Hatching Eggs Information

Placing an Order

 

What to Expect

 

Our Packaging for Shipping

Please note that shipped eggs tend to see an average of a 50% hatch rate, but it can be lower or higher. We personally have experienced 0% hatch rate on shipped eggs in the past through no fault of the seller. While low hatch rates are unfortunate, as long as the eggs are shipped, handled, and incubated properly, there's nothing else that could have been done. Sometimes, the postal system is brutal on packages and is part of the risk of shipping eggs.

Handling Hatching Eggs

Make sure to always wash your hands before handling hatching eggs. The oils from your skin can clog up the egg shells and also allow bacteria and germs to pass through the egg to the developing chick inside. 

Always store eggs with the air cell end up (fat side).  

Eggs should be incubated as soon as possible. After 14 days, the hatch rate begins to decline rapidly. 

Before you receive eggs from us, we candle each egg to ensure there is no debris (such as meat spots) inside the egg as well ensuring there is a healthy air cell. We only collect clean eggs for hatching. 

Carefully inspect each egg for any fractures before incubating. Do not wash eggs, it removes the important protective coating called the bloom.

For 24 to 48  hours after receiving (shipped eggs only): As soon as you receive your hatching eggs, make sure that your incubator is on and operating at the appropriate temperature and humidity. Allow it to normalize before hatching. For tabletop incubators, we like use both the Incubator Warehouse Incuview and Hovabator Genesis 1588.

Place your hatching eggs in an egg carton on your kitchen counter. Candle the eggs to inspect the condition of the air cell at the end of the resting period. Slightly tilt the egg from side to side. If the air cell is detached, hope is not lost! You can incubate these eggs in an incubator that holds the air cell on the topside of the egg. Dispose of any eggs that have cracks or fractures.

Incubating Hatching Eggs 

We cannot guarantee hatch rates and cannot control the outcome due to the variables involved with your incubator and handling. We test hatch and regularly check eggs for fertility.

If your eggs do not hatch, it does not mean they are not fertile. 

Day 1 through 9: Place your hatching eggs in your incubator and check the humidity and temperature daily. Add water as needed. We keep our humidity 30% to 50% and temperature at 99.5° F.

If you do not have an auto tuner, turn your eggs three to six times a day (six is better!). Marking an X on one side of the egg can help you remember what side is up when turning.

If you have detached air cells, you can place the eggs in an egg carton with the top trimmed off and prop up the left side of the carton. Then to turn, prop up the right side of the carton.

Day 10: Candle the eggs in the incubator and dispose of any undeveloped eggs. You should see blood vessels and a dark area in the egg (as shown to the left).

Day 11 through 17 (Turkeys & Guineas: Day 11 through 24): Continue to monitor your temperature and humidity. Turn as needed every day.

Day 18 through 21 (Turkeys & Guineas: Day 25 through 28: Time for lock-down! Candle each egg. You should see a well-defined air cell that takes up approximately a third of the egg and the remaining parts of the egg should be dark. You may see movement or parts of the chick inside.

If you see floating gunk, a ring of red floating material, or smell something rotting, dispose of the egg. It has likely not fully developed and may explode in your incubator if kept inside.

Raise the humidity on your incubator to 65% and maintain that humidity.  Do not open the incubator if any of the eggs inside have pipped (the initial crack the chick makes in the eggshell to breathe outside air). When a chick hatches, the humidity will spike, so don't fret.

Hatching Chicks

Your chicks can stay inside the incubator for up to 72 hours thanks to absorbing the yolk of the egg right before hatching. You can safely remove hatched chicks from the incubator if there are no eggs pipped.

Chicks tend to hatch in about 12 to 24 hours from pip to hatch. Day 21 should be your official hatch date (Day 28 for Turkeys and Guineas), but some chicks will arrive early while others might arrive late. Please be patient and give your eggs until Day 23 (Day 30 for Turkeys and Guineas) before taking them off lockdown.

We do not recommend “helping” chicks hatch. Often, chicks that are helped do not survive or may have an problem like underdeveloped organs or malformed nervous systems, etc.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about hatching. We adore our birds and are happy to help mentor you on your journey.