Hatching chicken eggs at home is a fun and educational project—great for families, hobbyists, and small-scale farmers. This guide covers everything you need to know for a successful hatch, from incubation to post-hatch chick care.

🧺 What You’ll Need

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• Fertile chicken eggs (available from Bolton Birds)
• Incubator with adjustable temperature and humidity
• Egg candler for monitoring development
• Brooder with bedding, heat source, and chick feed

🌡️ Step 1: Setting Up the Incubator

• Temperature: Keep at 99.5°F (37.5°C) in forced-air incubators
• Humidity: Start at 45–50% for the first 18 days
• Turning: Turn eggs 3–5 times daily to prevent the embryo from sticking to the shell
• Use an auto-turner or mark and turn manually

🔦 Step 2: Candling the Eggs

By day 7, you can candle the eggs to check:

• Vein growth
• Dark spot (the developing embryo)
• Movement (later stages)

Remove any infertile or “clear” eggs to avoid contamination.

⏳ Step 3: Lockdown & Hatching

Chicken eggs usually hatch around day 21.

On day 18:

• Stop turning the eggs
• Raise humidity to 65–70%
• Avoid opening the incubator frequently
• Watch for “pipping” (the first small crack made by the chick)

Chicks may take 12–24 hours to fully emerge after pipping—this is normal!

🐣 Step 4: After They Hatch

Once chicks have hatched:

• Let them dry in the incubator for 12–24 hours
• Move to a brooder heated to 90–95°F
• Provide clean water and starter chick feed

Gradually reduce brooder temperature by 5°F per week as chicks grow.

✅ Helpful Tips

• Wash hands before handling eggs or chicks
• Keep incubator in a stable, draft-free room
• Use clean equipment to avoid bacteria
• Always buy high-quality fertile eggs from trusted sources like Bolton Birds