Hatching a clutch, or group, of eggs can easily be done under a broody hen.
She will rotate the eggs, keep them at the right temperature and take care of the chicks when they hatch. All without any interference from you. Of course, you will need a rooster to do this, as the eggs need to be fertile and you need a broody hen. But, what if you have neither and want to hatch eggs yourself vs. buying chicks? Well, you can use an incubator!
My friend Janet at Timber Creek Farm had some fertile eggs she wanted me to test out. Being that we wanted some new chicks, of course I said “Yes” and had her ship me some right away!
They came in the mail, and I was so excited that this was a package my son DIDN’T drop on his way home from the post office!
They were really well packaged and put together. Janet really spent some time caring about how she was shipping them.
Of course, each egg was so well wrapped, that they weren’t even cold when they arrived! Even in our cold Indiana winter, they were still room temperature! That was only because of the great care taken in shipping, I am sure.
So, they were unwrapped and put into my Hovabater incubator. This whole hatching eggs in an incubator is new to me, and I was really happy to try this out. The incubator itself was easy to put together. It only required me adding the thermometer adjuster and the fan. Both went in easily, within minutes.
I marked the eggs with an “x” on one side, so I could keep track of which side they are on. They have to be manually turned 3 times a day, so “x” up once, down the next, and up at the last turn. The incubator is made of strong styrofoam that has a water chamber to keep the moisture at a perfect level and the lid is easy to take off and hold while turning eggs.
An automatic turner comes separately, and I think that I will invest in one next time. It has two windows on the top to keep an eye on the temps inside, as well as watch for chicks breaking out. It really seems to hold the temps at 100° without any effort. It needs to stay in a non drafty area to do so, but that shouldn’t be hard for most to find somewhere in their house.
I am so excited that we are going to have new chicks around April 3!! Stay tuned to see how they go!
*ftc yada yada…I received the eggs and incubator FREE for the purpose of reviewing and all opinions expressed are mine. No money was received*
Heather’s homesteading journey started in 2006, with baby steps: first, she got a few raised beds, some chickens, and rabbits. Over the years, she amassed a wealth of homesteading knowledge, knowledge that you can find in the articles of this blog.
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Becka says
I love little baby chicks. They are so cute and fluffy. I have never seen eggs come in the mail although I have also never tried to hatch eggs but that would be fun to watch. I am super excited to see the fuzzy warm cuteness when they do hatch! Good luck. 🙂
Jennifer says
I can’t wait to see how this turns out! And wow, I had no idea you could even send eggs like that in the mail. How cool!
Lisa Jones says
I Envy You Wish I Had A Simple Life (Atmosphere Like) Like This !! Love It!!
Suzi Satterfield says
Cute fluffy chicks! It’s a shame they have to grow up into chickens. What will you do with them when they get bigger (and not so cute and fluffy)?
Kathleen Kennedy-Leon says
I have to say I learn something new everyday and this is one of things to add to that listing–who knew–very interesting–thanks for sharing the
Jessica says
Our preschool does this! It is so fun for the kids!
reesa lewandowski says
SO cool! I cannot wait to see when the eggs hatch!
Michelle says
That is so cool! I would love to have my own mini chicken coop for fresh eggs in my backyard!
Triplezmom says
Looking forward to seeing your chicks. Also love your “yada yada” disclosure.
Cristina says
Both my kids did this in Kindergarten and LOVED it!
Ginger says
How fun! We would love to do something like this! Maybe soon!
Lisa Jones says
This Is Adorable!
Janet Garman says
I am excitedly watching the progress of our eggs. I think it is quite amazing that they all reached your house in perfect conditions.
Way to go USPS. (and to your son for not dropping the box!)
Krystal Bernier says
I wish I could have chickens, but our city doesn’t allow it. Great instruction on hatching them, this is the method my family used when we lived on an acreage.