How to Raise a Chicken Egg (Without Losing Your Mind or Your Brooder)

The first time I tried to hatch an egg, I didn’t even own an incubator.

I’d read a dozen blog posts, watched every backyard chicken video on YouTube, and thought I was ready. I had the eggs. I had the excitement. I had a kitchen towel and a flashlight I didn’t know how to use.

What I didn’t have was a clue.

And I’ll tell you what, that first batch? Not a single chick.

So when folks ask me how to raise a chicken egg, I don’t just give them the instructions. I tell them what really happens. The small stuff that makes a difference. The parts I wish someone had said out loud before I got in over my head.

If you’re looking to hatch eggs and raise chicks from scratch, this is the guide I wish I’d had.

Step 1: Decide How You Want to Hatch

You’ve got two paths here:

1. Incubator Method
   Best if you don’t have a broody hen. You control everything: heat, humidity, timing.
   Good incubators aren’t cheap, but they work. I use this model here and I’ve had good luck with it.
2. Broody Hen Method
   Let a hen do the work for you.
   Less equipment, more natural process. But it’s unpredictable. Not every hen stays broody. And if she gives up halfway through, your eggs might be lost.

I’ve done both. These days, I lean toward incubators. They’re more consistent, and I like knowing I can keep everything steady, especially during spring storms or when I’m out for the afternoon.

Step 2: Choosing the Right Eggs

This part matters more than you think.

Look for clean, unwashed, fertilized eggs.
Not store-bought. You’ll need to get them from a local farmer, hatchery, or your own flock if you’ve got a rooster.

Here’s what I check before setting an egg:

• No cracks, chips, or thin shells
• Room temperature (not refrigerated)
• No visible dirt, but not washed
• Not older than 7 days if possible
  

I usually candle mine before I even place them. Just to check for obvious cracks or weird air cells. More on candling in a second.

Step 3: Setting Up the Incubator

This is where I made the most mistakes early on. I rushed it.

Before you add any eggs, get your incubator running for at least 24 hours to make sure the temperature and humidity are steady.

Here’s what you’re aiming for:

• Temperature: 99.5°F (forced-air incubators) or 101.5°F (still-air)
• Humidity: About 45 to 50 percent for the first 18 days
• Position: Eggs should lay sideways, or pointy-end down if using a turner
  

You also need to turn the eggs at least three times a day unless your incubator does it for you. If you are turning manually, mark them with a pencil, just a little X on one side and an O on the other. Makes it easy to keep track.

If you’re using the incubator I mentioned above, it handles turning and temp control for you. It’s worth it.

Step 4: Candling and Monitoring Growth

This is the part that still gives me goosebumps.

About day 7, I pull out each egg and shine a light through it. That’s candling. You can use a proper candler (like the one on the incubator I use), or even just a strong LED flashlight in a dark room.

What you’re looking for:

• A dark blob with visible veins = good development
• Clear egg = probably infertile
• Blood ring = started to develop, then stopped
  

I candle again around day 14 to double-check. If I find any quitters, I remove them right away. Trust me, you don’t want a bad egg sitting in the incubator too long. You’ll smell it before you see it.

Step 5: Lockdown and Hatching

At day 18, stop turning the eggs and bump the humidity up to around 65 to 70 percent. This is called “lockdown.” Don’t open the incubator after this unless you absolutely have to.

The chicks are moving into position. They’re absorbing the yolk. They’re prepping for the big moment.

Now you wait.

Usually, I’ll see the first pip (a tiny crack where the chick starts to break through) on day 20 or 21. Hatching can take hours. Sometimes a full day. Some chicks pop right out. Others nap between pushes.

Unless a chick is stuck or struggling for way too long, let them do their thing. Hatching is work. They need the time to finish absorbing everything before they come out.

Step 6: From Hatch to Brooder

Once the chick is fully out, dry, and fluffy, you can move them to the brooder.

Mine’s a big plastic bin lined with pine shavings, a heat lamp clipped safely to the side, and chick starter feed in a low dish.

What you’ll need:

• A heat source (keep it around 95°F to start, then drop 5 degrees per week)
• Clean bedding (I use pine shavings, never cedar)
• Chick starter feed (this one has worked well for my birds)
• Water in a shallow dish or special chick waterer
• A quiet place, safe from drafts, pets, or curious toddlers
  

Chicks don’t need much. Warmth, food, water, and rest.

They’ll peep a lot the first day, then settle in. Within hours, they’ll be stretching their legs, hopping around, and pecking everything that doesn’t move.

What I’d Tell Anyone Doing This for the First Time

You don’t need to be perfect.

You will mess something up. That’s fine.

The first time I raised eggs, I lost every single one.
The second time, only two hatched.
The third time, I had six healthy chicks running circles around my living room.

Each round taught me something.
Like how steady heat is more important than having the fanciest gear.
Like how quiet matters more than I expected.
Like how one chick can change the way you look at mornings.

BREAKOUT BOX

Jodie Says

“Hatching eggs is the slowest kind of excitement. Nothing happens for days… and then suddenly everything happens all at once.”
— Jodie

Final Thoughts: Raising Chicken Eggs Is More Than a Project

If you’re doing this to grow your flock, great.
If you’re doing it to give your kids a learning experience, even better.
But don’t rush it. Take your time.

Watch those eggs like they’re telling you something.
Because they are.

Each one holds a chance at life, and you’re part of it now.

And when that first little beak pokes through the shell and you hear that tiny chirp from inside the incubator?

You’ll understand why folks keep coming back to do it again.

It’s not just about hatching chicks.
It’s about building a flock with your own two hands. One egg at a time.