Incubation & Hatching

Incubation

Quick Start

Temperature:
101.5 degrees F. in a still-air incubator
99.5 degrees F. in a forced air incubator

Humidity:
Chickens: Relative humidity should be 50 to 55%. Some say to raise the humidity the last three days to 58%. Guineas are the same.
Waterfowl: Relative humidity for goose and duck eggs is 63%, raise the humidity the last three days to 70%.

Incubators:

I've been asked several times about homemade incubators. The only plans I've found so far in a book are in Raising Poultry the Modern Way, by Leonard Mercia, ISBN 0-88266-058-6.

I was sent plans for a homemade incubator made completely from salvaged materials, courtesy of John Burgoon.

And here are the Ohio State University Extension's plans for building an incubator.

Build "Matilda" -- an Electric Hen for Less Than $10.

This is the "Kuku" homemade Chicken Incubator.

Here's the CyberQuail Guide to Home-Made Incubators

Would you like to make your own incubator, this may help.

Incubating:

Check out The Easy Chicken's page on incubating. And don't miss their chart on hatching times for various species.

This is Greg Davis's page on using small incubators.

Incubation and Care of Hatching Eggs from Crest Capital

Here's the Brigadoon Farm page of incubation & brooding tips.

The Virtual Hatchery on Incubation.

The Mississippi State Extension's incubation trouble shooting page.

And here's the Mississippi State Extension FAQ on incubation.

Regulating temperatures more precisely using the Water Weasel.

An incubator full of Black Java chicks
Photo by Edith Sieg; courtesy of Marc Lyerly