My spouse and I decided that our current chicken flock wasn’t enough, and we needed to raise more. Chickens have a natural life cycle: they hatch, grow, lay eggs for a few years, and then typically become dinner. Therefore, it’s essential to raise new chickens to replenish the flock
We purchased an incubator and began collecting eggs that we hoped were fertilized. It’s challenging to be certain if the rooster is doing his job correctly, but we had around 8 to 10 eggs that we were optimistic about. We started the incubator and carefully followed the instructions, ensuring that the temperature and humidity levels were optimal.
For the sake of time, I’ll fast-forward a bit. The incubator sat in our pantry for 21 days while we monitored the temperature and humidity levels and added water as needed. About three days before the expected hatching, we had to increase the humidity level significantly.
On the twenty-first day, we were delighted to find four bewildered baby chicks walking around in the incubator. After they dried off, we placed them in their holding pen with a heat lamp, where they ate, drank, and peeped contentedly. The next morning, they were all still there, and we discovered another wet chick just emerging from its shell. We still had three eggs left in the incubator, and we’re hoping that a few more will hatch. Only time will tell.
