How to Hatch Chicken Eggs
Find out where to source fertile eggs., Beware of getting your eggs shipped., Select your eggs wisely., Understand that you will have roosters., Decide whether to use an incubator or a broody hen., Know the pros and cons of each method.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find out where to source fertile eggs.
Fertile eggs must be obtained from hatcheries or poultry farms which have roosters in their flock, if you do not breed your own chickens.
You may be able to buy fresh farm eggs from someone who sells their extras.
Be sure to check with potential suppliers well in advance, to ensure they have the correct breed and number of eggs in stock.
Your county extension agent or extension poultry specialist may be able to suggest a source.The eggs you find in grocery stores are not fertile and cannot be hatched.
For disease prevention and health reasons, it's best to get all your eggs from one source.
If you are looking for a particular or rare breed of chicken, you may need to contact a specialized hatchery. -
Step 2: Beware of getting your eggs shipped.
You should be wary of buying your eggs online and having them shipped to you, especially if you are a first time hatcher.
Shipped eggs are more difficult to hatch than eggs from your own flock or eggs acquired locally.
On average, eggs that have never shipped have an 80% chance of hatching, whereas shipped eggs have only a 50% chance.However, if the eggs are treated very roughly during shipping, it is possible none will hatch, even when you are doing everything right. , If you are able to select your own hatching eggs, there are several things you should look out for.
You should select eggs from breeding hens that are well developed, mature and healthy; they should be compatible with their mates and produce a high percentage of fertile eggs (around three).
The breeding hens should also be fed a complete breeder's diet.
Avoid excessively large or small eggs, or misshapen eggs.
Large eggs hatch poorly and small eggs produce small chicks.
Avoid eggs with cracked or thin shells.
These eggs have difficulty retaining moisture needed for proper chick development.
Cracked or thin shells also make it easier for disease to penetrate. , An important point to keep in mind is that your eggs will generally hatch out in a 50:50 mix of males and females.
If you live in town, roosters can be a problem and keeping them is often against municipal regulations! If you can't keep roosters, you will need to be prepared to find them a home.
Even if you can keep them, you will have to consider what living arrangements you will need so that the roosters won't overbreed and or even injure your hens.Understand that there is no way to know whether an egg contains a male or female chick before the egg has hatched.
Even though the general ratio of males to females is 50:50, you may be unlucky and hatch 7 males out of 8 eggs, which does not make for much of a laying flock.If you do intend to keep some or all of the male chicks, there are several things you will need to consider, such as whether you will have enough space to ensure that the hens are not overbred.
Overbred hens can have feathers pulled out from their heads and backs, their combs injured and, even worse, can get accidental puncture wounds from rooster spurs.
Too many roosters can fight amongst themselves, as well.
The usual recommendation is to keep about one rooster for every ten hens or so.
This is also a good ratio to keep if you want decent fertility in your home flock. , You have two options once you've decided to hatch chicken eggs; you can hatch them in an incubator or hatch them under a broody hen.
Both options have pros and cons that you will need to consider before proceeding.An incubator is an enclosure which has controlled temperature, humidity, and ventilation.
With an incubator, you are the only one responsible for the eggs.
You will be in charge of preparing the incubator, monitoring the temperature, humidity and ventilation inside the incubator, as well as turning the eggs.
Small incubators can be purchased, though it is also possible to make your own.
If you have a commercial model, follow the instructions supplied with the unit.
A broody hen can be used to incubate and hatch chicken eggs, even if she didn't lay the eggs herself.
This is a great, natural option for hatching eggs.
Just make sure you choose a broody breed to hatch your eggs, popular broody breeds include Silkies, Cochins, Orpingtons and Old English Games., Of course, both incubators and broody hens offer advantages and disadvantages to cultivators trying to hatch chicken eggs.
Knowing what these are will ultimately help you make the best decision given your circumstances.
Incubator pros:
Using an incubator is a good option if you do not have access to a broody hen or you are hatching chickens for the first time.
An incubator allows you to be in control of the hatching process.
Incubators are also the best option for hatching large quantities of eggs.
Incubator cons:
The main drawback of using an incubator is that its operation is wholly dependent on a reliable power source.
If you are hit with an unexpected power outage or someone accidentally unplugs the incubator, it can adversely affect the eggs, even killing the babies in the shell.
If you don't already own an incubator, you may need to buy one which, depending on size and quality, may be costly.
Broody hen pros:
Using a broody hen to hatch your eggs is a practical and natural option.
With a hen, you don't need to worry about the power going out and ruining your eggs.
There are no concerns about the temperature or humidity being right.
Once the eggs have hatched, the hen will be a mother to the chicks, which is a beautiful thing to see.
Broody hen cons:
Your hen may not be broody when you need her to be and there is no way to make a hen go broody, so you will need to get your timing just right.
You may need to invest in a "broody coop" to protect your hen and the eggs from overcrowding and possible damage to the eggs.
This can add to the expense of hatching eggs.
In addition, a hen can only reliably hatch a few eggs at a time.
Large hens may be able to hatch 10-12 eggs at the very most, depending on the size of the eggs, while small hens may only hatch 6-7. -
Step 3: Select your eggs wisely.
-
Step 4: Understand that you will have roosters.
-
Step 5: Decide whether to use an incubator or a broody hen.
-
Step 6: Know the pros and cons of each method.
Detailed Guide
Fertile eggs must be obtained from hatcheries or poultry farms which have roosters in their flock, if you do not breed your own chickens.
You may be able to buy fresh farm eggs from someone who sells their extras.
Be sure to check with potential suppliers well in advance, to ensure they have the correct breed and number of eggs in stock.
Your county extension agent or extension poultry specialist may be able to suggest a source.The eggs you find in grocery stores are not fertile and cannot be hatched.
For disease prevention and health reasons, it's best to get all your eggs from one source.
If you are looking for a particular or rare breed of chicken, you may need to contact a specialized hatchery.
You should be wary of buying your eggs online and having them shipped to you, especially if you are a first time hatcher.
Shipped eggs are more difficult to hatch than eggs from your own flock or eggs acquired locally.
On average, eggs that have never shipped have an 80% chance of hatching, whereas shipped eggs have only a 50% chance.However, if the eggs are treated very roughly during shipping, it is possible none will hatch, even when you are doing everything right. , If you are able to select your own hatching eggs, there are several things you should look out for.
You should select eggs from breeding hens that are well developed, mature and healthy; they should be compatible with their mates and produce a high percentage of fertile eggs (around three).
The breeding hens should also be fed a complete breeder's diet.
Avoid excessively large or small eggs, or misshapen eggs.
Large eggs hatch poorly and small eggs produce small chicks.
Avoid eggs with cracked or thin shells.
These eggs have difficulty retaining moisture needed for proper chick development.
Cracked or thin shells also make it easier for disease to penetrate. , An important point to keep in mind is that your eggs will generally hatch out in a 50:50 mix of males and females.
If you live in town, roosters can be a problem and keeping them is often against municipal regulations! If you can't keep roosters, you will need to be prepared to find them a home.
Even if you can keep them, you will have to consider what living arrangements you will need so that the roosters won't overbreed and or even injure your hens.Understand that there is no way to know whether an egg contains a male or female chick before the egg has hatched.
Even though the general ratio of males to females is 50:50, you may be unlucky and hatch 7 males out of 8 eggs, which does not make for much of a laying flock.If you do intend to keep some or all of the male chicks, there are several things you will need to consider, such as whether you will have enough space to ensure that the hens are not overbred.
Overbred hens can have feathers pulled out from their heads and backs, their combs injured and, even worse, can get accidental puncture wounds from rooster spurs.
Too many roosters can fight amongst themselves, as well.
The usual recommendation is to keep about one rooster for every ten hens or so.
This is also a good ratio to keep if you want decent fertility in your home flock. , You have two options once you've decided to hatch chicken eggs; you can hatch them in an incubator or hatch them under a broody hen.
Both options have pros and cons that you will need to consider before proceeding.An incubator is an enclosure which has controlled temperature, humidity, and ventilation.
With an incubator, you are the only one responsible for the eggs.
You will be in charge of preparing the incubator, monitoring the temperature, humidity and ventilation inside the incubator, as well as turning the eggs.
Small incubators can be purchased, though it is also possible to make your own.
If you have a commercial model, follow the instructions supplied with the unit.
A broody hen can be used to incubate and hatch chicken eggs, even if she didn't lay the eggs herself.
This is a great, natural option for hatching eggs.
Just make sure you choose a broody breed to hatch your eggs, popular broody breeds include Silkies, Cochins, Orpingtons and Old English Games., Of course, both incubators and broody hens offer advantages and disadvantages to cultivators trying to hatch chicken eggs.
Knowing what these are will ultimately help you make the best decision given your circumstances.
Incubator pros:
Using an incubator is a good option if you do not have access to a broody hen or you are hatching chickens for the first time.
An incubator allows you to be in control of the hatching process.
Incubators are also the best option for hatching large quantities of eggs.
Incubator cons:
The main drawback of using an incubator is that its operation is wholly dependent on a reliable power source.
If you are hit with an unexpected power outage or someone accidentally unplugs the incubator, it can adversely affect the eggs, even killing the babies in the shell.
If you don't already own an incubator, you may need to buy one which, depending on size and quality, may be costly.
Broody hen pros:
Using a broody hen to hatch your eggs is a practical and natural option.
With a hen, you don't need to worry about the power going out and ruining your eggs.
There are no concerns about the temperature or humidity being right.
Once the eggs have hatched, the hen will be a mother to the chicks, which is a beautiful thing to see.
Broody hen cons:
Your hen may not be broody when you need her to be and there is no way to make a hen go broody, so you will need to get your timing just right.
You may need to invest in a "broody coop" to protect your hen and the eggs from overcrowding and possible damage to the eggs.
This can add to the expense of hatching eggs.
In addition, a hen can only reliably hatch a few eggs at a time.
Large hens may be able to hatch 10-12 eggs at the very most, depending on the size of the eggs, while small hens may only hatch 6-7.
About the Author
Ruth Martinez
Ruth Martinez has dedicated 5 years to mastering education and learning. As a content creator, Ruth focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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