Choosing an incubator for your fertile eggs

When your main criteria is cost--in that you don't want to spend more than $20--your incubator options narrow pretty quickly. In fact, you're left with only two choices: to buy a Chick-bator, pictured below, or to build your own.

Well, I decided that while the materials might be cheap, the time to gather and assemble them (and the shear will required to finish any project lately) would be better spent on building the coop we'll (hopefully) need in 6-8 weeks. I also had a coupon, which may have been the determining factor. :-)

According to the people at PoultryHelp.com I've made a horrible mistake. Not my first one, to be sure, but I'm still a little worried. After polling the nice folks hanging out on the boards at BackYardChickens.com, though, I think we do still have a fighting chance.

While I do think I should invest in a hygrometer to measure the humidity (and it looks like Home Depot has one for $2.98, which is within my budget), it seems like we have all of the components for success. Our setup may need a little more attention than an expensive incubator but I'm enjoying checking on the little darlings. Since I should be able to work from home almost every day for the next three weeks, I don't think we're quite doomed (yet).

UPDATE: I was actually able to find a free hygrometer on freecycle. It's only a couple of miles away--even closer than Home Depot--so I'm saving $2.98 plus tax as well as a little bit of gas. ;-) Just goes to show that you really don't have to spend a bundle to have fresh, organic food. A huge amount of effort, yes, but a lot of money, no.

A promise to my unhatched eggs

When (if?) these eggs hatch they won't be pets the same way that the dogs and cats are. They'll be moving outside as soon as they're old enough and they will never, ever be allowed in the bed. ;-) They are, however, still living beings that I'm going to be responsible for and I have to make promises to them the same way that I have made to my other animals. To everyone I promise to make sure they always have enough food and water and adequate shelter. To the cats I promise to never declaw them. To the dogs I promise to never let them off lead in an unfenced area. To the chickens I promise to never make them wear saddles.

Really, people. Saddles? Aprons? For chickens? Okay, I guess with the explanation I get that they might be a necessary thing to protect chickens against violent roosters--but I'd rather just get rid of the roosters with the issues. Since I'm planning on inviting any roosters to dinner (haha) that shouldn't be an issue. So I think I can safely promise my future chicks that their dignity (and their feathers) will be safe.

Why are we raising our own chickens?

Well, the short answer is that I'm willing to try almost anything once and this seems like a good experience for my daughter and the chance to provide her with healthy, organic (and truly local) fresh food. The long answer is (by definition) a little more complicated. :-)

Part of the problem is that Americans see things like the video below every day and while they are horrified and moved emotionally--they're not actually moved. Americans are not moved to act or to make changes in their lifestyles and buying habits that could effect real change. I always shake my head when people say they care but feel like they can't make a change. Because, really, it's so easy.

This is the way that the poultry industry currently treats chickens:

If you aren't okay with that, all you have to do is stop buying your eggs at the grocery store. Almost every urban and suburban community in this country has a farmer's market, every rural route has at least one farm that sells fresh eggs--and other healthy, organic, locally raised, fresh foods. No, it may not be as close as your local Giant or Safeway and yes, you might have to plan out your food shopping a week at a time. No more speeding over to the local grocery store at 7pm on a Tuesday because you've run out of eggs. The good news is that fresh eggs last a while so you can buy a couple of dozen at a time.

Or, you can do what we're doing, and try to raise your own chickens. You don't have to start with fertile hatching eggs--most farms will sell chicks of various ages for just a couple of dollars each. You also don't need to spend a great deal of money on supplies. Our incubator was less than $20 and the cage I plan to use as a "brooder" to raise the chicks was a giveaway from someone's spring cleaning.

So whether you go the easy route and visit your local farmer's market once a week or go completely bonkers like us and try to hatch your own eggs, you have no excuse for buying eggs at the grocery store. You don't need to carry a sign to stage your own protest--let your money do the talking for you. Companies will listen.

Fertile eggs? Check! Incubator? Check!

The pieces are finally all in place. Last night I assembled our Chick-bator Incubator and set it up to monitor the temperature. After much fiddling and rearranging, I finally got it to a steady 100 degrees. This morning our three potential chicks arrived:

Now we're ready for the pieces to all come together. I very carefully marked the top and bottom of each egg and numbered them. (I'm open to giving them names.) I put them in the incubator--which is inside a kitchen cabinet to protect it from drafts--at cats. It happens to be the cabinet in which I keep the dog treats, so hopefully my little organic chicks won't develop a subconscious desire for beef jerky. :-)

And here they are in all of their glory. This will be the eggs' home for the next 21 days . . .