Day 2 of 21
Today, I snuck one more egg under Ruby, so I’ll take out an extra after I candle the eggs in a week. I decided to add an egg from Bianca. Bianca is an Easter Egger who looks just like Juliet, but is the most perfectly sweet chicken in the history of the world. It occurred to me today that you would just want to have another chicken like that sweet girl if you could. So I added her egg to Ruby’s stash. Ruby seemed pleased. She didn’t even peck my hand.
I have the coolest story relate to Ruby.
Eggs have to be turned during incubation. If the eggs are not turned regularly, the baby chicks will end up sticking to the shell. The eggs must be turned regularly until 3 days before hatch. At that time, the turning has to stop because the baby chick has to get into position to be born.
Mama hens do all of this naturally, which is just fantastic to me. I am fascinated with instincts because I can see how powerful they are in animals. It makes me wonder about human instincts.
Last night, I went to the garage to get my phone I had left in the car. Ruby’s crate is in the garage at night, and I heard this strange, repetitive little thumping sound coming from Ruby’s crate. I went over to her crate, and in the garage light I could see what was going on.
She was sitting just as she normally would on her eggs, but I could see she was moving, ever so slightly. At first, I wasn’t sure what was going on, but then I realized she was turning her eggs. And then I realized she was turning her eggs with the muscles underneath her, which seemed so cool to me.
I have never seen this happen, even with all of the mama hens I have observed. It was a treat to witness this.
photo credit: Emiel Maters, Unsplash
That is so interesting Crystal. I didn’t know that the eggs had to be constantly turned and to witness how the hen does it is so cool!
Thanks for sharing. 😁
Such an interesting read! It’s fascinating how instincts work so perfectly in animals, isn’t it? I’ve never seen a mama hen turning her eggs by using her muscles underneath before! I am curious, have you observed any other unique behaviors or instincts from Ruby or the other chickens in your care during the incubation process?
Lewis Turner
ProfoundEvolution.com
Oh my gosh! There are so many, I think. The talking and singing to the eggs a couple of days before they hatch is so cool, and, of course, it’s fascinating to me at the devotion to those eggs the hens have during incubation. Some will not even get off of the eggs long enough to eat, drink, and walk. And thank you for reading!