Easter Chicks | Hatching Eggs

Throughout the time we've been living in this house, we've hatched chickens a number of times. Some have been more successful than others. We've had some not make it. We've had some come out deformed, and then not make it. But mostly is a miracle of nature. You collect eggs for about a week, put them in an incubator, and exactly 21 days later, bright yellow fuzzy chicks pop out. It's crazy.

I wrote a story in 2001 called Chickens In The Brothel about the first time we got chickens and looking back on it now, I realize how far we've come, and at the same time, how nothing really has changed. I'm certainly not sitting in the middle of the chicken yard watching the chickens run around anymore. Jane has to usually yell at me now to feed and water them, and collect their eggs. I guess the novelty wore off.

But we're hatching chicks again, which we haven't done in awhile. They should hatch on Easter morning. Jane wanted to do it as much for our grandson Paxton as anything, but also our daughter Julia and her husband Mike are going to take the chicks.

We have only one concern. Our rooster doesn't seem to be overly amorous, or at least not when we're around. Our past roosters were pretty dominant. It was a pretty violent act from all accounts. We're hoping we don't end up 21-day-old partially cooked eggs.