Collecting eggs for hatching

The breeding season here has begun. On Saturday an Indian Game went broody. Her timing couldn't have been more perfect. Today I am starting to collect eggs to set in the incubator at the end of the week. As the Indian Game is an untried broody, if for any reason she gives up sitting I will be able to transfer the eggs to the incubator, if she takes a dislike to the chicks they can go in the brooder along side the others. On the flip side if I get a poor hatch rate from the incubator any chicks maybe able to be fostered onto the broody.

So for now the little Indian Game is sitting very tightly in an ark at home. If she remains settled and all the signs are that she will, I will give her a clutch of Exchequer Leghorn eggs mid week.

The weather forecast for this week is warm and wet, ideal growing conditions for grass. With this in mind I decided at the weekend to move all the hens into fresh runs, giving their old pens a rest and a chance for the grass to grow. We are very fortunate in having very free draining ground, so mud is rarely a problem, it is just I do like the runs to have a good covering of grass for the birds.

Hopefully by moving the flocks I won't have put them off lay as I am looking forward to selecting a good number of eggs for hatching.


Photo: Gold Duckwing Welsummer cockerel and a few of the hens.