For years chickens have been a part of my homesteading life. During the odd times when there were no chickens in the coop, the urge to get a new flock was too great to deny. Out to the local feed store I would go and would come home with a small box of new chicks.
With the talk going around of 'bird flu' I wanted to secure my supply of birds and eggs. When my son asked me last month what I wanted for my birthday, I said an incubator would be smart.
Nine eggs were suitable for hatching and I set them up for the 21 day hatch period. Out of the nine, one was infertile but the other eight hatched out right on schedule, the day after Christmas.
Once the chicks were all hatched and dried off, they were moved into the brooder, where they will stay until they are fully feathered. The
older birds are free range, but the younger flock will be contained in a coop in order to be kept away from wild birds. Supposedly that's how the bird flu spreads to domestic flocks. No evidence of bird flu has been found in my area so I can't be sure it is even a thing. Most likely it is just another boogie man we are supposed to live in fear of.
Friends and neighbors have been buyers of my eggs for years and with luck, the supply will continue. The incubator will hold 30 eggs, so the next batch will be a bigger turnout. Another layer of food security makes me better able to provide for my family and friends.
Take care,
Tammy
'