How to: Incubate Chicken Eggs

First things first, let’s get everything you will need together:

• Incubator
• Egg Turner
• Circulating Air Fan Kit
• Thermometer (for humidity and temperature)
• And most importantly, your fertilized eggs!

Setting up the incubator:

• The temperature needs to be set at 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit at all times.
• It is important to keep the water channels full of water for the first 18 days so you can ensure that the humidity level is accurate.
• The humidity level is best at 60% to 80% for the first 18 days of incubating.
• You will want to place the egg turner over the plastic mesh in the incubator.
• Run the incubator for about 24 hours before putting the eggs in so you can make sure It gets to the desired temperature and humidity level!

Placing the eggs in the incubator:

• If you are going to use an egg turner, place the eggs smaller side down. The egg turner will prevent you from having to turn the eggs yourself every day.
• If you are not going to use the egg turner, you will place the eggs directly on the plastic mesh. Draw a “X” on one side and an “O” on the other so you can keep track of which eggs you have turned. The more you turn the eggs, the better. But, it is important to turn them an odd number of times a day so they aren’t on the same side for 2 consecutive nights.

The incubating process:

• For the first 18 days, the eggs need to be turned, either in the egg turner or manually.
• It is important to constantly have water in the incubator. You will probably need to add some water in about every other day.
• On day 18, remove the eggs from the egg turner and leave them alone after that. They will start hatching anywhere from day 18 to day 23. The average hatching day is day 21.
• After the chickens’ hatch, leave them in the incubator for about 8 hours so that they have time to dry before moving them to their coop.

For your convenience, here at Palmer Feed, we have the Deluxe Incubator. The Deluxe Incubator comes with everything you need, including the air fan kit, the thermometer, and the egg turner! We also carry all of the necessities for after your chickens hatch such as our 18% Chick Starter, heat lamps and bulbs, feeders and waterers. Come see us at Palmer Feed & Supply or give us a call at 325-653-6765. We know you will be an EGGcelent chicken farmer!