Eggs in the Kitchen, Chickens on the Hill

Funny how the setting instinct has been bred out
of chickens, and now folks have to resort to buying
exceptionally expensive incubators and turners
in order to hatch eggs.

Might have been some money in selling chicks if darn
hens knew how to set. . .

Little Bantam Hens will set all day, but they are simply
too small to cover enough large breed hen eggs to make
it worth the while.

So since this little Seabright gal above is the only
"setter" we have, and she might fit 4 full sized
eggs under her if she is lucky, we invest in the
most recommended incubator and turner in our
price range:
The Brinsea Octogan ECO 20

(CLICK TO ORDER - PHOTO)

(click to order - photo)

And I split an order of 

13 Wheaten and Blue Wheaten
Ameraucana eggs

with a friend at Old Vic Donald's Farm
in Kentucky

 and then purchased

7 Blue Laced Red Wyandotte eggs

 and 8 Black Copper Maran eggs

(all photos from Luanne's Garden, where we

purchased the eggs from in Florida)

http://luannesgarden.blogspot.com/

And I put them in the incubator last

Wednesday morning.

Though shipping is hard on eggs,

I am hoping for a 

great hatch on MARCH 9TH!

Copper Marans lay, when bred well,

deep chocolate eggs

Ameraucanas are uncommon and lay,

typically, lovely blue eggs

and then BLRW are just beautiful chickens.

All of this involvement with chickens reminds

me a lot of my Dad.

He died in June of 2009 at 85 years old, and

there is not much he enjoyed

more than growing berries, grafting fruit trees

and raising Guinea Fowl and Bantam chickens.

He was able, being equipped with "Old Timer" skills I do not

have any idea how to tap into, would set eggs in a caste iron

skillet, all types of eggs, wrapped in an old wash cloth and 

with the pilot light on and by turning by hand, hatch out almost

every single eggs he sat. People usually do not believe it, if they

have a great deal of chicken "expertise," but he was able to 

do it every single time. 

Daddy did not like large breed chickens, as I do, though.

He thought they were fairly inept at protecting themselves,

and they are.

He preferred Bantams or "Banties", which set on their eggs,

forage well and can fly and roost in higher places than their

larger counterparts. 

I have looked all over my house for a DVD with scan of my

dad in 1929 or so holding one of his hens, but I cannot find

it at the moment.

At any rate, whenever I deal with poultry, I think of Daddy. . .

and keep a few Bantams just for him around here :)