Hatching Chickens

[wolfy-hound]

Haha, yeah, as the opposite problem. Someone local was complaining to me how hard it was to hatch cornsnake eggs. Turns out she was faithfully turning them twice a day every day. Oops.

[Jerbear4592]

i think ur just supposed to put the eggs in the incubator and leave them in the possition they are in, and i think u have to put them alittle bit in the sand

[musicalKeyes]

I put mine in around 99.5 every year. Humidity is really really important, shoot for 70%. I've experimented a lot with turning, and honestly, I've had equal luck with turning them once a day, three times a day, or once every other day even. I do recommend an odd number though, that way they switch sides each night. I also have an automatic turner, which is really nice, although a little pricey, and you have to be careful about taking them off and setting them nice before they hatch. Three or four days before their hatch date stop turning them, so the chick inside can get oriented. It's also important not to help them with hatching. The most I do for them is, if it's been more than 6 hours after they make the first air hole I enlarge it a little. I have had some hatch with egg sacks still attached. If it happens, put them in your brooder or tank in their own container to stay away from the other chicks on slightly damp paper towels, and leave them be. They don't always make it through that. If you have any questions feel free to pm me, I've got tons of experience with hatching and raising chicks.

[dembonez]

what are you hatching chickens for? food? reptile food? or just for a farm lol

[LeviBP]

Sometimes it depends on the size/breed of chicken. But it is pretty universal to keep as close to 100 as possible. A little below or above is no big deal. Be sure to mark one side of the eggs with D for day and N for night and remember to turn.

If you have your average chicken egg incubator (Foam with wire tray) be sure to add a little of water in the bottom, but don't over-do this part.

A note to keep in mind, don't fret if your power goes off. Once while I was incubating Rhode Island Reds, the power went off for the best of two days, and I only had one out of thirty or so eggs not hatch.

Also, if you would like to check the fertility of your eggs, you can use a method called candling. Just cut a hole smaller than the egg size in a cardboard box, set the egg on the hole, and use a flashlight in the box to shine underneath the egg. In your textbook fertile egg you should see a nice red color with plenty of veins along the shell.

Hope this helped

[Jerbear4592]

what are you hatching chickens for? food? reptile food? or just for a farm lol

well im trying to educate myself as much as possible so i can get ready to become a breeder, doesnt hurt to learn early

[LittleMama]

When we first started out on our farm in 2006. We went and bought these books about pretty much all the animals we were wanting to raise. I have the Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens. This is what it says in the book about what you asked.

"Set the incubator to the temperature recommended by the manufacturer, which may vary from one model to the next. Typical operating temperatures are 99.5 degrees F for a forced-air incubator and 102 degrees F for a still-air incubator. Lethal temperatures are 103 degrees F in a forced-air incubator, 107 degrees F in a still-air incubator."

It's a very good book to have. They have books on pigs and other farm animals as well. We have the one for chickens, pigs, and cows but they do have others.

[dy6221216]

95 105F
Chicken embryos maternal outside development, mainly rely on external conditions, namely, temperature, humidity, ventilation, turn eggs, etc