Incubators

There are sixteen chicken eggs keeping warm in our incubators which are due to hatch in ten days time. 

We have two incubators - an R COM Mini and a Covattutto 16.  The R COM holds only three eggs, but is fully automatic and has a digital display.  Once the eggs have been set, the only thing you need to do is top up with water every couple of days.  The Covattutto 16 (as it's name suggests) is supposed to hold sixteen eggs (but I find only has space for 12-14 normal sized hen eggs).  This is a manual incubator, so the eggs have to be turned three times daily (until a couple of days before hatching) as well as topping up with water when needed.  I have found the hatch rate is good with both incubators.  The only problem with the Covattutto is the fact it is heated by a lightbulb, so there is a risk that it may blow in the night.  This in fact happened a few days after these eggs had been set and I came downstairs to eggs that were cold to the touch.  However, I have candled the eggs with my little candling torch and to my relief, there is still life inside! 

We are looking forward to the arrival of the little chicks. It is so exciting after twenty one days of incubating, to listen for the cheeping sounds, see the eggs start to crack and watch the chicks slowly hatch out!

Sunshine & eggs!

The sun came out for a while today which brought me out into the garden to rake up, sweep up and give the garden a quick tidy.  The hens are enjoying the recent sunshine too.  Yesterday they laid four eggs which is the most we've had in a day since the summer!   Their combs are all looking a lot redder so hopefully, they should all be back laying soon. The warmer weather has sent the cockerals into mating overdrive!  Maybe in a couple of weeks, we can think about incubating again. The battery hens which we rescued in October are also looking really well, most of their feathers have grown back and their combs have shrunk back to near normal size.  All the chickens seem less hungry as well.  A couple of weeks back, we couldn't even step outside the back door without being surrounded by them. Now they seem much more content (although they do a get a bit miffed when the pigs get fed in the afternoon!)