any tips when it comes to incubating and hatching/raising chicks? you seem like you know a lot more than i do about it, ive incubated fertilized eggs twice now (about 10 eggs both times) and got 3 chicks once and 4 another time. do your hens hatch them?
Yes while i do have a small incubator i mostly use my adult serama hens (mostly Princess Cream) to brood my eggs as no incubator can really compete with a broody hen in my opinion, also the breed i raise is famously known for having poor hatchrates in incubators. As soon as a baby hatches i move it to a very warm brooder. Usually i have babies on puppy pads to start then when they learn to eat and drink i move them on to pelleted bedding.
Here are some things can can impact your hatch rate regardless of what you use to incubate.
Rooster has low fertility- if you have eggs that show no signs of developing or fertilization that can be a sign that your rooster isnt breeding your hens as often as he needs to or he has low fertility.
Shipped eggs- the act of shipping eggs can impact hatchrates due to rapid changes in temperatureand rough handling. If the aircell detaches your likely not going to have a successful hatch. Its best to let shipped eggs sit for a few hours at room temperature before incubating.
Bacterial contamination- eggs that get soiled via rotten egg or via feces can become unviable due to bacterial contamination killing the embryo. Its important to NEVER wash hatching eggs as the bloom helps protect the egg. This of course isnt 100% fool proof, if an egg incubates with feces still present it can kill the developing chick leading to blood rings or failed eggs.
Poor eggshell quality- an egg that is to porous or fragile will likely not hatch, due to bacterial contamination and water loss. Chicks need the calicum from the eggshell to develop properly so thin egg shells are also a problem.
Improper temperature and humidity- eggs are delicate, the embryos inside those eggs even more so. Everyone lives in different climates so they need to be mindful of their temperature and humidity levels because if its to hot you can cook the chicks, to cold and they wont develop, to dry you get moisture loss, and to wet your chicks can actually drown in their eggs while hatching and it also encourages bacterial growth.
Hopefully this helps!










