Whether you are a teacher looking for an enthralling science experiment for your classroom, or a parent wishing to show your children the magic of life, or just a hobbyist who wants to have some fun, hatching chickens from chicken eggs is a great experience. It is also relatively easy, thanks to an influx of economical egg incubators that you can pick up in any science catalog, feed store or pet store. In this article, we will show you how to hatch your own chickens from chicken eggs.
What you need and how to do it:
First, you will need fertile chicken eggs. The eggs sold in supermarkets are useless because 1) they are very old, and 2) they are not fertile. You need fertile chicken eggs. You can buy them from online hatcheries, a local feed store, or other hobbyists (check chicken message boards for help). Some science catalogs will sell you fertile chicken eggs, but they will be far more expensive and limited in choice compared to getting them from an actual chicken hatchery or someone else who raises chickens.
When handling the fertile eggs, make sure your hands are always dry.
Second, buy yourself an incubator. You can find them anywhere. It’s a good idea to get an incubator that can hold at least a dozen chicken eggs. Also, make sure you get one with a thermostat!
Third, you will need some time. It takes approximately 21 days (three weeks) for a chicken egg to hatch. You won’t be able to go on vacation or leave to go anywhere while you’re doing this!
Now that you have all your equipment, set up your incubator. The temperature in the incubator should be set at 99 degrees F or 37 degrees C. Each incubator is different, so the best idea is to follow the instructions that came with yours EXACTLY.
If your incubator came with an automatic egg turner, ignore this advice: You must turn your eggs for the first 18 days, and then leave them alone for the last three days (remember, it takes 21 days for the chicken eggs to hatch). Turning the egg prevents the embryo from sticking to the shell. In nature, the mother hen does this. You are the mother hen now, so you must turn them. Eggs must be rotated about three times per day.
Hatching day!
On the 21st day (sometimes sooner, sometimes later), the chicks will start to hatch. It begins by pecking a small hole in the shell, then slowly pecking it larger until it comes out. DO NOT help the chick, even if it looks like it is struggling! This is an important part of the chick’s growth, and helping it might kill it.
Once the chicks are hatched, place them in a brooder with the same temperature as the incubator. Be sure it is away from small children, pets, and drafts. Provide them with water and food. Be sure to use feeders/waterers that are designed for chicks. From here on out, you are no longer hatching eggs but the proud father/mother of your first batch of baby chicks! Congratulations!
