Hatching your own chicks is one of the most rewarding parts of keeping poultry, and it is a popular way to grow a backyard flock or try a new breed. It also takes patience and a bit of planning. Chicken eggs take around 21 days to hatch, and most problems come from things you can control: temperature, humidity, turning and handling. This guide walks UK keepers through a home incubation from setting the eggs to the first days in the brooder.
It is practical guidance, not veterinary advice. If chicks look unwell after hatching, speak to a poultry-experienced vet. If you still need eggs, browse hatching eggs on The Eggschange, and read our guide to what to check before you buy hatching eggs.
Before you start: plan for the chicks, not just the eggs
Hatching is the easy bit to get excited about. The harder question is what happens next. Expect roughly half of the chicks to be cockerels, and decide before you set any eggs whether you can keep, rehome or otherwise deal with them responsibly. You will also need a brooder, a heat source, chick crumb and space for growing birds for several weeks.
Start small if this is your first hatch. A batch of six to twelve eggs is plenty to learn on, and it keeps the brooder manageable.
Choosing and setting up an incubator
There are two main types. A forced-air incubator has a fan that spreads heat evenly, so the temperature is much the same everywhere inside. A still-air incubator has no fan, so it is warmer at the top than the bottom and the reading needs taking at the height of the top of the eggs. Many keepers find a forced-air model with automatic turning the easiest place to start.
Run the incubator empty for at least 24 hours before setting eggs. Check the built-in display against a separate, reliable thermometer and hygrometer, because cheap sensors can drift. Put the incubator in a room with a steady temperature, away from direct sun, radiators and draughts. A spare bedroom usually works better than a conservatory or a shed.
Getting eggs ready to set
Use clean, undamaged eggs with sound shells. Avoid washing hatching eggs, as this can remove the protective bloom. If your eggs arrived by post, let them rest pointed end down at cool room temperature for around 12 to 24 hours so the air cell can settle. Eggs that have travelled usually hatch less well than collected eggs, so keep your expectations realistic.
Fresh eggs hatch best. Most keepers aim to set eggs within about a week of lay, storing them somewhere cool and stable in the meantime. Let them come up to room temperature before they go in.
Temperature, humidity and turning
For a forced-air incubator, the commonly recommended temperature is about 37.5°C (99.5°F). Always follow your incubator manufacturer’s guidance, and remember that small, steady errors matter more than one brief wobble when you open the lid.
Humidity is usually kept moderate, around 45 to 55 percent, for the first 18 days, then raised for hatching. Different breeds, climates and machines vary, so treat these as starting points and adjust gradually.
Eggs need turning so the developing embryo does not stick to the shell membrane. An automatic turner does this for you. If you turn by hand, aim for at least three times a day, an odd number of times so the eggs spend alternate nights on different sides. A pencil cross on one side and a circle on the other makes it easy to keep track.
Candling: checking progress
Candling means shining a bright torch through the shell in a dark room to see inside. Around day 7 you should see a network of veins spreading from a dark spot in fertile eggs. Clear eggs are usually infertile. A blood ring, a red circle with no veins, suggests an embryo that stopped developing early.
Candle again around day 14 to 16, when developing eggs look mostly dark with a clear air cell at the broad end. Remove eggs that are clearly not developing, because they can go off and contaminate the rest. Keep candling quick and handle eggs gently with clean hands.
Lockdown and hatch day
From day 18, stop turning, raise the humidity (many keepers aim for roughly 65 to 75 percent) and keep the lid closed. This is called lockdown. Chicks first pip a small hole, then often rest for several hours before zipping around the shell and pushing out.
Resist the urge to help or to keep opening the incubator, as a sudden drop in humidity can make membranes dry and tough. Newly hatched chicks absorb the remaining yolk before they hatch, which sustains them for their first day or so, so it is fine to leave them in the incubator until they are dry and fluffy.
Moving chicks to the brooder
Have the brooder warmed and ready before hatch day. Chicks need a heat source they can move towards and away from, with a warm spot of around 32 to 35°C in the first week, reducing gradually as they feather up. Watch their behaviour: chicks huddled under the heat are cold, while chicks spread out and panting at the edges are too hot.
Provide chick crumb and a shallow drinker they cannot fall into. Keep bedding clean and dry, and check on them several times a day for the first week.
Common reasons eggs fail to hatch
- Temperature running too high or too low for long periods.
- Humidity far too high or too low, especially during lockdown.
- Eggs not turned, or turned after day 18.
- Old, cracked, dirty or poorly stored eggs.
- Rough handling or long, bumpy postal journeys.
Keep a simple notebook with dates, readings and candling results. It makes the next hatch much easier to get right.
Buying and selling hatching eggs on The Eggschange
The Eggschange is a UK classifieds marketplace for hatching eggs, chicks, chickens and poultry equipment. You can browse current listings for eggs, incubators and brooders, or place a listing if you have surplus eggs, chicks or kit to sell. Listings cost £1 for 90 days. See how The Eggschange works, or contact us if you have a question.