Incubation!

Well, I've decided to try something I always thought would be fun! Incubating eggs. I know, I know, not something everyone is in to, but we thought we'd try it and see how it goes. On February 3 we started 14 Buff Orpington eggs (from our hens here at the farm) in a inexpensive styrofoam incubator. Little did I know how technical this would be. It's quite a process!

While this all happens naturally when a hen sits on a clutch of eggs, to imitate the process is a bit challenging. We'll see how successful we are. They are "scheduled" to hatch on February 24 (give or take a few days). The eggs need to be kept at a consistent temperature of 99.5 degrees (how do you get a 1/2 degree???).

Hens normally turn their eggs about every 15 minutes or so, but research tells us that about 4-6 times a day is sufficient. Whew! That's all I would get done!

Not sure how hens know which way is up, but we had to mark ours with X's and O's so we knew if they were flipped or not! At about a week into the process, we candled the eggs. In the old days, actual candles were used, but we used a lamp instead. In a pitch dark room, you hold the egg up to the light and if all goes well, you should see a tiny black spot which would be the embryo. Truly amazing to watch it move around in the egg. Kinda like an egg ultrasound! The kids are excited to see how many hatch. Stay posted!