Good options include these two incubators for small or medium-scale home use: You’ll also need to manually turn the eggs at least 3 to 5 times per day, for the first 18 days of incubation, and then they’re left alone for the last three days. You’ll need to adjust the temperature and humidity during the incubation period, as the eggs need more humidity as they get closer to hatching. A manual incubator uses a thermostat and humidity regulator to keep the eggs within a set temperature and humidity range. While generally less expensive, manual incubators take a lot more work and attention than automated models. They include manual, mostly automatic, and fully automatic. There are three main types of incubators for hatching eggs. They don’t come cheap, and if you’re investing in buying fertile hatching eggs, I’d strongly suggest also investing in an incubator. Using a broody hen will work to maintain your existing flock if you happen to have a chicken breed with good mothering capabilities, but I don’t recommend it if you’re buying hatching eggs from somewhere else. Many of the eggs just won’t hatch, and sometimes hens give up halfway through…which will spoil your eggs. You cannot just use any chicken in the coop they just won’t do it.)Įven if you have a broody hen, its success rate is never nearly as high as an incubator. (A hen will not incubate eggs unless she’s broody, which is a hormonal state that warms their body temperature temporarily. It’s less dependable, and these days many modern chicken breeds have been selectively bred so that they don’t “go broody,” and you need a broody hen to hatch eggs in the coop. If you do have chickens, you can use a broody hen, and I’ll cover that process as well. Generally, if you want to hatch chicken eggs at home, you’re going to need an incubator, especially if you don’t already have chickens. For the last three days, they’re not turned at all, and humidity is increased to 65 to 75%.)īaby chicks in an incubator Do You Need an Incubator to Hatch Chicken Eggs? For the first 18 days, they’re turned 3-5 times daily and kept at 40 to 50% humidity. (If you’re looking for a quick answer, chicken eggs take a total of 21 days to hatch at 99.5 degrees F or 37.5 degrees C. Still, I’ll cover both methods, including hatching eggs in an incubator and hatching eggs with a broody hen. Some heirloom chicken breeds still make good mothers, but an incubator is much more dependable (and doesn’t get distracted or flustered like a hen might). Many modern chicken varieties don’t “go broody,” and the hens will not raise their own chicks. If you have chickens already, it is sometimes possible to use a broody hen. Sure, nurseries carry plant starts, but you’ll have to start plants from seed if you want less common (and often more flavorful) heirloom varieties. The same is true when it comes to starting plants from seed. It’s hard to find the truly unique, heritage poultry breeds that are becoming increasingly popular with backyard homesteaders. There are many commercial hatcheries that will send you day-old chicks, but the selection is often limited to the most common popular varieties. Hatching chicken eggs at home is one of the best ways to start your flock, especially if you’re hoping to raise unique or heritage breeds.
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