Before Your Eggs Arrive (Prep Checklist)

A little preparation now can save a lot of stress later.

• Run your incubator for at least 24 hours before setting eggs to ensure stable operation.
• Verify temperature and humidity readings with trusted instruments.
• Place the incubator away from drafts, direct sunlight, vents, and exterior doors.
• Have a plan for power outages if they are common in your area.
• Prepare your brooder before hatch day, including a heat source, feed, water, and a draft-free setup.
• Keep a notebook or hatch log handy for temperatures, humidity readings, candling observations, and hatch notes.

You'll thank yourself later.

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

Upon Arrival

Unbox gently and inspect eggs.

Photograph the box and eggs if damage is present (see shipping policy).

Keep eggs upright with the air cell up (pointy end down).

Candle eggs upon arrival to assess air cell stability.

Stable air cell: Incubate and turn normally.

Detached air cell: Rest upright for 12-24 hours, then incubate upright without turning until stable.

Do not wash hatching eggs. Gently dry-wipe loose debris only.

Shipped Eggs: Air Cells Matter

Shipped eggs do not always need special handling, but they should always be evaluated upon arrival.

If the air cell is stable:

Place eggs into a pre-warmed incubator.

Turn normally throughout incubation.

Follow standard incubation and lockdown procedures.

If the air cell is detached or unstable:

Keep eggs upright with the air cell up (pointy end down).

Allow eggs to rest upright for 12-24 hours.

Place eggs in the incubator upright and do not turn.

Recheck the air cell after 24 hours.

Once the air cell stabilizes:

Begin normal turning.

If the air cell remains unstable:

Continue incubating upright without turning.

Recheck daily.

If the air cell is still unstable after 7 days:

Begin very gentle tilting (about 20 degrees) 3 times per day while keeping the eggs upright.

Turn an odd number of times daily so the eggs spend alternating nights on opposite sides.

Avoid laying eggs horizontally if possible.

Lockdown (Day 18-21)

Stop turning.

Increase humidity to approximately 65-70%.

If the air cell is normal and stable, eggs may be laid on their sides for hatch.

If the air cell remains abnormal or detached, eggs may remain upright for hatch. (An egg carton works great for this)

Keep the incubator closed as much as possible.

Expectation Check (Shipped vs. Local)

Even with excellent fertility, shipped eggs face challenges that local eggs do not. Postal handling, temperature fluctuations, vibration, pressure changes, and air-cell damage can all affect hatchability.

Because of these variables, hatch rates from shipped eggs can vary dramatically.

It is possible to experience a poor hatch after a rough trip. It is also possible to achieve an excellent hatch when fertility, handling, shipping conditions, and incubation all align.

Air-cell damage and early embryo loss are common causes of reduced hatch rates in shipped eggs.

Our job is to provide:

• Healthy, well-nourished breeding stock
• Fertile, carefully selected eggs
• Secure packaging and thoughtful shipping practices

Your job is to:

• Evaluate air cells upon arrival
• Incubate eggs appropriately based on air-cell condition
• Maintain a stable incubator environment
• Follow proper lockdown procedures

We guarantee fertility at the time the egg is laid. However, hatch rates are influenced by many factors that occur after the eggs leave our farm and are beyond our control.

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. Be sure to remove automatic turners.

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)

Detached or unstable air cells

• Keep eggs upright with the air cell up.
• Minimize handling and unnecessary candling.
• Do not turn until the air cell stabilizes.
• If still unstable after 7 days, begin very gentle tilting 3 times daily while keeping eggs upright.

Late hatch or weak chicks

• Verify incubator temperature with a calibrated thermometer.
• Low temperatures can delay hatch and prolong incubation.
• High temperatures can cause early hatches, developmental issues, and weak chicks.

Shrink-wrapped chicks

• Usually caused by humidity that is too low during hatch or by opening the incubator during pipping and zipping.
• Maintain proper lockdown humidity and keep the incubator closed as much as possible.

Should I assist a hatch?

• For beginners, the safest answer is usually no.
• Chicks often take much longer to hatch than expected.
• Assisting too early can cause severe bleeding or death.
• If you choose to assist, understand hatch timing, chick anatomy, and the risks involved before intervening.

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.