Incubator for chicken eggs temperature manual#

This will kill bacteria that multiply rapidly in the warm temperature of the incubator. Before you put your eggs into any incubator, make sure it has been sterilised with an incubation disinfectant (or as a minimum warm soap and water if you don’t have this).Hatching eggs travelling through the postal system can be damaged internally and either not develop or die before they hatch. If you don’t have a cockerel or would like a different breed, there are many hatching eggs for sale online on sites such as eBay but keep in mind that just about anyone and everyone sells eggs so birds vary in quality between sellers.

Keep nest boxes clean and don’t set any soiled eggs. Try to pick good looking ‘egg shaped’ eggs, this will help the chicks form and hatch correctly as mother nature intended. If you have a cockerel, you can collect your own hatching eggs from your chickens. Hatching EggsĮggs need to be fertile so a cockerel needs to be running with the hens for a few weeks before eggs are taken for hatching. Expect 50% to 75% of your eggs to hatch, not all eggs will be fertile. Eggs need turning regularly by 180 degrees and you will need to do this yourself if the incubator doesn’t have an automatic turning mechanism. Humidity should ideally be between 45 and 50%. Eggs will start to produce their own heat in the latter stages of development but the incubator thermostat takes care of this, keeping the temperature the same throughout the incubation period. Because who can stop at just one?įor more great information and tips on raising and caring chickens, head to our Poultry pages.Chickens eggs have a 21 day incubation period (isn’t that amazing? Egg to chick in just 3 weeks!) and require a constant temperature of 37.5☌. Give each one a drink from a shallow waterer and offer chick crumbles to eat, then sit back and watch the chicken show.ĭon’t forget to clean and sterilise your incubator before the next hatch. Chicks go into a warm, draft-free brooder box under a ceramic heat lamp. Leave hatched chicks in the incubator for up to 24 hours, or at least until they are dry.

Incubator for chicken eggs temperature manual#

If chicks are sticking in the shell, you may need to increase the humidity setting, or in a manual machine, add a wet sponge. Then, it will steadily peck its way around and spill out, wet and wobbly. The chick may gradually pip the lid off, or may sit tight for a day, absorbing the yolk. Stand by for magic – chicks will cheep to each other, then an egg will pip. Avoid opening the incubator thereafter as it’s important to keep conditions stable. Lay the eggs on the bottom of the incubator on a towel or a rubber drawer liner for grip. Three days before hatch, on day 18, put the incubator into lockdown: either stop turning eggs or turn off the auto-turn setting, and increase humidity to 60–65%. You’ll be amazed to see the developing embryo, veins and air sac clears are duds and can be disposed of. Simply turn out lights and hold each egg up to a mobile phone torch. If it’s manual turn, eggs need to be rotated 3–5 times a day so the yolk doesn’t stick.

It’s a good idea to also get a calibration thermometer to go inside the incubator for comparison so you know the settings are working correctly.Ĭlean the incubator before starting, then set the temperature to 37.5 degrees Celsius, and the humidity to between 45–55%. I recently upgraded to a quality 20-egg incubator with handy new settings and an excellent hatch rate, and the seller helped me set it all up via email. You do get what you pay for with incubators it’s worth spending extra on an established brand from a local distributor with after-sales service. If you don’t want to buy a unit, rent-a-chook companies occasionally hire them, or borrow one from a mate, as I did one year. Larger breeders prefer cabinet incubators that hatch multiple batches of chicks. More expensive tabletop units automatically rotate the eggs and accurately control temperature and humidity. Basic models require you to manually turn the eggs and provide humidity. If you only want to hatch occasionally, a cheap tabletop incubator might be all you need. Incubators range from the simple to the stupendous. Raising chicks yourself is more work, but they become tame from all the handling, and are very entertaining. It’s convenient too, as you don’t have to wait for a broody hen.

Using an incubator to hatch fertile eggs is a fascinating process, and terrific learning for children.