This page is to provide you with some quick, easy-reading instructions and tips to hatching your own chicks. These are tried and true methods that worked for us. Keep in mind, your ambient climate may play a role in your hatching. These sometimes overlooked factors are addressed when we feel they may apply.

Incubators

       There are many incubators out there, but not all are built alike. If you plan on hatching many chicks or rare/expensive eggs, I'd recommend investing in a high-quality brand with good ratings and reviews such as Brinseas, Rcoms, GQFs, Ova-Easy, etc. The incubators currently used for our poultry are:
  1. Brinsea Ovation 28 EX (max. 28  chicken eggs)
    1. Pros: Most accurate and hands-free, best automation options, "set it and forget it", highly prefer the stand-up/tilt incubators vs. laid down/rolled for shipped eggs, circulated air
    2. Cons: Cover is difficult to clean, evaporations blocks don't last long and need to be replaced (we just substitute with paper towels), not easiest to see inside, lifting lid may cause rotation bar to move as rotator motor and sprocket teeth are on lid, getting the tiny water hose on the connector takes some patience
  2. MATICOOPX 30 Egg Incubator (max. 30  chicken eggs)
    1. Pros:  Higher max. egg-quantity for the price, a "budget Brinsea", like that the egg turner is controlled from the base rather than lid so egg rotation isn't effected, highly prefer the stand-up/tilt incubators vs. laid down/rolling, circulated air
    2. Cons: Thermometer and hygrometer were off, takes awhile for it to get up to temp or recover if opened
  3. Nurture Right 360 (max. 22  chicken eggs)
    1. ​Pros: Clear viewing, easy set up, temps may be off but calibration instructions are available, circulated air
    2. Cons: Bottom is difficult to clean, wish it held more eggs for the price, inconsistent temps​

Secondary Devices, Calibration, Temperature & Humidity

IMPORTANT: 
​I would highly recommend getting small secondary devices to keep inside the incubator. You can usually find these on Amazon, project store, or retailer (Walmart, Target, etc.). Even right out of packaging, brand new incubators can still be off on temp and humidity settings. ​You should also CALIBRATE these devices to make sure they are accurate.
My Brinsea was only off by 0.5°F, but the Nurture Right 360 was off by 4°F and MATICOOPX off by 2.5​°F.
How to Calibrate Your Incubator
How to calibrate a Hygrometer for an Incubator
  • Temperature range: 99.5-100.5°F, keep your temps consistent and stable, avoid opening the lid excessively and make sure the cover is set properly in the base, some people like to wrap a towel or blanket around the incubator to help keep temps stable - just be sure not to cover ventilation holes
  • ​Humidity: This seems to be a grey area which people may vary for people based on their results. For the sake of ease, 50% is a good target. Fluctuations can happen so if you sway down to 45% or up to 55%, don't panic, they should be fine.
    • "Dry" hatching: A type of hatching where people do not add water to the incubator except maybe during hatch. Consider your environment - is the air very humid or dry? People who live in more humid climates may get by with dry hatching due to the natural humidity, whereas other areas like arid or places that have cold months in the spring may have drier air. 
      • THE MARANS BREED: Whichever type of Marans you're incubating, dry-hatching or low humidity seems the way to go for a successful hatch.
  • Incubator Placement: Again, a grey area but I believe most people would agree to keep your incubator away from windows, out of direct sunlight, and away from drafty areas. Ours are kept on a tabletop surface in a temperature-controlled room with  incoming and outgoing ventilation to allow for even, adequate air exchange.

​Hatching Egg Sources

       Social media platforms have become a really great way to locate fertile eggs.
  • Facebook: My #1 go-to for hatching eggs. FB has a plethora of egg and chicken-based groups you can join, some may even be more local. Many small business farmsteads, homesteads, and hobby farms can even be found here. As well as those that may be a little more unique or rare.
  • Instagram: Several of the beautiful breeds we have came through Instagram. If there's something you're really interested in, message the creator and they can let you know if they offer shipping. 
  • The Flock Directory (clickable link): A collaborative site with many smaller breeders with both well-known and specialty breeds. Their list continues to grow.
  • Google: Really is your friend if you search with the right keywords. If you're searching for something in particular, put the breed/egg color/etc. and 'hatching eggs' in parentheses to yield better results: "Welsummer hatching eggs" "blue hatching chicken eggs"
  • Large Hatcheries: Several of the larger, commercial hatcheries offer eggs of select varieties. 

Eggs: Shipped vs. Local

       For obvious reasons, getting local eggs will help with hatching rates as they are more gently handled from hen to incubator. If ever possible, pick up your eggs locally. This will allow you to control handling and temperature until they get to your incubator. However, many of us (including ourselves), do not have local access to the breeds we want. Shipping eggs, chicks, or even older birds is the only other option. In this case, we are going to only discuss hatching eggs.
       Understand that "most" people are not out to scam you and want you to have a good hatch. They won't go out of their way to shake up your eggs so that they arrive scrambled or with detached air cells. They aren't shaking up or kicking the box around the house so that a few will break. They really do care about their product.
                                          *Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling your eggs.*
  1. SHIPPED & LOCAL: Allow your eggs to adjust to room temperature. Keep them upright with the bigger, rounder end upward and pointy end down.
  2. SHIPPED & LOCAL: Candle the eggs prior to look for any cracks as they may not be visible on the outside surface. We do not attempt to hatch eggs with hairline cracks.​
  3. SHIPPED (LOCAL MAY APPLY): It's advised you do not rotate shipped eggs for the first 3 days as there is some risk with the air cells becoming detached during shipment. This isn't always obvious, especially on darker eggs. But it can and does happen - speaking from our own experience.
    1. We use egg carton cut-outs (in a quad), with the sides trimmed down and a hole punched in the bottom to keep our eggs upright during this time. Again, bigger end up, pointy end down.
    2. After these 3 days, we'll check eggs again. If air cells reattached, we will set them to rotate. If not or if only some have, we will rotate by hand until at least day 10 or 14 - whenever eggs are re-candled.
  4. SHIPPED & LOCAL: ​If everything looks good, 

Preparing for Incubation

  1. Make sure your incubator is clean. If it's brand new, I like to take a paper towel and do a wipe down of all the non-electrical inside components with a bleach cleaning spray (two cups of water to two teaspoons of bleach). I'll do a quick wash of the egg-contact surfaces (screens, cradles, rotating disks, etc.) with a mild antibacterial soap and warm (not hot) water and left to air dry.
    1. Always test a small, insignificant area (side of base, bottom) prior to use to ensure the cleaner doesn't damage any important parts of the incubator.
    2. BE CAREFUL not to get your motor or electrical equipment wet. While it may dry, parts may begin to rust or corrode. Over time, this could shorten the life of your incubator, cause malfunctions, or to not work completely.
  2. If the incubator is used, I recommend doing thorough cleaning mild antibacterial soap and warm (not hot) water and left to air dry.
  3. Once cleaned, set up your incubator and allow it to warm up for at least 12-24 hours. Place in a calibrated secondary thermometer, close the lid, and give it 5-10 minutes for the temp to reach the set point and the thermometer to read the temp.
    1. If your incubator and thermometer are the same, you're good to go.
    2. If your incubator and thermometer are off, adjust the incubator setting temp up or down respective to what the secondary thermometer reads. 
  4.  Next is to add your calibrated secondary hygrometer into the incubator. Give it a couple minutes to get a reading. This part may be a little tricky as this may depend on your climate and/or the time of year. To keep it simple, target for a humidity between 40%-50%. Add water in small portions, giving the incubator a several minutes to stabilize after the water has been added. Compare the incubator reading and secondary hygrometer and adjust if needed to get the desired humidity level.
    1. ​Darker colored hatching eggs may require a lower humidity. The darker the egg, the thicker the shell due to 'layers' of color being applied. During incubation, the porous surface of the eggs allows moisture inside the egg to evaporate. The drier the air, the better the evaporation. Conversely, if too much water is in the air, evaporation is not as easy. 
  5. After you've determined your temperature and humidity settings, your incubator should be good to go. A good practice is to run your incubator at least a full 24-48 hours prior to adding eggs.

Incubation Period

"Lockdown" to Hatch: Day 18 to 21, or 22, or 23..

  1. Day 18 is considered "lock-down" day in which people make the final adjustments to the clutch prior to them hatching on day 21. At this point, eggs should no longer be rotated. Be sure to unplug or disable any rotating element. You may want to candle eggs ones one final time before closing the lid for the next few days.
    1. I always candle at day 18 to remove any eggs that quit developing.
    2. We also hatch our eggs upright. At this point, they are put into 4-egg carton cut-outs. The sides are trimmed down and the bottom has a hole punctured through so not to obstruct hatching and allow for continued air flow around the egg. 
    3. When in doubt, leave the egg in unless you smell an odor coming from it. Very dark eggs are sometimes hard to tell if there's still development. 
  2. I *HIGHLY RECOMMEND* putting down a non-slip surface mat on the floor of the incubator. This will help the chicks keep their footing instead of slipping around on a wet or moist surface. This struggle can lead to splayed legs. A non-slip drawer mat or liner that you use in your kitchen cabinets works really well.
  3. While you may be excited, resist the urge to fuss around with your eggs. Peeping chicks still within the shell are synchronizing their hatch and getting into position to begin the pip and unzip process. And not all eggs hatch on day 21. Some may hatch a little earlier or later which may indicate if your incubator settings are a tad high or low. Nature will handle what's to come, so be patient. 
  4. When chicks begin to hatch, a small crack in the shell will begin to appear. It can take a few minutes to several hours for a hatch. This can be a critical time for your entire clutch. 
    1. If there's several chicks that have hatched and several in process, leave the incubator closed. Chicks can spend up to 3 days inside an incubator without food/water as they are still surviving on the yolk.
    2. An open cover allows necessary moisture to escape. 

Caring for your Chicks Post-Hatch

When thing go wrong​..

  1. Rotten eggs: If you smell something "funky" or foul coming from your incubator, locate the source immediately and remove it. Chances are one of your eggs is rotting from bacteria penetrating the egg and proliferating. And as the pressure builds up inside, it can cause the egg to explode. Not only will you have to deal with a bad smell and cleaning the incubator, but your other eggs will be contaminated which may compromise the hatch.
  2. Splayed legs:
  3. Shrink-wrapping: 
  4. Pasty-butt:
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