I have had the absolute pleasure of incubating fertilized eggs from our flock (and a friend's flock) and let me tell you, it is the most magical experience!
A chicken egg takes about 21 days of incubation to hatch. The eggs have to be kept at a humidity range of about 50 - 65 percent and a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Eggs also have to be rotated multiple times a day to prevent the developing embryo from sticking to the membrane. Now all of this is quite a bit of work but the wonders of technology means there are many incubators out there to automate the entire process.
I personally use the Kebonnixs incubator because of all of the automated features, size, and price. The incubator rotates the eggs every hour and then automatically stops at day 18. The humidity and temperature on it stay quite level throughout the hatch. The price is not too bad either at just under $100. I would say this incubator averages at about a 70% hatch rate. It is as easy as plugging in, setting the days, adding eggs, and letting the machine do the rest. Now if you are looking at large hatches and ready for an investment the Brinsea (photo below) Incubator holds 56 eggs and is fully automatic.
There are a few tricks I have learned over time though. If you need your humidity higher at hatching use a cut up sponge that has been soaked in water. Rotate the sponges out every day and the added moisture will help keep those levels up. Add in some sort of base to your hatching space to help the eggs from rolling around once the other chicks start to hatch. Small rags or even shelf liner (https://amzn.to/3tqjq2E) works great. Last have your brooder box prepped and starting to warm once you see your first pip!
WHY DO I INCUBATE INSTEAD OF ORDERING CHICKS TO SHIP?
For the last few days that chicks are inside of the shell before hatching they absorb the egg yolk. The yolk acts as their nutrients for the first days of their life. This fact is how hatcheries/companies are able to ship chicks through the mail however (BIG HOWEVER), there is a length of time at which this is safe and unsafe. The first 48 hours after hatching it is considered “okay” for chicks to not have access to any food or water. Chicks are living, breathing baby animals though and often need to be taught how to eat and drink. Withholding food and water for those first days can be detrimental to both growth and the time needed to learn how to accomplish eating and drinking outside of the shell. This is just one aspect to educate on and consider when you are selecting a hatchery for shipped chicks. If and when possible, find them locally!
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