What to Look for When Selecting Eggs for Hatching
How to select the best eggs for hatching in an incubator or even eggs your broody hen may be trying to hatch.
Eggs need to be fertile-If you are not sure the eggs are fertile you can candle them:
How to Candle an Egg
Eggs should have a good shape and color for the breed of chicken. If you are not sure what breed chickens you have. Check our Chicken Breed Index which tells what eggs look like for various breeds of chickens. Breeds of Chickens: Chicken Heaven On Earth
Eggs should not be dirty (do not wash or sand eggs you want to incubate).
Shell should be smooth not rippled or bumpy.
Don't try to hatch eggs that are oversized or too small, they usually will not hatch (1).
You will have a much higher hatch rate if you correctly store your eggs for 3 to 7 days prior to putting them in the incubator. Make sure you store your eggs correctly before putting them in the incubator. Store your eggs with pointy end down.
Keep in mind a baby chicks heart beat starts on the second day after the egg is laid. "A fertile egg is alive; each egg contains living cells that can become a viable embryo and then a chick. Eggs are fragile and a successful hatch begins with undamaged eggs that are fresh, clean, and fertile. You can produce fertile eggs yourself or obtain them elsewhere. While commercial hatcheries produce quality eggs that are highly fertile, many do not ship small quantities. If you mail order eggs, be sure to pick them up promptly from your receiving area. Hatchability will decrease if eggs are handled poorly or get too hot or too cold in transit" (1).
Eggs need to be fertile-If you are not sure the eggs are fertile you can candle them:
How to Candle an Egg
Eggs should have a good shape and color for the breed of chicken. If you are not sure what breed chickens you have. Check our Chicken Breed Index which tells what eggs look like for various breeds of chickens. Breeds of Chickens: Chicken Heaven On Earth
Eggs should not be dirty (do not wash or sand eggs you want to incubate).
Shell should be smooth not rippled or bumpy.
Don't try to hatch eggs that are oversized or too small, they usually will not hatch (1).
You will have a much higher hatch rate if you correctly store your eggs for 3 to 7 days prior to putting them in the incubator. Make sure you store your eggs correctly before putting them in the incubator. Store your eggs with pointy end down.
Keep in mind a baby chicks heart beat starts on the second day after the egg is laid. "A fertile egg is alive; each egg contains living cells that can become a viable embryo and then a chick. Eggs are fragile and a successful hatch begins with undamaged eggs that are fresh, clean, and fertile. You can produce fertile eggs yourself or obtain them elsewhere. While commercial hatcheries produce quality eggs that are highly fertile, many do not ship small quantities. If you mail order eggs, be sure to pick them up promptly from your receiving area. Hatchability will decrease if eggs are handled poorly or get too hot or too cold in transit" (1).
Where to Get Hatchable Eggs
Hens
If you have hens (female chickens) and they are laying eggs and you have a rooster that is mating with them on a daily basis most likely you have fertile eggs that will hatch.
Breeders
Choose a reputable breeder.
A good breeder or hatchery will provide the mating parents of the eggs the proper nutrition and make sure that the breeding parents are the proper weight for male and females. They will also make sure their flocks are disease free, monitor mating activity, prevent egg damage and store the fertile eggs properly for shipping.
Hatchery
Choose a reputable hatchery. Some hatcheries do not sell their eggs and prefer to sell baby chicks and live birds.
The Chicken Trading Post
If you prefer to buy your hatching eggs from local farms or backyard chicken keepers, The Chicken Trading Post on MEWE is the best place to find local hatching eggs and chat with sellers.
If you have hens (female chickens) and they are laying eggs and you have a rooster that is mating with them on a daily basis most likely you have fertile eggs that will hatch.
Breeders
Choose a reputable breeder.
A good breeder or hatchery will provide the mating parents of the eggs the proper nutrition and make sure that the breeding parents are the proper weight for male and females. They will also make sure their flocks are disease free, monitor mating activity, prevent egg damage and store the fertile eggs properly for shipping.
Hatchery
Choose a reputable hatchery. Some hatcheries do not sell their eggs and prefer to sell baby chicks and live birds.
The Chicken Trading Post
If you prefer to buy your hatching eggs from local farms or backyard chicken keepers, The Chicken Trading Post on MEWE is the best place to find local hatching eggs and chat with sellers.
Featured Video: Selecting Eggs for Incubation/Hatching
You will have a much higher hatch rate if you correctly store your eggs for 3 to 7 days prior to putting them in the incubator.
More Information About Hatching Chicks |
References:
1. Gregory S. Archer and A. Lee Cartwright.Incubating Eggs. Retrieved on Aug. 23, 2017 fromhttp://aglifesciences.tamu.edu/posc/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2012/08/EPS-001-Incubating-and-Hatching-Eggs1.pdfrtwright.Incubating Eggs.
1. Gregory S. Archer and A. Lee Cartwright.Incubating Eggs. Retrieved on Aug. 23, 2017 fromhttp://aglifesciences.tamu.edu/posc/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2012/08/EPS-001-Incubating-and-Hatching-Eggs1.pdfrtwright.Incubating Eggs.
Tags: #how to select eggs for hatching, #chicken eggs, #hatch, #farming, #incubating, #hatchery, #best eggs for hatching
See Baby Chicks Hatch
See Baby Chicks Hatch
