How to Raise Chickens From Eggs in Incubation

Incubating chicken eggs until baby chicks hatch can be done both at the commercial farm level and at private farms. Raising chicks from eggs allows the farmer to know exactly what type of food the chicks have gotten, the condition that the chicks were raised in and the fact that the chickens were treated humanely through their whole life. The egg to hatching cycle takes between 19 and 21 days to complete, then the farmer will have baby chicks to raise.

Things You'll Need

  • Incubator
  • Chicken eggs
  • Wet bulb thermometer
  • Thermometer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Position your incubator in a room where the temperature does not fluctuate too much and where there are no drafts that could cool off the temperature in the incubator. The temperature in the room should stay at a steady pace and should be between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 2

      Place warm water in the water pan section of the incubator and check the heating lamp to make sure that the light works. Place a thermometer in the incubator and turn the incubator on. Allow the temperature to rise between 93 and 103 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 3

      Mark the two sides of each egg that you want to incubate with a pencil so that when you rotate the eggs you know which side you rotated the egg to. Some people use an "x" and an "o" as the marks while others use a number 1 and a number 2. Choose the method that works best for you.

    • 4

      Place the eggs in the incubator and put the cover of the incubator on. Turn the eggs at least three times a day so that the eggs get heated evenly. Leave the incubated eggs in the incubator for 21 days until the eggs hatch. Monitor the moisture levels in the incubator, which should be around 55 percent. Use a wet bulb thermometer to monitor the moisture. Place warm water in the pan when the eggs need more moisture.

    • 5

      Turn the temperature of the eggs down to 95 degrees Fahrenheit once almost all the eggs have hatched.

    • 6

      Remove the chicks from the incubator once they have hatched and dried off. Give the chicks baby chicken feed and water to eat and drink. Clean the incubator of all discarded shells and any dead chicks that did not hatch.