In this post, I will cover the steps I take when hatching chicken eggs using an incubator. You will find many different opinions on the topic. I don't claim that my way is in any way superior to any other way. The system I use has worked really well for me and until it doesn't work anymore, I'll continue to use it.
You'll need to have fertile eggs. If you have a rooster in your flock, you probably have fertile eggs. You can also get fertile eggs online or from a local breeder or a neighbor that has backyard chickens if they have a rooster. If you don't use your own eggs, be sure to buy from someone who is NPIP and AI Clean.
You'll need to have your incubator up and running at a stable temperature and humidity for 24 hours before setting your eggs.
The incubator I use is the Hovabator Genesis. It's a styrofoam incubator with a fan, thermometer, and hygrometer built in. It's always recommended that you use an additional thermometer and hygrometer because the built in versions can wear out and give inaccurate readings.
For incubating eggs, I set the temperature to 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit and 45-55% humidity.
Once your incubator has been stable at the correct temperature and humidity without any adjustments for 24 hours, you can set your eggs.
If you have an egg turner, set the eggs in it point end down and fat end up. Then you can leave everything alone except for checking the water level for the first 7 days.
If you don't have an egg turner, use a number 2 pencil to mark an X on one side of the eggs and an O on the other side, then lay the eggs in the incubator on their sides with all the eggs either X or O side up. When you look in the incubator, you should see all the X sides of the eggs or all of the O sides. You should not see Xs and Os. You will need to turn the eggs by hand 3 times each day. Each time you turn them, you'll gently turn the egg to the other side. If they were on the X side, flip them over to the O side. Always turn them an odd number each day. This prevents them from being on the same side overnight which is generally the longest period of time when they will be left alone.
Be sure to keep a check on the water level. If your incubator runs out of water, the humidity will drop and you could lose the clutch.
On Day 7, candle the eggs and mark the air cells in each one. Candling is a really fun part!
You can buy a candler or you can DIY it! To DIY one, you can use a flashlight, cup your fingers around the end and sit the egg on top of your fingers. Your fingers will keep the light from going anywhere except into the egg.
At the fat end of the egg, you'll see a line going all the way around the egg. Mark that line with a pencil. Be careful not to break the egg shell and don't twist, turn, or otherwise roughly handle the egg so that you don't harm the developing embryo.
On Day 7, you should see veins running through the egg and you may even see the chick eye. The eye will be a black circle.
If the egg lights up like the moon, it's probably a dud. I leave my duds in the incubator until Day 10. If they aren't showing veins on Day 10, I remove them.
Darker color eggs are harder to candle. White eggs are the easiest. Blue and green eggs can be more difficult. Dark brown and olive eggs can be impossible depending on how dark they are. So if you're hatching very dark eggs, you may have to just leave them until they hatch.
If you notice a bad smell coming from your incubator, you need to find the egg that's causing the smell and get it out of there. Eggs can explode in the incubator. If this happens, the bacteria from that egg can spread to the other eggs and you can lose the whole clutch of eggs. If you have an egg that stinks, you should be able to spot it by picking up each individual egg and giving it a sniff. When you find it, put it in a zippered food bag, seal it, and, if possible, put it in an outdoor trash can.
If you had eggs that you weren't sure about on Day 7, candle them again on Day 10. Remove any that aren't developing.
Candle the eggs again on Day 14 and mark the air cells again. The air cells should be larger than they were on Day 7. You will probably see the chicks moving around inside their shells by Day 14.
At the end of Day 18, you will put the eggs on lockdown. Candle all the eggs for the final time and mark the air cells. The air cells should be even larger than they were on Day 14 and they will likely be lower on one side and higher on the other.
The chicks should be taking up most of the space inside the shells at this point. You won't see as much as you did in the last candlings, but you may still be able to see them moving a little.
After you candle them, add more water to the incubator to raise the humidity for hatching. I use a humidity level of about 55% for hatching.
If you're using an egg turner, remove the turner and lay the eggs on their sides in the incubator.
If you're not using an egg turner, just put the eggs back into the incubator.
I like to put the eggs with the lower side of the air cells facing up. This is usually where the chicks will pip, so it allows me to more easily see when I have pips.
Once you have your eggs back in the incubator, leave them alone. Do not open the incubator again until after the chicks have hatched and are dry. The only exception is if your incubator needs the water refilled. Then, fill the reservoir as quickly as possible and get the lid closed again.
Make sure to have your brooder set up and the temperature right before the chick hatch. I get the brooder set up on Day 18 when I put the incubator on lockdown. On Day 19, I make any adjustments that may be needed to the temperature in the brooder and it's ready for chicks on Day 20.
The chicks should hatch sometime between Day 20 and Day 22.
Leave the chicks in the incubator until they are mostly dry. Then move them to the brooder.
I hope this helps!
Happy hatching!!!
You'll need to have fertile eggs. If you have a rooster in your flock, you probably have fertile eggs. You can also get fertile eggs online or from a local breeder or a neighbor that has backyard chickens if they have a rooster. If you don't use your own eggs, be sure to buy from someone who is NPIP and AI Clean.
You'll need to have your incubator up and running at a stable temperature and humidity for 24 hours before setting your eggs.
The incubator I use is the Hovabator Genesis. It's a styrofoam incubator with a fan, thermometer, and hygrometer built in. It's always recommended that you use an additional thermometer and hygrometer because the built in versions can wear out and give inaccurate readings.
For incubating eggs, I set the temperature to 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit and 45-55% humidity.
Once your incubator has been stable at the correct temperature and humidity without any adjustments for 24 hours, you can set your eggs.
If you have an egg turner, set the eggs in it point end down and fat end up. Then you can leave everything alone except for checking the water level for the first 7 days.
If you don't have an egg turner, use a number 2 pencil to mark an X on one side of the eggs and an O on the other side, then lay the eggs in the incubator on their sides with all the eggs either X or O side up. When you look in the incubator, you should see all the X sides of the eggs or all of the O sides. You should not see Xs and Os. You will need to turn the eggs by hand 3 times each day. Each time you turn them, you'll gently turn the egg to the other side. If they were on the X side, flip them over to the O side. Always turn them an odd number each day. This prevents them from being on the same side overnight which is generally the longest period of time when they will be left alone.
Be sure to keep a check on the water level. If your incubator runs out of water, the humidity will drop and you could lose the clutch.
On Day 7, candle the eggs and mark the air cells in each one. Candling is a really fun part!
You can buy a candler or you can DIY it! To DIY one, you can use a flashlight, cup your fingers around the end and sit the egg on top of your fingers. Your fingers will keep the light from going anywhere except into the egg.
At the fat end of the egg, you'll see a line going all the way around the egg. Mark that line with a pencil. Be careful not to break the egg shell and don't twist, turn, or otherwise roughly handle the egg so that you don't harm the developing embryo.
On Day 7, you should see veins running through the egg and you may even see the chick eye. The eye will be a black circle.
If the egg lights up like the moon, it's probably a dud. I leave my duds in the incubator until Day 10. If they aren't showing veins on Day 10, I remove them.
Darker color eggs are harder to candle. White eggs are the easiest. Blue and green eggs can be more difficult. Dark brown and olive eggs can be impossible depending on how dark they are. So if you're hatching very dark eggs, you may have to just leave them until they hatch.
If you notice a bad smell coming from your incubator, you need to find the egg that's causing the smell and get it out of there. Eggs can explode in the incubator. If this happens, the bacteria from that egg can spread to the other eggs and you can lose the whole clutch of eggs. If you have an egg that stinks, you should be able to spot it by picking up each individual egg and giving it a sniff. When you find it, put it in a zippered food bag, seal it, and, if possible, put it in an outdoor trash can.
If you had eggs that you weren't sure about on Day 7, candle them again on Day 10. Remove any that aren't developing.
Candle the eggs again on Day 14 and mark the air cells again. The air cells should be larger than they were on Day 7. You will probably see the chicks moving around inside their shells by Day 14.
At the end of Day 18, you will put the eggs on lockdown. Candle all the eggs for the final time and mark the air cells. The air cells should be even larger than they were on Day 14 and they will likely be lower on one side and higher on the other.
The chicks should be taking up most of the space inside the shells at this point. You won't see as much as you did in the last candlings, but you may still be able to see them moving a little.
After you candle them, add more water to the incubator to raise the humidity for hatching. I use a humidity level of about 55% for hatching.
If you're using an egg turner, remove the turner and lay the eggs on their sides in the incubator.
If you're not using an egg turner, just put the eggs back into the incubator.
I like to put the eggs with the lower side of the air cells facing up. This is usually where the chicks will pip, so it allows me to more easily see when I have pips.
Once you have your eggs back in the incubator, leave them alone. Do not open the incubator again until after the chicks have hatched and are dry. The only exception is if your incubator needs the water refilled. Then, fill the reservoir as quickly as possible and get the lid closed again.
Make sure to have your brooder set up and the temperature right before the chick hatch. I get the brooder set up on Day 18 when I put the incubator on lockdown. On Day 19, I make any adjustments that may be needed to the temperature in the brooder and it's ready for chicks on Day 20.
The chicks should hatch sometime between Day 20 and Day 22.
Leave the chicks in the incubator until they are mostly dry. Then move them to the brooder.
I hope this helps!
Happy hatching!!!
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