When we first got our incubator we were so excited, we could hardly wait to use it! When we got home we grabbed the first two fresh eggs we found and stuck them into the styrofoam contraption. We figured we’d just add eggs as we got them, until we had as many as we wanted to hatch out. Fortunately for us, some of you quickly corrected me and advised that we collect eggs first, and then put them into the incubator all together at the same time. I quickly realized the wisdom in this, as we wouldn’t want some chicks hatching out sooner than others, disturbing the unhatched eggs.

We decided to start over, and do it the right way. Oh, and we were pleasantly surprised to find an old egg turner in my husband’s grandfather’s house, so that will make things much easier this time around. I won’t have to worry about remembering to turn the eggs by hand three times a day!!

Okay, so this is my first time doing this, so I’m no expert, but I’m gonna try to break it down for you like the books say how to do it. Please feel free to add your own two-cents if you see something I should mention.

Step One: Test Run The Incubator

If this is the first time using your incubator, or if it has been a very long time, you’ll want to plug it in and do a test run to make sure that it can hold the correct temperature steadily. Follow set up instructions.

You’ll need to run the incubator for 6-8 hours to make sure that the desired temperature was maintained. Chicken, Bobwhite Quail, Pheasant, Duck, and Guinea all need a 99.5*F hatching temperature. Goose and Turkey eggs should be at 99*F.

Step Two: Collecting Eggs

Once you know your incubator works well, you are ready to begin collecting eggs to hatch. You’ll need fertilized eggs, so if you don’t have a rooster, you will not get chicks. If you do have a rooster, and have seen him mount your hens, then you can assume that the eggs are fertilized.

For the best hatching success, your birds should not be eating a laying mash. Rather, a free-range diet with lots of greens and protein, and very little grain, is best. There is also a “breeders ration” feed that you can buy if you need to. If your hens are very young, and have just begun laying, give them several weeks before collecting their eggs for incubation.

When gathering your eggs, make sure to handle them very gently. Carry it on its side, or with the egg’s large end up so as not to cause the air cell inside to rupture. Don’t wash the eggs. Try not to handle them too much, you want to limit the shell’s exposure to bacteria.

You can collect eggs for up to two weeks before incubating, but using them within a week is best. Keep them in a room with temps between 45*F-60*F. The fridge is too cold, so don’t keep them there. If you want to write the date the egg was laid on the shell so that you know how old the egg is, make sure you use a pencil and not an ink pen. If you have very cold nights, collect your eggs before they are exposed to the low temperatures.

Step Three: Incubating

Your incubator needs to hold some humidity, so make sure you have a little water in the bottom of it. I’m sure each model is different. Mine has moisture rings in the bottom for holding water. Keep an eye on it daily, and add lukewarm water as needed.

If using an egg turner, set the eggs in the turner with the small side down. The turner will rotate the eggs very slowly. It will probably look like it isn’t doing anything, but after several hours you should notice the eggs at a different angle.

If you are not using a turner, make sure to rotate the eggs at least 3 times per day at the same time every day. Do not shake or jar them. Gently roll the eggs with the palm of your hand until they have been turned half way. You can mark an “X” on one side of the shell to help you with this. Turn until three days before the scheduled hatching day.

Do not put any eggs too close to the egg turner motor. Place a thermometer in the incubator so that you can keep an eye on the temperature and adjust it accordingly. Laying the thermometer across the top of the eggs will give you the most accurate reading.

Usually you can expect chicken eggs to hatch after 19-21 days of incubating. Bobwhite Quail and Pheasants take around 23 days. Turkey, Duck, Goose and Guinea hatch after about 28 days.

I’ll write about the hatching process when that time comes!

So, I’ve got 15 eggs in the incubator right now. 4 of them are Rhode Island Red/ White Leghorn mixes, one is a bantam/ Leghorn mix (not sure what that’s gonna turn out like!), and the rest are White Leghorns. I hope hope hope that we have a successful hatch!