Here in Hickery Holler it's egg hatching time. A neighbor has asked us to hatch some Buff Orphington chicks for him. So last week we started saving clean eggs that had been collected on days that the temperatures were milder. We do not wash the eggs because they have a natural protective coating that we do not want to wash off. They were put in egg cartons and the cartons were turned over or rolled twice a day. They were not put in the refrigerator but rather left at room temperature until enough were collected to fill the incubator. During that time O Wise One got the incubator out and wiped it out with a rag soaked in rubbing alcohol to sterilize it, let it air out and started it running to regulate the temperature. It was then loaded with 50 relatively clean eggs. Hopefully in 21 days we should have chicks. The eggs will have to be rolled daily by hand and we check the temperature every day to make sure the incubator is maintaining the proper temperature. The neighbor should be happy with his chicks and any extras can be raised for meat and canned or sometimes chicks are sold at the local animal auction.
Blessings from The Holler
The Canned Quilter
Aw how cute! Sounds like something my girls would love to see :)
ReplyDeleteHappy to have you back posting on your blog. Looking forward to see little baby chicks!
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful!
ReplyDeleteDo you ever let your chickens hatch eggs, or is it easier to do it in an incubator?
Hope you're doing well. ♥
That sound great! Wish they were my chickens you were hatching :o( I don't think my prayer got through..Or maybe it's not one that I've been granted :o( at least I was given an abundance of greens I didn't expect :o)
ReplyDeleteSo interesting. I want chickens I want chickens-thats what I've been saying for more than a few years : ) Maybe soon!
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