Hatching Eggs
Our recommendation is to try and find eggs locally when possible. A few ways to find eggs locally are to search your area’s classifieds, check with the local 4H club, call local farmers, or ask friends and family. Buying eggs on the internet is also an option, but the hatch rate is often lower because of all the eggs have to go through in transit. However, we buy eggs on the internet regularly and successfully hatch birds with the internet-order eggs.
Tips:
- We recommend purchasing your incubator and incubator accessories before purchasing eggs. It is recommended that your incubator be up and running at the proper temperature and humidity levels 24 hours before placing the eggs inside.
- We recommend not cleaning any of the eggs with water if any arrive dirty. Washing eggs with water can remove the protective coating on the egg that exists to protect the egg from infections. If there is excessive dirt on an egg, it should be gently brushed off instead.
- Eggs must be turned several times per day during incubation in order to exercise the embryo and prevent the yolk from settling on one side of the shell. We suggest purchasing an automatic egg turner to relieve you from the hassle of doing this yourself.
- Once your eggs arrive, keep them stored between 40 and 60 degrees F with the point end down. Try to store them no longer than 7-10 days from the laying date before you start to incubate.
- Having a circulating fan can increase your hatch rate by keeping a more consistent temperature. If your incubator does not have a circulating fan, you can find one here.
- Sometimes you will receive extra eggs when you purchase them online. If you have more eggs than your incubator will hold, select which ones to place in the incubator based on these criteria: eggs that are the most normal shape/size, cleanest (not hand cleaned, just naturally clean), most recently laid, and obviously, the most likely to have been fertilized.