There are multiple steps to hatching chicks. After your eggs are placed into the incubator, you’ll experience a bit of a “waiting game” as you wait for the embryos to develop then hatch. 

The whole hatching process takes about 21 days. Once placed into the incubator, the eggs often are rotated by the incubator. Make sure to review the supplies page to see the incubator we use and love! Your only job is to check on the temperature and  add water to keep the humidity consistent. Hopefully, you are also candling your eggs to see the development of the embryos. 

Three days before the chicks are scheduled to hatch, the eggs go on “dockdown.” During this period, your incubator will stop rotating your eggs, if it has an automatic rotator. The purpose of this time is for the chicks to settle and prepare to hatch. Your job is to take the white rotator separator. This allows the chicks more space while they are hatching. If you forget, don’t worry, I’ve done that before and the chicks were ok. They do prefer the space to hatch, if possible! 

Lockdown also includes a change in humidity. The goal is for the humidity to be higher. This allows the egg membrane to remain moist and thus penetrable for the chicks. I always try to stop opening the incubator during this time also because if a chick is pipping and experiences cold, dry air, the membrane could harden, and they wouldn’t be able to hatch. 

Lockdown is an exciting time! It means your chicks are nearly here! Watch the eggs closely for any signs of movement, chirping, or pipping!