How to Hatch Cornish Chicken Eggs

The best way to hatch Cornish chicken eggs is to have the hen who laid them sit on them for the three weeks it will take them to hatch. However, if this is not an option for you, you will need an incubator for the eggs. Incubators can be purchased from chicken and farm supply stores or can be made from materials you have around the house. An incubator keeps the eggs warm during the whole incubation process.

Things You'll Need

  • Incubator
  • Hygrometer
  • Pencil
  • Pie pan
  • Water
  • Lightbulb
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Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase or make an incubator and a hygrometer for your eggs. An incubator keeps the eggs consistently warm, and a hygrometer lets you know how humid the air in the incubator is. For the first 18 days, the humidity should be 50 percent. For the last week, it should be between 70 and 80 percent.

    • 2

      Plug your incubator in, and bring the temperature in it up to 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Install your hygrometer. (Some incubator kits come with a hygrometer already installed.)

    • 3

      Mark your eggs with an 'X' on one side and an 'O' on the other. Eggs must be turned at least three times daily, or the chicks will be unable to grow properly and will be born deformed.

    • 4

      Place a pie pan in the incubator with water to help maintain humidity. Humidity must be consistent in the incubator so that the membrane or air bubble in the egg does not grow or shrink too much, allowing the chick to get adequate nutrition. If the bubble gets too big, then even if the chick survives, it may not be able to get out of the shell on its own.

    • 5

      Candle your eggs after two or three days of incubation to see if embryos are developing: Place an egg over a lightbulb that is placed under a box or a can. Poke a small hole (slightly smaller in diameter than the egg) in the box or can and place the egg on the hole to illuminate its insides. If you see a cloudy spot, this is likely a growing embryo. If the egg is clear, it is likely an unfertilized egg. (Wait about seven days before getting rid of such an egg. After a week, try candling again. If again nothing is observed, either the embryo is dead or the egg was never fertile.)

    • 6

      Watch for signs of hatching.