Restocking

Yesterday we put 27 eggs into the incubator in the hope of breeding more hens. We're again down to only three after losing two last month, and if we lose any more it will be difficult to collect enough eggs to set in the incubator. Or to eat. And our girls are not the broody type (Barnevelders tend not to be), so the artificial method it is. A dozen of the eggs now being warmed to 37.5 degrees were kindly donated by Pauline and John, who took one of last year's roosters, most awesomely named Doodle. We had planned to swap some eggs to mix up the gene pool a bit. So now we have to turn the eggs twice a day for 18 days, then wait anxiously for three more days to see if/how many chicks will hatch. Fingers crossed, or 'pressing thumbs' as the Germans say.