Fertile eggs can be hatched by using an egg incubator. An incubator is an enclosed structure with a fan and heater to keep eggs warm during the 21-day incubation period. When determining which incubator to purchase, we recommend using an incubator with some automatic features, such as egg turning (which is critical to chick development and to keep the chick from sticking to the inside surface of the shell) and a fan to facilitate even heat distribution. Temperature and humidity inside the incubator are critical factors for successfully hatching eggs.
Keep in mind these are recommendations for hatching chicken eggs. If you are hatching eggs of other species, the specifications and incubation times will be different, so you will need to research those requirements and adjust your incubator accordingly. For that reason, it is not advised to incubate eggs from different species in the same incubator at the same time.
Day 1: Setting eggs
Once you have the incubator set-up and have analysed the settings to ensure accuracy, you are ready to place the eggs inside the incubator. Plan to set a minimum of six eggs at one time. Setting fewer eggs, especially if the eggs were shipped, often results in one or no hatchlings. The number of chicks that hatch together is especially important for the new-born chicks because chickens are flock animals and need companions to be happy. Place the eggs in the egg tray of the incubator, with the larger end facing up and the narrow end facing down in the incubator.
Day 1-18: Turning the eggs
After setting the eggs, the incubation process begins. An important part of this process is turning, or rotating, the eggs. Eggs must be physically turned to prevent the developing chick from sticking to the shell. More scientifically, the embryo should be resting on top of the yolk. The yolk tends to float upward, on top of the albumen (egg white) towards the shell if the egg is not turned. Eggs will need to be turned a minimum of 3 times per day, and 5 times is even better. If you have an automatic incubator, it should turn the eggs for you and will eliminate the need to repeatedly open the incubator. Be sure to wash your hands or wear clean gloves before you touch the eggs to prevent the transfer of skin oils or germs to the developing chick.
Days 7-10: Candling eggs
During the middle of the incubation period at 7 to 10 days, eggs can be candled to determine if the embryos are growing properly. Candling is the act of simply shining a light through an egg. White and light-coloured shells are the easiest to candle, while darker shells will require a brighter light.
Day 21: Baby chicks start hatching
Chicks will typically hatch at day 21. If the fertilized eggs were cooled prior to incubation, the process might take a little longer. If you are at day 21 with no hatch, give the eggs a few more days.
When the big day comes, let the chick hatch on its own. Do not attempt to help. Blood vessels that haven’t dried up yet may still attach the shell to the chick, and prematurely pulling of the shell can cause excessive, potentially fatal, bleeding. A chick can take up to 24 hours to completely hatch, although 5-7 hours is more common.
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