How to Put Eggs in an Egg Incubator & Turner

Incubating eggs is delicate work. A chicken sits on her eggs, knocks them around with her body, steps away from them for a few moments to eat, and still manages to hatch out her chicks at a much higher rate than people can with thermometer-bearing, hygrometer-equipped, egg-turning incubators. Because we are not chickens, humans must be diligent in the measures taken to ensure incubated chicks' best chance at survival.

Things You'll Need

  • Incubator with egg turner
  • Water
  • Electrical source
  • Viable (fertilized) eggs
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place your incubator in a safe location, away from children, pets and loud noises, where there are neither drafts nor direct sunlight. Put it in a location with a relatively constant temperature.

    • 2

      Start up your incubator at least two days before you plan to use it for eggs. Set the incubator's thermostat at 99 degrees and monitor it throughout the trial period. In most incubators, the temperature can be adjusted by a knob on the top.

    • 3

      If your incubator has a hygrometer (a gauge which measures humidity), set it at 50 percent and fill your water reservoir. The eggs need to have 50 percent humidity for the first 18 days and 70 percent to 80 percent for the last three. Although some people are proponents of dry incubation, follow the manufacturer's directions on your incubator to the letter for best results. If your incubator is not equipped with a hygrometer, these directions will tell you exactly how to give your eggs the humidity they need.

    • 4

      If your eggs have been stored in a cool place, allow them to reach room temperature for at least six hours before incubating. Place the eggs into the egg turner with the point down.