My little hen is all grown up! Four days ago, she laid her very first egg. I was - and still am - a whirlwind of anxious excitement. Since that first surprise, however, she hasn't laid another. I'm trying to be patient.
Her early debut was completely unexpected. I had estimated her first egg would not arrive until January or February of 2026. But the other day, I noticed her fussing around a biscuit tin with a rooster in tow. An hour later, I checked the coop and there it was: a perfect, tiny pullet egg. I've since placed this precious first egg in the incubator alongside six others from a more experienced hen. Will it hatch? Only time will tell.
Speaking of incubation, I began my sixth attempt two days ago, this time with the temperature set at 37.7°C (my reason for adjusting it is below). Sadly, my fifth round was a failure. One egg showed promise but never pipped, while the others developed what I believe were blood rings. I'm left wondering if raising the temperature to 37.9°C was a mistake, or if other factors - like a diet not quite optimized for breeding - played a part.
But it wasn't all loss! From the two eggs I left with a broody mother hen, I was gifted one beautiful yellow chick. It's 22 days old today, thriving under its mother's care. And, as always, I am keeping my fingers crossed that it's a hen.
A Lesson in Natural Timing
This successful natural hatch taught me something. I took observation, carefully noted the timeline and found out that the entire process took roughly 22 days. This has me rethinking my incubator settings. The default temperature of 37.8°C might be a touch too high. After all, higher temperatures are known to cause early development and premature hatching. Observing my broody hen's perfect schedule makes me hopeful that lowering the temperature to 37.7°C for this new batch will better mirror nature's perfect pace.
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