Happy May, Suffield!
This month, I would like to take the time to highlight something very special happening at the library.
We have baby chickens!!
As I write this article, they are still unhatched eggs in an incubator. However, by the time you read this, there should be some cute little chicks keeping us company in the library.
The eggs arrived on April 2nd and were put in the incubator on April 3rd. They incubate for approximately three weeks. One interesting fact is that chicken hatching is not a set-it-and-forget-it activity! The temperature and humidity in the incubator have to be carefully monitored and maintained, and the eggs need to be turned 7 times every day!
The first week was filled with a lot of uncertainty over how many of the eggs would have developing chickens. We started with 23 eggs in the incubator and after the first candling on April 11th, 19 had potentially viable chicks. We are all wondering how many chicks we will have in the end!
If you are interested in raising a backyard flock, Suffield is a very chicken-keeping-friendly town. Residents are allowed up to 6 hens on properties of at least ¼ acre in size and 5 additional hens may be kept on properties for every ¼ acre after the first, for up to 5 acres. Roosters are prohibited on properties less than 5 acres. You can find additional information about other requirements in Section V.W. of the town’s Zoning Regulations.
So if you want something fun to do this month, stop by the library to meet our new babies. Oh, and check out a book or movie while you’re here too. We have some good ones!