Tips & advice for first time hatchers.
For people that have never hatched eggs before it can be quite a worrying and daunting process. You are responsible for these chicks hatching and will become their parent! There are so many question and hopefully most questions are answered on our blog.
So here are the basics to get you going. Like most things the first time is the most worrying and then after that you have a lot better idea what you are doing. I can guarantee that you are addicted after the first hatch!
Hatching basics..........
The first thing to know is that hen eggs take approximately 21 days to hatch, duck and geese eggs take longer in the incubator. The fresher the eggs the faster they hatch. I have known hen eggs hatch on day 19 and up to day 23. The hatching process for hens tends to be quicker than ducks and geese. It can seem like an eternity from seeing the first signs of pipping to the actual hatching of the chick. Remember eggs are amazing things so learn patience and enjoy the journey.
Let's start with the incubator and its temperature...……...
First make sure your incubator is working by plugging it in and letting it get up to temperature for 24 hours before adding the eggs. Most incubators nowadays have a digital thermostat and this should be set at the optimum temperature of 37.5 degrees Celsius.
TOP TIP: Always invest in a good quality incubator. There are a lot of cheap Chinese versions on the internet and in my experience these machines are awful. You don't have to pay the earth but do your research.
Postal eggs should be left to settle for 24 hours before setting them in an incubator. Always ensure the pointed end is down or that the egg is laid on its side depending on the machine.
For the majority of the incubation period the eggs need to be turned so all parts of the egg get warmed up equally. Hens and ducks who hatch eggs naturally can actually turn their own eggs up to 50 times per day! Luckily most incubators have automatic turning, saving us that problem. If your incubator is a manual turn you need to turn as often as you can otherwise this can massively affect the survival rate of the embryo.
Incubator humidity...…….
Now this is the area that is tricky to get right and depends on how sophisticated your incubator is. So water is added to help the chicks hatch from their shells. If the humidity is too low the chicks may get stuck in their shell, if the humidity is way too high the chicks can actually drown in their shell. It's a learning curve that's for sure and there are a lot of variables to take into consideration. In basic terms I would add water during the incubation period. For the last 3 days (lockdown) I would increase the humidity by adding more water and restricting the airflow. It's really important that you read your incubators instructions before you hatch as all machines are different.
Candling...…..
Candling is the term used to see firstly if the egg is fertile and secondly if the embryo is developing as it should. A light is shone underneath the egg meaning the contents inside can be seen. Sometimes darker shelled eggs are difficult to candle so you have to simply leave them and take pot luck! I would recommend candling at day 7 and then disregarding any eggs that aren't fertile or where the embryo has died. Click here to read our beginner blog guide to candling.
I would candle day 7 and then day 18 just before you lock the eggs down. Candling too often can affect the embryos.
Lock down..........
So after 18 days (25 for ducks and geese) you are ready for lock down. This is the final 3 days of the hatch where the chick gets into the right position to start it's tough journey to the outside world. You must take the plastic trays out of the incubator so that the eggs are left alone and are not turned. The humidity needs to be increased by adding water and then the eggs are simply left alone to do their thing. It's important you do not go inside the incubator until the chicks need to be removed to put into their brooder. The more often you lift the lid the more likely you are to affect the chicks that are hatching so try not to lift the lid at all until the chicks (after 24 hours) need to be moved and even then do it quickly and try not to take the lid off.
The big hatch...........
Chicks should be left in the incubator until they fluff up and can stay there for 24 hours easily. They don't need food or water as the yoke that they absorb, from inside the egg, provides their food and drink for the first 24-48 hours of life. Chicks will need heat immediately after being removed from the incubator and fresh dry bedding. They also sometimes need to be taught how to eat and drink as they don't have a mother. This can be done by gently pressing their beaks into a water bowl to allow them to drink. Once one chick starts eating and drinking the rest quickly follow.
Don't open the incubator during this time except to quickly get any chicks out. Every time the lid is off the temperature and humidity drops dramatically and can massively affect the hatch rate. Why don't eggs hatch?
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR HATCH!