Before Your Eggs Arrive (Prep Checklist)

Get the incubator right first—hatch goes smoother, stress goes down.

• 
  Run it 24 hours to confirm steady temp & humidity (no big swings).
  
• 
  Settings (forced-air): 99.5°F (37.5°C) and ~45–50% humidity baseline.
  
• 
  Calibrate/verify with a trusted thermometer & hygrometer (don’t trust one screen blindly).
  
• 
  Auto-turner OFF for shipped eggs (you won’t turn until Day 7).
  
• 
  Place the incubator away from drafts/sun/vents; stable room = stable hatch.
  
• 
  Power plan: surge protector/UPS if your area blips.
  
• 
  Brooder ready by Day 18: heat plate, draft-free box, water on a stand.
  
• 
  Keep a simple hatch log (temps, humidity, candling notes)—future you will thank you.
  

Incubator Basics (No-BS Settings)

• Type: Forced-air is friendliest for beginners.
  
• 
  Temp: 99.5°F (37.5°C) forced-air. (Still-air: read at egg top, ~100–101°F.)
  
• 
  Humidity (Days 1–17): ~45–50% baseline; tweak by air-cell growth.
  
• 
  Turning: 3–5x/day (or auto-turner). Stop at Day 18.
  
• 
  Lockdown (18–21): ~65–70% humidity; do not open unless necessary.
  
• 
  Hatch timing: Usually Day 20–21; some landrace lines run a hair early/late.
  

Candle: Day 7 and 14 to confirm development/air-cell size. Pull obvious clears/quitters promptly and safely.

When Your Eggs Arrive

Unbox gently. Photograph box + eggs if damaged (see policy).

Rest 12–24 hours, pointy end down at room temp (68–72°F) to settle air cells.

Don’t wash eggs. Dry-wipe debris only.

Shipped-Egg Protocol (Air-Cell Smart)

Shipped eggs act differently. Treat air cells like gold.

Day 0 (arrival): Rest 12–24 hours, pointy end down at room temp (68–72°F).

Days 1–7 (incubating): Set upright in cartons, pointy end down. Do not turn during this period; keep movement minimal so air cells stabilize.

After Day 7 → Day 18: If air cells look stable at your Day-7 candle, begin gentle turning/tilting 3–5×/day while keeping eggs upright (or use an auto-turner on the lowest angle with eggs remaining upright in cartons/trays).

Lockdown (Day 18–21): Keep eggs upright in cartons, raise humidity to ~65–70%, stop turning, and keep the lid closed.

Saddled or detached air cells? Keep eggs upright the entire time. Start turning gently after Day 7 only if the cells look stable—delay longer if they don’t.

Expectation Check (Shipped vs. Local)

Even with excellent fertility, shipped eggs face postal handling, altitude, and temperature swings.

A solid shipped-egg hatch is often 30–60%.

Both extremes happen: it’s possible to have a 0% hatch after rough transit—and also possible to hit 100% when everything aligns.

Air-cell damage and early quits are common after rough trips.

Our job: healthy parent stock, careful packing, seasonal timing.

Your job: proper rest, stable incubator, no turning until Day 7, and disciplined lockdown.

Translation: We guarantee fertility at lay, not your final hatch count—too many variables live between our nest and your brooder.

Simple Candling Guide (What You’re Looking For)

Day 7:
Developing: clear spider-web veins and a dark embryo spot.

No visible development yet: looks mostly clear or evenly yellow. Mark and recheck at Day 10–12—do not assume infertility after incubation has begun.

Blood ring / obvious early quit: a red ring around the yolk area; remove promptly.

Day 14:
Developing: larger dark mass; air cell expanding at the blunt end.


No visible development by now: likely non-developing; many keepers remove at this point for safety, but use judgment and your notes.

Day 18 (before lockdown):
Final check; mark air cell outline. Stop turning, maintain lockdown conditions.

Key principle: After an egg has been incubated, you cannot confirm “infertile” by candling—only developing, non-developing, or early quitter (e.g., blood ring). Use air-cell growth and consistent rechecks to guide decisions.

Troubleshooting (Shipped Specific)

Rolling/detached air cells: Keep upright entire time; minimize movement; tilt gently.

Late/weak pips: Re-check temps; low temps delay, high temps rush and weaken.

Shrink-wrap risk: Low hatch humidity or opening during pip. Lock it down.

Assist or not? Beginners: default no. If you assist, know timing/anatomy and accept risks.

Our Packing & Policies (Read Before You Buy)

Packing: Foam/secure shippers, pointy-down orientation, labeled for handling.

Breakage on arrival: Email photos of box + eggs within 24 hours. We refund/credit broken eggs only (at our discretion).

Fertility vs. hatch: Eggs come from active, healthy pens. We don’t guarantee hatch rates (shipping/incubator variables).

Weather holds: We may pause or reschedule for extreme heat/cold.

Address/pickup: Use a secure address; Hold for Pickup at your PO is recommended where available.