Tips on Incubating Chicken Eggs

Raising chickens can be a fulfilling pastime or a way to acquire cheap eggs and edible chicken meat. Even if you don't have a brooding hen, you can still raise chicks from fertilized eggs with home incubation. The incubation process can be tricky and several precautions must be taken to ensure a safe and healthy hatching.

  1. Temperature

    • Check the thermometer to ensure its accuracy as the incubator must be kept between 99 and 103 degrees Fahrenheit for the duration of the 21-day incubation period. The ideal temperature is 100.5 degrees. Heat that is too low or too high will cause problems for the chick inside the egg.

    Humidity

    • Make sure there is a proper humidity level in the incubator by keeping the water level at the bottom at the proper height. If condensation appears in the incubator, place a sponge inside to soak up some of the water. Too little humidity will cause the shells to stick to the chicks during hatching. Too much humidity will result in soggy chicks with improper feather growth.

    Turning the Eggs

    • The eggs need to be turned three times a day for the first 18 days to ensure proper heat and humidity on all sides of the eggs. The eggs should not be tossed, however, to keep the growth inside the eggs at a constant level. Cover the eggs with a towel if you are moving the incubator to keep the eggs stable. Do not turn the eggs once they begin to hatch.

    Ventilation

    • The air in the incubator should be kept still and without ventilation until the eggs begin hatching. Once they are hatched, the chicks need air and the air hole in the incubator should be opened. Eggs have air pockets within them to sustain the chick as it hatches.

    Caring for Chicks

    • Prevent drowning by placing rocks in the water bowls but teach the chicks to eat and drink by placing their beaks into the containers. Move the chicks to a heated brooding box the third day after they have hatched. Do not help them out of the shells when they are hatching.