Our offspring...(as told our light golden Bantam). I am the queen of the broodies here on the Relaxed smallholding and will raise two or even three broods a year (though I don't hang around with them for too long as they grow up...)
Broody hen or incubator? Where possible our owners get us broody chickens to incubate and hatch out any eggs. After all we know what we are doing, we don't need electricity to keep us going and we do all the hard work! Having said that some chickens go broody, get given some eggs and then give up or allow themselves to get disturbed and distracted!! This might mean that an incubator gets used instead, especially if the eggs have been brought in and cost money!!
Most of the time though, us broodies here on the Relaxed smallholding do a great job and as long as we can get off our nest once or twice a day to eat, drink and poo we are quite happy!! We are very good at sitting, occasionally turning the eggs so the developing chick doesn't get stuck or squashed and keeping them at the right temperature, which is about 39.5°C.
Whether the eggs are under one of us or in an incubator, around day seven, our owners have the joy of candling them: this involves shining a bright light through them to see if growth has begun. If not, the egg is not fertile but if a spidery web of red blood vessels can be seen, this is the start of a new chick!! From then on it is fingers crossed because not all eggs continue to grow.. bacteria, genetic faults, problems with heat and humidity.. these are just some of the many problems. BUT, all being well, growth will continue and the developing chick will start to fill the egg!!
Our offspring...(as told our light golden Bantam). I am the queen of the broodies here on the Relaxed smallholding and will raise two or even three broods a year (though I don't hang around with them for too long as they grow up...)
