Makin' Babies

“People who count their chickens before they are hatched act very wisely because chickens run about so absurdly that it’s impossible to count them accurately.” - Oscar Wilde

When living in the Midwest, Spring is the perfect time of year to add to your flock. This year, we chose to incubate our own eggs rather than order chicks from a hatchery. We have three roosters who “do their duty” well, so using our own fertile eggs is more cost effective (and fun) than ordering from a hatchery. Setting eggs in the incubator between March and April means the weather will typically be warm enough by the time the chicks are ready to go outside.

Incubating eggs is fairly simple, providing you follow a handful of guidelines:

• Maintain correct humidity level

• Maintain correct temperature

• Turn eggs

• Follow the schedule

In this article, I will walk you through the basics of what you need to know in order to hatch your very own little chicklets.

Setting Up Your Incubator

First things first, you will need to acquire an incubator if you don’t already own one. There are a lot of great incubators out there, but this is the one I settled on. In addition, I also purchased a small hygrometer to set inside of the incubator to display the humidity level since the incubator I purchased did not have this feature.

Before setting your eggs in the incubator, assemble and set up incubator according to its instructions. Per incubator instructions, add the correct amount of water to the incubator. Test run the incubator for at least 24 hours prior to setting eggs to make sure the temperature and humidity level stays consistent.

These days, most incubators have an automatic turning device, so you won’t have to manually turn the eggs. When setting up your incubator, make sure the turning device is working properly before setting your eggs.

Adding water to the incubator. Most incubators have two small holes in its base where you add the water. Make sure to read the incubator’s instructions on the amount of water to add and which hole to add it to per incubating schedule.

Choosing Which Eggs to Incubate

This should go without saying, but you will need fertilized eggs in order to hatch chicks. Odds are, if you have a rooster in with your hens, you have fertilized eggs. Otherwise, you can either order hatching eggs online or buy them locally (strongly recommend the latter).

When choosing which eggs to incubate, make sure to carefully inspect each egg for hairline cracks and other deformities. Do not use oddly shaped, oversized eggs, or eggs with thin shells. Select clean, even shaped, undamaged eggs for incubating. It is best to not wash eggs prior to setting, as washing can remove the protective “bloom” on the shell and make eggs more susceptible to absorbing bacteria which could compromise your hatch.

Some cracks are so fine that you can’t see them unless you squeeze the egg. Gently squeeze each egg and inspect for hairline cracks before setting in incubator. Discard any eggs with cracks.

Do not incubate eggs that are oversized or deformed (left). Choose clean, even shaped, undamaged eggs for incubating (right).

Before incubating, store the eggs in a cool place (NOT the fridge) with the pointy end down. This keeps the air cell intact. Turn the eggs once a day to help keep the yolks centered. Ideally, eggs should be set in the incubator within 7 days of being laid for the best hatchability rate.

Incubating Schedule

For chicken eggs, it takes approximately 21 days to complete the incubation process, give or take a day or two. It is crucial to keep track of and follow the schedule in order to achieve the best hatch rate. Below is a brief explanation of the incubation schedule for chicken eggs.

• Days 1-17

  • Humidity level = 28-50%

  • Temperature = 99.5-100F

  • Eggs turned 3+ times daily

• Days 18-21+

  • Humidity level = 65-75%

  • Temperature = 99.5-100F

  • Cease egg turning

Day 1: Add the recommended amount of water per incubator instructions. Make sure your temperature is holding consistently between 99.5-100F and humidity is between 28-50%. Set your eggs in the incubator, either on their side or pointy end down, depending on your incubator. As I mentioned above, most incubators have an automatic turning device. As long as your incubator is working properly, you shouldn’t have to worry about manually turning your eggs.

Days 1-7: Do not disturb the eggs or take them out of the incubator as this is a crucial period for development and the embryo is very fragile. Continue to add water and monitor humidity and temperature.

Day 8: This is the first recommended day to try candling your eggs. See the “Candling” section below for more details.

Days 18-21: On day 18, it is time to bump up the humidity and cease egg turning. Switch off or remove turners so the chicks can position themselves for hatching. From days 18-21, you will add more water than days 1-17 in order to achieve a higher humidity level. Add the recommended amount of water per your incubator instructions and close any vents. During this time, it is extremely crucial to maintain a humidity level of 65-75%.

Day 21: This is the prospective hatch day, though it is not uncommon for some chicks to hatch a day early or a day or two late. Keep the humidity level up and keep the incubator closed. See the “Hatch Day” section below for more details.

Candling

Candling your eggs is a necessary step in the incubation process to help track the growth and development of an embryo inside of an egg. The candling method uses a bright light, or egg candler, behind the eggs to show details through the shell. When candling an egg, it is recommended to do this in a dark area for the best visibility.

During the first week of incubation, it is recommended that you do NOT candle your eggs, as this is a crucial period for development and handling the eggs may cause damage to the very fragile embryo. After day 7, you should candle your eggs to check the development progress. At this point, you should see a dark blotch with spider veins around it. Discard any eggs that have not begun development so that there is no risk of them going bad and exploding inside of the incubator and contaminating the other eggs. Keep in mind, dark shelled eggs are much more difficult to see through when candling, so you will most likely have to wait longer than 7 days before you are able to see any development.

Development Inside of the Egg

After the first week of incubation, the embryo has grown significantly and the eye is usually visible (the darkest spot in the egg). The embryo is starting to look more like a chick and less like an alien—toes begin development, the heart is completely enclosed in its cavity, and feathers begin to grow. As days go by, the chick embryo will continue to grow and eventually fill up the majority of the space in the shell.

Hatch Day

Over the final 24 hours of incubation, the yolk sack will be absorbed into the chick, giving the chick enough energy to turn inside of the shell and slowly break through.

The initial crack in the egg that the chick makes when beginning to hatch is called a “pip.” It is usually very small. After the initial pip, it can take up to 24 hours for the chick to fully hatch. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT open the incubator if there are any pipped eggs. If the incubator’s humidity level drops, it can dry out the egg’s membrane and “shrink wrap” the chick. Keep the incubator closed until all pipped eggs have completely hatched and the chick’s feathers are dry.

It is not recommended to assist a chick in hatching as you run the risk of removing the shell too soon before the yolk sack has been completely absorbed and the navel has healed over. Once the chick(s)’ feathers are completely dry and there are no pipped eggs, you can transfer the chick(s) to your brooder. For the first 24-48 hours after hatching, chicks do not need food as they are still receiving energy from their absobed yolk sack.

Dried chicks waiting for other pipped eggs to fully hatch and dry before being taken out of the incubator.

Brooder Set Up

The “brooder” refers to a heated enclosure/pen that is dedicated to raising and nurturing baby poultry. You should have your brooder pen set up before hatch day.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Pen

• Bedding

• Feeders

• Waterers

• Heat lamp

Pen: Some common choices for brooding pens include a large box, wooden pen, plastic totes, and even children’s playpens. We chose to build a 4’ L x 3’ W x 2’ H pen out of plywood in a small room in our basement and lined the bottom with a tarp. Erect your brooder in a draft free location where you are able to maintain a temperature of 90F. Make sure the space is at least 24” tall to prevent your chicks from hopping or flying out. Your brooder should also provide 6 square inches of space per bird.

Bedding: Wood shavings is the most common choice for bedding in a brooder. However, you need to make sure to select the correct form of wood shavings. Use coarse shavings rather than sawdust, as sawdust can lead to gizzard impaction if the chicks choose to pick at and consume the sawdust. Do NOT use cedar shavings, as cedar oils and scents can be toxic to chickens. Pine shavings is your best bet. Straw is another good option. Spread the bedding over the bottom of your brooder at least 3 inches thick. Change the bedding at least weekly, or more depending on the amount of chicks in your brooder.

Feeders/Waterers: Gravity fed feeders and waterers are the best option for keeping your chicks hydrated and nourished. A 1-quart waterer can serve up to 25 chicks for the first two weeks, then after that a gallon sized waterer will be needed.

Heat lamp: There are a few options for adding heat to your brooder, but the cheapest and most commonly used method is to suspend a heat lamp above the brooder with an infra-red bulb. Make sure to secure your heat lamp to a sturdy area to prevent the lamp from falling into the brooder and starting a fire. Alternatively, you can use a heated brooder plate. Temperature is one of the most important factors that can affect your chicks’ health. If your chicks are huddling under the heat lamp, you have the heat lamp suspended too high off the ground and the chicks aren’t getting enough heat. If your chicks are spread out far away from the heat lamp, you have the heat lamp suspended too low and it is too hot for your chicks. For the first week, your brooder should maintain a temperature of 90F. For every week after, the temperature should be dropped by 5F until 70F is reached.

What to Feed Your Chicks

First things first, your chicks will need access to clean water at all times. Placing marbles or rocks in the base of the waterer will not only attract your chicks to the water, but will help prevent them from wading in it and reduce their odds of drowning.

As far as what to feed your little chicklets, begin by feeding them “chick starter” feed. Chick starter contains all the essential nutrients a chick needs to develop into a future egg layer or robust rooster. You can choose either medicated or non-medicated chick starter, but I highly recommend using medicated to prevent coccidiosis in your chicks (coccidiosis is an intestinal parasite that is widely spread and found just about everywhere). Generally, you will feed the chicks chick starter until they are at the point of laying.

As soon as you begin adding anything else to your chicks’ diet other than chick starter, you will need to feed them grit. Essentially, grit is tiny pieces of sand or stone which is necessary in aiding a chick/chicken’s digestion.

Vaccinating

Health should be your top priority when raising chickens. After all, a healthy chicken is a happy chicken and a productive and more profitable chicken. Many diseases can wipe out a large chunk of your flock or leave them vulnerable to more infections, costing you time, money, and your precious birds.

Vaccinating your chicks is optional, but highly recommended. There are a number of viruses and diseases your chickens can obtain, no matter how clean you keep your coop and how good of a chicken tender you are. For example, Marek’s disease is a highly contagious virus that includes tumors, partial paralysis, and irregularly shaped pupils that can lead to blindness. Currently, there is no treatment for Marek’s. Click here to learn more about other potential diseases/viruses in poultry.

If you desire to have your chicks vaccinated, you can do so by either bringing them to a vet or vaccinating them yourself. We chose the latter. Additionally, we chose to only vaccinate our chicks for Marek’s, as other diseases and viruses are not as common in our area. The vaccine for Marek’s disease can be purchased online and most vendors ship the bottle overnight to make sure it arrives cold. The vaccine will come with directions that walk you through the vaccinating process to ensure a safe and smooth experience for both you and your birds.

In Conclusion…

We’ve discussed the basics of what you need to know in order to hatch your very own chicks, but there is much more to be learned. I highly recommend that you research as much as you can before diving in to makin’ babies.

Good luck with your hatching adventures, and if you have additional questions, drop us a comment below!