Chick-rearing, day 10 : candling

Four degrees at 8am with thick mist. One of our camellias has produced its first, perfect, flower.

Yesterday was day ten in our chick-rearing endeavours. From day six onwards, it's possible to tell whether the eggs have been fertilised. The technique is called candling, and involves holding a light against the side or end of the egg. A bit like ultrasound without the cold jelly gunk. Click here for a better picture taken by someone who knows one end of his camera from the other (and never forgets to take the lens cap off).

A fertilised egg shows either a network of blood vessels, or, later in the process, a dark mass. Sorry, no waving foetuses, and definitely no knowing whether the little one is male or female until weeks after they're born. Chicken grandparents will have to hedge their bets and buy yellow and white rather than pink or blue.

And the results?

It seems that our cockerel - generally useless at defending his girls - has not been idle with his other duties. All 16 eggs appear to be fertile. Not a single one has been voted out of the Big Brother roundhouse, and they will all be staying in the incubator for the second half of the game.