I haven’t managed to count them and I haven’t removed and counted the unhatched eggs yet, but there are 30 to 35 of them all running around in a small brooder. I need to find something bigger quickly!
I wasn’t planning on hatching so many at once, as in some ways smaller numbers are easier to look after (less poo all at once!). But we have decided to put them in a separate covered cage when they get a bit bigger so it is better if they are all the same age rather than done in several hatches.
I also bought a new and bigger incubator (it was a return so special price else I would have got the smaller one). I sold one of the two we had, so we still have two and there are duck eggs in the other one at the moment (they went in on the 6th so should hatch the 4th of May)
The hatch rate on our eggs was good, but on the ones we got by post, not so good - all that shaking around isn’t good for them, also I wonder if the chickens they came from were older than ours which reduces viability a bit...
The ones we got by post are special because you can tell male and female apart as soon as they hatch.
This is a male (paler, less distinct ‘humbug’ appearance and pale dot on head)
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