How to Hatch & Rear Chicks

Urban or backyard chickens are a growing trend as people try to reconnect with their food, decrease their carbon footprints and seek out affordable options for organic eggs and poultry. But no matter which you think came first, raising chickens requires getting them past the egg phase and seeing them through infancy, the most precarious time for your new feathery friends. Nevertheless, with the right equipment and a little loving care, you can look forward to dozens of fresh eggs before it comes time for the chopping block.

Things You'll Need

  • Incubator
  • Thermometer
  • Hygrometer
  • Pie pan of water
  • Dry mash
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Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare your incubator before adding eggs by ensuring the temperature is at 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity is at 50 percent. Use your thermometer to ensure proper temperature. Use your hygrometer and adjust water in pie pan to ensure proper humidity.

    • 2

      Mark each egg with an X and an O so that you can identify the sides.

    • 3

      Place the eggs in incubator with larger ends slightly higher than the smaller ends. Keep the larger end elevated to avoid complications that can harm or even kill your chicks.

    • 4

      Turn the eggs three times a day every day for the first 18 days they are in the incubator.

    • 5

      Raise the humidity in the incubator to 75 percent after the 18th day and stop turning the eggs.

    • 6

      Expect your eggs to hatch after about 21 days.

    • 7

      Keep the chicks in the incubator for an additional 24 hours and up to 48 hours after hatching. Do not feed them while they are in the incubator.

    • 8

      Keep the chicks supplied with dry chick mash and water as soon as you remove them from the incubator.