You can hatch eggs easily by following this method. Hatching new life is an enjoyable educational experience; it can be done in your home with limited space and low cost. Though I don’t know which bird’s egg you are going to hatch, I will assume that it will be chicken. Chickens take 21 days to hatch; some birds take 18, some 28. But don’t worry, the incubation process is the same.
The materials needed for hatching eggs are easily available—maybe they are already in your home. I will guide you step by step so that you can enjoy reading and successfully hatch baby chicks that can be part of your backyard flock, even if you are new or teaching your children. 🙂
After reading this blog, you will gain knowledge of:
- Making an incubator (if you don’t have one)
- Choosing the right eggs
- A successful hatching guide
- Common mistakes to avoid
SETUP THE INCUBATOR
You can skip this part (continue from “choose the right eggs”) if you already have an incubator. If you don’t, then good news for you—I am going to show you how you can make your own incubator at home with very low cost and easily available materials. Be careful about your kids when you are making the incubator.
Arrange the materials:
- Plastic or cardboard box: Choose any box that is large enough based on how many eggs you are going to hatch.
- 60-watt bulb: You’ll need a light bulb to maintain a consistent temperature inside the incubator. A 60-watt light bulb works well.
- Regulator: You’ll need a regulator to adjust the temperature.
- Sticks and electric cable: You will need 2 sticks sized for your box and an electric cable to connect the bulb to the regulator.
- Digital thermometer and humidity reader: To monitor the temperature and humidity inside the incubator accurately, you’ll need a reliable thermometer and humidity reader.
- Water container: A small container filled with water will help maintain humidity levels inside the incubator.
- Some dry straw or cloths: You need to keep the eggs on dry straw or cloth and also cover the top of the box to trap heat and maintain humidity.
Setup process:
Install the sticks as shown in the picture. Hang the light in the middle of the sticks, making sure it is tight and secure. Set a fan regulator with the bulb so that you can increase and decrease the brightness of the bulb to adjust the temperature.
After that, put some dry straw or cloth inside the box to place the eggs on. Place the thermometer inside the box, close to the eggs.
Then fill a small container with water and place it inside the box to help maintain the necessary humidity levels.
Before putting eggs in the incubator, take a test. Turn on the light and monitor the temperature and humidity. Adjust to the optimal levels of 98-100 degrees Fahrenheit and 50-60% humidity, then put the eggs in the incubator and start the journey.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT EGGS
Once I was a kid, there were a lot of questions in my mind like: Why can’t we hatch supermarket eggs? Why don’t people hatch more eggs? Why do some eggs spoil during the incubation process? Why do we need to keep a rooster? Many crazy thoughts were coming to mind.
But we need fertilized eggs to hatch.
Now you might ask, if you don’t have previous experience, “How can I know which one is fertilized?”
Well, it is easy to understand.
- You should collect eggs from flocks that include a rooster. If the rooster is included in the flock, the eggs will be fertile and can hatch. If not, the eggs are unlikely to hatch.
- The eggs should not be misshapen, too big, too small, or have any cracks or holes. Such eggs have less chance of hatching. If you successfully hatch eggs like this, I would love to hear about it in the comments.
- The egg should be 24 hours to 10 days old. It needs a minimum of 24 hours to develop the eggshell, and after 10 days, the embryo can lose its ability to develop into a chick.
- The egg should be clean. If it is slightly dirty, wipe it gently with a dry cloth. If it is very dirty, it’s better to avoid using that egg for hatching. Never wash eggs roughly or soak them in water.
Before placing them into the incubator, you can do one more thing: candle them. For this, you can use a candling light or your phone’s flashlight. Put the eggs on the flashlight (in a dark room for better visibility) to check if any egg has cracks or white spots. Avoid eggs that are cracked or have many white spots.
21-DAY GUIDE FOR SUCCESSFUL HATCHING
DAY 1-18: Setting and Starting Incubation
I always start with a minimum of 10 eggs at a time. Eggs can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 7 days if you are collecting your own, but I would not recommend storing them for more than 10 days. Start incubating as soon as possible with a minimum of 6 (for chickens), as they are flock animals and won’t thrive if raised alone or in small numbers.
After you set the temperature to 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit with 50-55% humidity, you are ready to put the eggs in the incubator. Once you’ve done that, the incubation process begins. From the first day of incubation, eggs must be rotated 3-5 times a day to prevent the embryo from sticking to the shell. This is the same thing a brooding hen does when sitting on eggs.
When you put eggs in the incubator, gently mark them with a pencil (never a pen) “X” on one side and “O” on the other to keep track of rotation. Make sure you wash your hands or wear clean gloves before touching the eggs.
If you have an automatic incubator, you can sit back, relax, and let the machine rotate the eggs for you!
Still have any confusion? Let me know in the comments below.
DAY 7-10: Candling
After 1 week of incubation, you can candle the eggs to check if the embryo is growing properly, if any embryo has died, or if any eggs are infertile or spoiled.
Candling means shining a bright light through the egg. The simplest way to candle eggs is to use your phone’s flashlight, although specialized lights are also available for this task.
To candle eggs, simply put an egg on your phone’s flashlight in a dark room for better visibility. When candling the eggs, you will typically see 3 types:
- If you see blood vessels in the egg, it is growing properly. There is a live embryo inside. Put it back in the incubator.
- If the inside of the egg is clear, the egg is infertile. Remove this egg from the incubator.
- If you see a blood ring in the egg, there was an embryo, but it died at some point. Remove the egg from the incubator.
If all the eggs show blood vessels and are growing properly, congratulations!
You should not keep the eggs out of the incubator for more than 5-10 minutes. I advise you not to candle all the eggs at once; instead, plan to candle a few at a time.
DAY 18-21: Pre-hatching
On day 18 (usually 3 days before hatching), you should stop rotating the eggs because the embryo has developed into a chick and is close to hatching. At this point, the chick will position itself for hatching. Stop rotating the eggs, keep the same temperature, and increase the humidity level to 70%.
DAY 21: Hatching day
Usually, chicken eggs hatch on day 21. If the eggs were cooled during incubation, it may take a little longer to hatch. If any eggs have not hatched by day 21, give them two more days. Don’t attempt to crack the eggs, as this can cause bleeding or harm the chick inside. If any eggs still haven’t hatched by day 23, candle them before discarding to check if the chicks are still alive inside.
It is an amazing feeling to witness new life being born. When you successfully hatch your eggs, I’ll give you permission to do what I did on my first successful hatch—throw yourself a dance party! I recommend doing the chicken dance.
Caring for chicks
Once they hatch, keep them in the incubator until they dry off. You don’t need to worry about food immediately after hatching, as chicks won’t eat much during the first and second days. They are fine for up to 3 days without food and water, but I wouldn’t leave them without food and water for more than 48 hours.
Make sure your brooder is ready for the chicks with food and water. Set the temperature to 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the chicks dry off in the incubator before transferring them to the brooder.
MISTAKES TO AVOID
In this part, I will advise you on mistakes to avoid that can cause failure in your hatching journey:
- Don’t choose old (older than 10 days), unfertilized, or cracked eggs.
- Don’t open the incubator too often, and don’t keep the eggs out of the incubator for more than 5 minutes.
- Don’t touch the eggs with dirty hands. Always clean your hands before touching or wear clean gloves.
- Don’t help chicks get out of the eggs. Be patient and let this process happen naturally.
- Don’t leave the chicks without food and water for more than 2 days.
Are you excited to start your hatching journey?
