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Hatching at home or school

Incubators, candlers, hygrometers and brooders for family and classroom hatches, with CDC safe-handling basics and a plan for the chicks afterward.

Incubation & hatching 36Chicks & brooding 11Feeders & waterers 4Feed & supplements 11Health, safety & cleaning 4Eggs, books & gifts 2
A crowd of day-old chicks of mixed breeds on paper towels
Photo: floodllama, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Planning a hatching project

A hatching project takes about four weeks for chickens: 21 days in the incubator, then a few days in a brooder before the chicks go to their new home. Plan the end before the start. Many 4-H embryology programs and hatcheries ask schools to arrange homes for the chicks in advance, because returning them is often not possible.

  1. Find a home for the chicks: a family flock, a farm or a 4-H leader who agrees to take them.
  2. Pick a small, forced-air incubator with an automatic turner that stops on its own, so weekends are covered.
  3. Set eggs on a Monday or Tuesday so hatch day falls on a school day. The incubation calculator gives candling days, lockdown and hatch day.
  4. Candle at about day 7 and day 14 (4-H) and record it in the printable hatch log.
  5. Have a brooder ready with a heat plate before lockdown.

Incubation & hatching

All 36 in incubation & hatching

Chicks & brooding

All 11 in chicks & brooding

Feeders & waterers

All 4 in feeders & waterers

Feed & supplements

All 11 in feed & supplements

Health, safety & cleaning

All 4 in health, safety & cleaning

Eggs, books & gifts

All 2 in eggs, books & gifts
Incubation calculator by speciesPick a species and the day you set the eggs: get candling days, the stop-turning (lockdown) day and the…Brooder temperature chart by weekBrooder temperature for chicks week by week, in °F or °C, with floor space per chick, a heat-plate capacity…Printable hatch logKeep a hatch log in your browser: set date, species, eggs set, daily temperature, humidity, turning and…

Gear for a classroom hatch

The Brinsea Mini II Advance Classroom Kit bundles a 7-egg incubator with an egg viewer and a brooder plate. The Nurture Right 360 holds 22 chicken eggs with a full view from above, which works well for a group watching. Add a bright candler and a second hygrometer.

Heat lamp fire safetyClassrooms and homes should use a heat plate for the brooder. If a lamp is used, secure it with a chain or cable, never by its cord or a clamp alone, at least 20 inches from bedding, and do not leave it on long-term extension cords.Source: Clark County Fire Marshal

Handwashing rules for kids

CDC: Salmonella and poultryChicks and eggs can carry Salmonella while looking healthy. Children under 5 should not handle chicks, ducklings or other poultry. Older children should wash hands with soap right after touching chicks, eggs, the incubator or bedding, never kiss or snuggle chicks, and not eat or drink near them. Adults should supervise handwashing.Source: CDC Healthy Pets

Keep the incubator and brooder away from lunch tables and sinks used for food. More in hatching projects at school and home and how to candle eggs.

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Hatching at home or school: questions

How long does it take to hatch chicken eggs in a classroom?
21 days in the incubator, with turning stopped around day 18 for lockdown (Mississippi State Extension). Plan another few days in a brooder.
What happens to the chicks after a school hatching project?
Arrange a home before you set the eggs: a family flock, a farm or your local 4-H program. Do not release chicks or give them to families without a coop.
What is the best incubator for a classroom?
A small forced-air model with an automatic turner that stops itself, a clear lid and simple controls, such as the Brinsea Mini II Advance or Nurture Right 360.
Can young children hold the chicks?
CDC advises that children under 5 should not handle chicks or other poultry. Older kids can, with adult-supervised handwashing right after.
Where do I get fertile eggs for hatching?
From a hatchery, a local breeder or your county 4-H embryology program. Store-bought eggs are not fertile.