Chicken Hatching Incubating Information

Obtaining Fertilized Eggs

• There are two basic things you'll need to hatch eggs: An incubator in very good condition and fertilized eggs.

  One of the best ways to get fertilized eggs is to buy them from a hatchery. Fertilized eggs are usually available starting in early spring and throughout the summer. Prices vary depending upon the breed of the chicken. The rarer the breed, the more expensive the egg.

  Another source for fertilized eggs is a local chicken farm. Farmers may be willing to part with fertilized eggs for a small fee or may give them away if they have too many.

The Incubator

• The incubator that you use will largely determine the success of your project. The two basic types are fully automated or tabletop. A fully automated incubator can accommodate as many as 300 eggs. Tabletop models can accommodate as few as two or as many as 50 eggs.

  Fully automated models will monitor heat and humidity and turn the eggs. Manual models will require you to turn the eggs as well as constantly monitor the heat and humidity levels.

  Be sure to try out the incubator you intend to use for at least 24 hours before adding eggs. Test it to be sure it can maintain the proper temperature and humidity levels.

Temperature and Humidity

• If an incubator is too hot, the eggs will cook, not hatch. And if the humidity is too low, the developing embryo will dry up and die.

  Keep your incubator 99 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit. It should stay between 50 percent and 55 percent relative humidity for the first 18 days and between 65 to 75 percent during the last three days before hatching.

  If you have a tabletop incubator without controls, use a thermometer to measure the temperature and a hygrometer to measure the humidity level.

The Developing Embryo

• Once the eggs and incubator have been procured, it is time to start the hatching process. The eggs are placed in the incubator after it has been warmed and the countdown can begin. It will take 21 days from the day the egg is fertilized to the time a chick will emerge from the egg.

  Incubators that require manual operation require more steps than those that are fully automated. The most important step is that of turning the eggs. Eggs must be turned at regular intervals, at least 8 to 10 times each day, mimicking that of a hen. The reason for this is that the embryo develops on top of the egg yolk. The egg white serves as protection and nutrition for the developing embryo. If the egg is not turned, the developing embryo will float up through the egg white and come in contact with the eggshell. When this happens, the embryo becomes stuck, suffocates and dies.

  Eggs should not be turned after they are 18 days old. During these last few days the baby chick is orienting itself and preparing to break through its shell.

Hatching Day

• When the baby chicks begin to hatch, it is an exciting time for the observers. The chicks have what is called an "egg tooth" on the top of their beak that they will use to break through the shell. It is a long process and may take an entire day before the chick can extract itself from the shell. It is important that the humidity is at the proper level during this time as it aids the chick in removing the shell from its body.

  Place a double layer of cheesecloth under the eggs once they begin to hatch. It will help them stay cleaner during the hatching process.

  Leave the newly hatched chicks in the incubator for at least 24 hours. They should be completely dry and fluffy before you remove them from the incubator and place them in a chick brooder.