Did Someone Mention Hatching?

Today was a very good day. At ten o'clock this morning, my lovely postman brought me a dozen very well wrapped serama eggs. So well wrapped that it took me fifteen minutes to carefully cut through the many layers of bubblewrap, sellotape and tissue. Those of you who remember what happened to my first lot of pekin hatching eggs last year will understand my caution. With almost reverent care, I unwrapped twelve perfect little eggs. I'm no expert, but they look like they're a good size and shape. So far, I'm very pleased.

The incubator is busy whirring away next to me as I wait for the temperature and humidity to even out. I am hoping to set nine eggs tonight, just before bedtime. Why nine, you ask? Ah, well that would be because Vera is currently snugly welded to three.

I decided to switch Vera's four infertile eggs for three of the fertile ones while she had a five minute break. I lifted her off the nest and placed her by the feeder and drinker while I made the switch. She stood there uncertainly for a moment, before ejecting the horror that is a broody poo. Unbelievably foul smelling, and strangely tinged green, it caused Betsy to scarper to the other end of the hutch. Can't say that I blame her.

After a quick scoff and drink, Vera ran back up the ramp to her nest (For now, Betsy is still able to access the upper level of the hutch, but as of tomorrow the ramp will be removed turning the two tier hutch in to two one tier hutches. Following so far?). I held the door slightly ajar to watch the tiny hen as she discovered she was one egg down. Now, I know that chickens can't count, but Vera made quite a show of rolling the eggs about as if suspecting that one was hiding. She looked at me, looked back at the eggs and then seemed to shrug. With a bit more rearranging, she settled over the three potential serama chicks. And I breathed a happy sigh of relief.

Tomorrow, there will be pictures.