Day 1

• Place incubator in a spot out of the direct sunlight in a room that stays a constant temperature (around 72 degrees). 

• Humidity - Too high or too low humidity can prevent chicks from emerging from the shell during the hatch, or cause abnormalities in those that do manage to hatch.

  • Keep your humidity around 55% for the next 18 days.

• Humidity is controlled by adding water to the incubator, add a little at a time to see how much the humidity increases. If you don't reach 50-55% add more water. If you go over 60% open the air vent until it goes below 60%.

• Ensure air ventilation is at least cracked periodically during the next 18 days.

• Run your incubator for 4-5 hours before adding eggs to make sure your incubator is up to 99.5-100 and humidity is correct. 

  • Expect the temperature to drop when you put the eggs in. It will gradually return to operating level as the eggs warm to proper temperature.

• Place the pointed end of each egg should remain lower than the large round end.

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Day 2-10

• You will color your first egg today

• Ideally you want to check your humidity every 10-12 hours and try to keep your humidity within 50-59%

  • If it drops below 50%, DO NOT PANIC, just add water until the desired percentage is reached​

  • If it goes above 60%, DO NOT PANIC, open the vent and check on it with in the next 30-60 minutes until it is below 60%

  • The humidity WILL fluctuate, your goal is to find a routine that will allow the least amount of fluctuation between the 12 hours you check on it. 

• Refrain from opening your incubator during days 2-10.

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Day 10,14, and 16 (Candling)

• In a darkened room, hold an egg against the egg candler, you can see what’s going on inside the shell. (Eggs with colored shells are more difficult to candle than white-shelled eggs, and speckled eggs are most difficult of all.) 

• To avoid any disruption in the hatching process, make sure all candling is done in 5 minutes. Click here for more information. 

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Day 18 (12 Egg Incubator)

• Remove the egg turner from incubator, make sure to replace yellow gear in the middle, otherwise the chicks can fall in the water and drown. 

• Open the air vent to 1/2 (if possible)

• Increase humidity to 70%

  • The increase in Humidity is controlled by adding water to the CENTER incubator, add water above the water mark until it fills the internal pot to almost full (around 3oz).

Day 18 (22 Egg Incubator)

• Remove the egg turner from incubator.

• Open the air vent to 1/2 (if possible)

• Increase humidity to 70%

  • The increase in Humidity is controlled by adding water to both A and B on the outside of the incubator

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Day 20-21

• Finally, Your eggs will begin hatching!!! 

• You will begin to hear some chirping and see the chicks pip (create a small crack or hole in the egg). Do not assist them in breaking the egg!!

• Some eggs can take an additional 24 hours to hatch, so don’t give up on them if they don’t start hatching. 

• It can take 24 hours from the first pip to full hatch. 

• A typical first time hatch rate is 50-75% of the eggs (4-6 chicks)