How to Hatch a Chicken Egg in a Still Air Incubator

Success in hatching chickens using a still air incubator depends primarily on attention to detail. The eggs require careful monitoring and handling several times daily during the incubation process. Any lapses during the 21-day incubation process will likely lead to a failure to hatch. Following the proper procedures, however, should lead to success, giving you an incubator full of healthy chicks within a month.

Things You'll Need

  • Fertilized chicken eggs
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set up the sill air incubator in a well-ventilated room with no direct sunlight and a moderate room temperature of between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 2

      Use the thermostat on the incubator to set the temperature of the unit to 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit during spring or fall, 97 degrees during the summer and 96 degrees during the winter.

    • 3

      Open the incubator and place the fresh eggs, no older than 15 days, inside. Mark the eggs with a pencil. Place a small "x" on one side and an "o" on the other to identify egg position. Position the eggs laying on their sides with the small end of the egg pointed downward and the sides with the "x" all pointed toward the incubator front. Close the incubator to begin the incubation process.

    • 4

      Turn the eggs three times daily. Remove eggs from the center of the incubator and then roll the eggs from the edges into the center to turn them. Place the eggs from the center onto the edges to turn them as well. If the eggs initially had the "x" facing front, make sure they have the "o" side pointed to the front after turning. Reverse the sides for each turning cycle.

    • 5

      Watch the thermostat daily as you incubate the eggs. As the embryos begin to form into chicks, they will generate their own heat, driving the incubator heat upward. Make temperature adjustments as needed to keep the temperature at the proper setting throughout.

    • 6

      Monitor the moisture in the air contained in the incubator. The eggs require some moisture to prevent their drying out and failing to hatch. Add water to the small incubator trough if you live in a dry climate to increase the moisture. Fill the water trough twice weekly. During winter hatchings fill both the small and large troughs with water three days before the expected hatching day to provide enough moisture to compensate for dryer winter air.

    • 7

      Lower the humidity in the incubator a week before hatching if the incubator contains over 75 percent capacity by pulling out the small vent plug in the incubator. For incubators with 90 percent capacity, open the top of the unit about 1/8 inch and leave it open for one hour a day or just long enough to clear any moisture condensation on the glass incubator sides. Maintain the humidity levels between 60 and 65 percent during the first 18 days of incubation, but allow the humidity to increase to between 80 and 85 percent for the final three day period.

    • 8

      Stop turning the eggs three days prior to the expected hatching day.

    • 9

      Remove the chicks from the incubator 24 hours after they begin hatching. If the chick is still wet then leave it in the incubator until it is dry. Leave any unhatched eggs in the incubator for 48 hours after the first hatching to allow time for late chicks.