Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Heat the incubator to 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure the egg is at room temperature before placing it inside. Use a pencil to mark the egg with an "A" on one side and a "B" on the other. Position the egg so that the large end is higher than the small end.
Maintain a humidity level of 50 percent from day 1 to day 18. The humidity level determines the size of the air bubble inside. The chick won't have enough air if the humidity is too high; it won't have enough fluid if the humidity is too low. Use your pencil marks as a reference and turn the egg 3 times every day. Daily turning is very important because it keeps the embryo from sticking to the inside of the shell, which can cause deformity.
Stop turning the egg from days 19 to 21 (the last three days). The chick is preparing to hatch at this point and there's no danger of its sticking to the shell. Increase the humidity level to between 70 and 80 percent.
Feeding a newly hatched chick isn't necessary because the yolk gets drawn through its navel into its stomach; this will nourish it for about three days. After that, feed it baby chick mash (available at poultry feed stores), and offer it a very shallow bowl of water filled with marbles to prevent it from drowning.