Helpful information

We do get asked regularly for instructions on the best way to incubate hatching eggs. There are a lot of different opinions out there on what is the best method so this is just a run down of what we do ourselves. Hopefully it will be some help for you but it is always beneficial to do your own research as well.

Firstly it is important to always let the eggs settle for 24 hours after they arrive. They should be kept at room temperature (generally at least 16 degrees as any lower can prevent the embryos developing). They need to be pointy end down and preferably in the dark.

It is also good to have your incubator on for at least 24 hours before you put the eggs in, to make sure the temperature and humidity is correct and stable. If the incubator holds the eggs upright then they need to be pointy end down. 

We set our temperature to 37.5 degrees and the humidity at 45% for the first 17 days. On day 18 when the eggs go into lock down we will raise the humidity to 70%. With bantam breeds such as with our Silkies, we have found that the eggs hatch closer to 19 days rather than the usual 21 so we start lockdown on day 16.

 

Our incubators turn the eggs automatically but make sure you check your incubators instructions so you know how this works and is set up correctly as this is an important aspect of the incubation process.

After 7 days you can candle the eggs if you want but it is important not to disturb them any earlier as this can stop the development. You should see veins developing by this stage although in dark coloured eggs, especially marans, it can be extremely difficult to see at this stage. You will see an air pocket in the egg which changes in size during the chicks development. You can compare the size with diagrams online and you can then adjust the humidity level if need be keep this on track as this is important for when the chick gets to the later stages of development. You can find more information about this online if you need it.

As stated earlier, the eggs go into lockdown on day 18 (or 16 for the Silkies). This means that you raise the humidity to 70% and also stop the eggs being turned. Depending on what incubator you have, we have to remove the dividers and lay the eggs down at this stage too. We also candle the eggs and remove any failed eggs to give more room for the others hatching.

We try not to open the incubator unless really needed during lockdown as it's important to keep the humidity high so the hatching chicks don't dry out as they hatch. They should start to pip around day 21 (or 19 for Silkies) and generally they usually all hatch within 24 hours of the first one fully emerging.

They should be able to hatch on their own without difficulty but on occasion we have given some a little help. There is a lot of opposing opinions as to weather you should help chicks hatch or leave them and let nature take its course and I suggest you do your own research on this. We have found however that with the Maran eggs, they do on occasion require a little help as the shells can be quite thick and the chicks can struggle a bit.

Once hatched, we leave the chicks at least 24 hours in the incubator before transferring them to a brooder box. We also dip their beaks in the water to show them where to get a drink and then put them under the heat so they know where that is also.

I hope some of this information may be of help and if you have any questions please feel free to get in touch and we will do our best to help if we can.