Tuesday, April 26, 2016

The Hen vs. the Human

The Buckeye hen senses that is is spring and time for chicks. Every day she lays an egg in a nest in the hen house.

When I realize she's gone broody, I give her a few extra eggs and let her sit.


She takes her job seriously and turns the eggs daily so that they chick doesn't stick to one side. Once a day, she leaves the nest to eat and drink.

I, too, sense it's spring and time to incubate chicks. I collect eggs and place them in a carton in the workshop. I elevate one side of the carton and turn it every day.


Until one day, when I'm not paying attention, and I drop several of the eggs.

But I am persistent and go about collecting eggs.

When I've collected 30 eggs, I add water to the incubator and plug it in. The perfect conditions are 100 degrees and 58-60 percent humidity.

It reaches 99 degrees. I put the eggs in and turn the temperature a little higher.

I planned to go back and check it again. But I'm distracted by the garden, the horses, the sheep, the lambs, the cats. Hours later, I go to bed, tired from an evening spent outdoors.

In the morning, I remember the incubator.

The temperature reads 104 degrees.

I fried my eggs.

I've resumed collecting more eggs for the incubator. Meanwhile, the hen sits, waiting for the peeps that indicate she has chicks.

5 comments:

  1. bummer.....how long were you cursing and beating yourself up???

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  2. Not too long. In the grand scheme of things, it's just a minor inconvenience. :-)

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  3. I had incubated a bunch of eggs, and the night before hatch day I heard the peeping. Well, my faithful tabby (Abby), who accompanied me daily into the spare bedroom to check the eggs, had curled up on top to nap, and bumped the dial all the way up. What's worse, is I was awakened by a lovely smell, and thought my husband had fixed me breakfast. Ugh. Now all 3 of my incubators are set to the right temp, and there's a yogurt container taped over each heat knob. :)

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    Replies
    1. When I tell this story, it seems like everyone who has attempted to hatch eggs has an "incubation gone wrong" story. Thanks for sharing!

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    2. When I tell this story, it seems like everyone who has attempted to hatch eggs has an "incubation gone wrong" story. Thanks for sharing!

      Delete