Sometimes hatching chicks is sad. This little one never made it out of his shell. The conditions were fine in the incubator, which leads me to believe there was a problem with the chick. It's never fun to find a dead baby. Ever. 

But the good always outweighs the bad. I have so many little fluffy peeps in the brooder right now and it makes me incredibly happy. 

They are mutts, mixed breed, barnyard mix, whatever you want to call them. They will be gorgeous. They could lay different colored eggs. They will be unique, which makes it so much more fun. Purebred poultry has its place, but so do the mixes.  There are so many unique feather patterns that come from the barnyard mixes.