To Incubate -- or Not? Hatching Your Own Chicken Eggs

At some point in a chicken owner's life one asks the question: should I get an incubator? It's a good question and one not easily dismissed, especially if you're in chickens for the long haul. There are several good reasons for incubating your own eggs - and just as many reasons not to. Let's look at the reasons behind hatching your own chicks. And some reasons not to.

Free Chicks

You can get "free" chicks from simply hatching your own eggs, thus perpetuating your flock. Want a brooder full of fuzzy butts? Pop the fertilized eggs from your chickens in the incubator and 21 days later - instant chicks that cost no more than the price of the incubator, itself.

Obtain Rare Breeds

If you're thinking about owning certain breeds of chickens that you can't normally get from hatcheries or you're looking to own show quality poultry, then incubating is the way to go. When I realized that what I wanted were French Black Copper Marans and Blue Orpingtons, I knew that they'd be a little hard to come by in Montana and many of the hatcheries didn't have what I wanted or were sold out. So, I decided that the best way was to get fertilized eggs and hatch my own. If you're looking to do the same thing, unless you live next to the breeder of your rare birds, you're probably going to need to get fertilized eggs and hatch them.

Sell Extra Chicks

No, you won't get rich selling your extras to people, but you can make some pocket money above the normal egg money. If you're hatching unusual breeds or if the demand for chicks in your area exceeds the supply, you can sell off the extra chicks and make a little money.

But Are They Really Free?

Free chicks. It sounds too good to be true, and that's exactly why you need to think this through before getting that incubator and adding eggs. As you know, nothing is really free. Incubators, even cheap ones, are a bit on the pricey side. So, even if you use eggs from your own flock, each of those chicks hatched out are going to cost something. If you're planning on hatching a lot of chicks, then eventually the incubator will be a sound investment. But if you're only going to incubate a half dozen eggs every couple of years, then you need to rethink the cost effectiveness. You can usually buy chicks at a feed store or from a mail order hatchery for $2 to $5, depending on the breed. That's about $12 to $30 for six birds. You would have to hatch 12 to 30 chicks to make back the price of a cheap incubator and quite a bit more for a more expensive model.

Not For the Faint of Heart

Incubating eggs isn't for the faint of heart. Eggs often don't hatch or there are deformities or other problems associated with the hatch. It's heartbreaking when a person has to toss out perfectly formed - and dead - chicks. No matter how hard we try to emulate the hen's care, incubation isn't better than a hen hatching her eggs. You can put an expensive batch of eggs into the incubator to only have a couple hatch out - or worse, none at all. Eggs need constant temperatures at around 100°F with about 55% humidity. The eggs need to be turned to avoid having the embryo stick to the side of the egg. Even with the proper care, you'll still get duds. When you buy a chick from a hatchery, you avoid the deformed chicks and the eggs with dead chicks in them. What you have is a cheap, healthy (in most cases) chick.

You Wanted Roosters, Didn't You?

Cockerels make up about half the hatch, which means that if you hatch your own, you're going to get roosters. This can be a bit problematic for those of us who were looking to only get pullets or who live in towns where roosters aren't allowed. Expect at least half your hatch to be cockerels, which means you'll have to eventually cull them if you were looking for pullets. When buying from a hatchery, cockerels do slip through but on average, you've got a better than 90% chance of getting a pullet, if that's what you paid for.

Should You - Or Not?

At this point, you've probably made up your mind about incubating eggs. Despite all the things that can go wrong, you'll probably at least try it once. Most people do, and are either hooked or decide that it's just too complicated to get a decent hatch. Thankfully, there are alternatives to incubating, but if this is something you just might try, then go for it.

Have fun and happy hatching!

Reference

"Raising Chickens for Dummies," Kimberly Willis, Rob Ludlow, 2009.

"Storey's Guide to Raising Poultry," Leonard S. Mercia; 2001.

"The Chicken Health Handbook," Gail Damerow, 1994.