Family Successfully Hatches Chicks Even in Winter 

By Chung Taek-min, Nagwon Middle School

My sister knows everything about animals and loves playing with them. One day, she expressed her desire to raise a chick. However, since it was winter, buying a chick wasn’t feasible. So, we decided to hatch one by ourselves. Our parents asked our grandparents to get some eggs from a barn. However, the eggs were quite different from the ones we usually see - they were blue and green eggs, to be precise. Black hens are also distinct; they are black when born.

Our grandparents provided the eggs from the barn because eggs from the market have a lower chance of being fertilized. Most market eggs are unfertilized and get sterilized during transportation, making them unsuitable for hatching. On December 19, 2023, the incubator and five eggs were delivered to our house. My sister eagerly began the process upon seeing the eggs. Although the eggs were supposed to hatch after 21 days, they didn’t even crack after 30 days had passed. The first attempt turned out to be a failure.

On January 14, 2024, four more eggs were delivered. This time, we were determined not to repeat the same mistake. During our first failed attempt, my sister had rolled the eggs and took them out of the incubator. We believed that the eggs experienced a significant temperature difference between the incubator and the room. Therefore, we decided not to roll the eggs this time. However, even without rolling them, the eggs didn’t crack after 21 days. My sister explained that it was winter, and the eggs might hatch late. So, we patiently waited for four more days, and finally, a crack formed in one of the eggs. When my sister left the house, the chick inside the egg started to squeak. The next day, the chick hatched, and a new family member was born.

Maybe you should try it, too. It’s not that difficult, and the chick is genuinely cute. It also provides a unique experience of living with an animal. So, I recommend incubating eggs to everyone.