Getting Started: Your First Batch of Fertile Eggs

So you’ve got a carton of Rainbow Dozen sitting on your kitchen counter, and now you’re wondering how to turn those beautiful eggs into equally beautiful chicks. Here’s what you need to know before you set your incubator.

Let Them Rest First

Fresh fertile eggs need a little downtime before they go anywhere near heat.

• Rest eggs for 12–24 hours at room temperature
• Store pointy end down
• This lets the air cell settle after transit

Skipping this step is a common reason home hatches underperform, so it’s worth the wait.

Temperature and Humidity, Locked In

Every incubator behaves a little differently, so run yours empty for 24 hours before your eggs arrive to make sure it’s holding steady.

A cheap hygrometer is worth every dollar here — guessing humidity is the single biggest reason home hatches fall short.

Turn, Turn, Turn

Eggs need turning to stop the yolk sticking to the shell membrane.

• Turn 3–5 times a day for the first 18 days
• Mark one side of each egg with a pencil “X” if your incubator doesn’t turn automatically
• Stop turning completely for the final 3 days (lockdown)
• Keep the incubator closed during lockdown, no matter how tempting it is to peek

Candle Around Day 7 and Day 14

Candling — holding a bright light behind the egg in a dark room — lets you check development without opening the shell.

Day 7: Look for veining and a dark spot (the embryo). Clear, empty-looking eggs usually aren’t developing.

Day 14: The egg should look mostly dark, with just the air cell showing clearly at the wide end.

Don’t worry if results vary across a mixed carton like the Rainbow Dozen — different breeds and even individual hens can show slightly different development speeds.

What to Expect on Hatch Day

• Fertile eggs typically hatch around day 21, though some breeds run a day or two either side
• Once pipping starts, chicks can take anywhere from a few hours to a full day to fully emerge
• Only assist a stuck chick after 24 hours with no progress — helping too early can cause more harm than good
• Leave chicks in the incubator until dry and fluffy before moving to a brooder

A Few Realistic Expectations

Hatching from shipped eggs is genuinely rewarding, but hatch rates are naturally a little lower than eggs collected straight from under a hen. This is normal, and part of why we handle every carton so carefully before it goes out the door. Aim for realistic expectations rather than a perfect dozen, and treat every chick that hatches as the bonus it is.

Got questions? Reach out any time — we’re always happy to talk hens.