicks, I quickly put on a mask and a hat. There were only a few minutes left until the incubator doors were to be opened. I could hear the chirping sounds from the chicks that had already hatched. It seemed as if they were cheering their buddies on, motivating them to break through their shells faster! As the minutes passed, the chirping became louder and louder. Finally, a technician opened the incubator doors. In front of my eyes were rows upon rows of little chicks and broken egg shells. They were literally steaming hot! Every one of them was full of energy -moving, spinning around, and chirping with all of its strength.

All the adults were fast at work while I stared in awe. First, the male and female chicks were separated into different bins. To do this, the technician examined the tips of the wings. Roosters have darker, separated wing tips. The wing tips of hens are fluffy and pale. Next, the chicks were given an injection to boost their immune systems. The entire process took three hours. By the time all the chicks were immunized, the sun had already come up. The vans set out to deliver the chicks to chicken farms, some- times twenty or more kilometres away. They had to deliver the chicks before the day got too hot. Otherwise, the birds would have less chance of surviving. When all the vans had departed in various directions, my aunt took a deep breath. She could relax now that the baby chicks were on the way to their new homes.