Instructions
Store freshly laid fertile eggs in a cool damp place while setting up the incubator. Do not allow eggs to become frozen. Set up the incubator in a temperate room that generally stays around 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Make sure the fine wire netting of the incubator is on the bottom. Ensure the walls are sturdy and not loose. Tighten any screws with a screwdriver if the incubator is not stable. Set the lamp on the top of the incubator and plug it in.
Place the thermostat in the incubator in the middle of a wall. Turn the dial of the lamp to 100 degrees. Wait for the incubator to warm, and adjust the heat dial higher and lower until the thermostat consistently reads 100.5 degrees.
Place the eggs gently inside the incubator onto the wire netting, with the smallest side of the egg facing slightly down (the fine wire netting will keep them in place). Mark a calendar for 21 days from the start of incubation as this is when the hatching will begin.
Turn the eggs three times a day to keep them evenly warm. Place both hands in the incubator and gently pick up the egg to turn. Place the egg in a palm and slowly rotate it until the bottom is the warmest area. Place the egg back down, smallest side facing slightly down.
How to Use a Bird Incubator
Using an incubator is the most effective way to hatch birds that do not have a mother. Incubators are boxes with soft heat lamps pointing down to a nest area that create the perfect environment for chicks and other baby birds to develop in their eggs. Incubators come in different sizes for different uses, but all work on the same principles. In the incubator, the eggs will have to be turned to keep their core temperature even.