Incubation Station

All kinds of creatures that use incubation.

Chickens

Chickens are smart animals who use incubation as a means to hatch their young. Incubation is the process of keeping something warm and sometimes moist. When Hens lay on their eggs their tummies keep their eggs toasty. It usually takes around 3 weeks from laying to hatching for baby Chicks to make their first steps into our lives. I had the pleasure of being around baby chicks, as they were raised from very small chicks to what they call a "pullet" till they were ready to be transferred to their big pin. What is a "pullet"? A "pullet" is a term for a female chicken under one year of age. All of these chicks were females. They are kept as egg layers, and are really sweet. When they were still very young they had to have a heat light over the area they were in to keep them warm all the time. Soon when they're older they didn't need the light anymore, but in cold conditions even as adult Hens they may need an additional source of heat, like a space heater. Chickens eat grass, bugs, and chicken feed, which is usually made from grains. So Chickens are omnivores, which mean they eat grass and meat. Chickens are also diurnal, which means they are awake mostly during the day.Their male counterparts Roosters are also diurnal, which makes sense as they are famous for their early morning crowing, and if they were up all night they would not be able to make their early morning wake up calls! : ) Want to know more about Chickens? Check out our youtube channel Creaturecation soon for a video about Chickens!