Hatching the chicken eggs is one of the essential tasks for those who own a coop. Successive hatching needs consistent heat that is provided by the incubator. However, everyone cannot purchase an incubator as it is expensive. Yet you can hatch the eggs with a totally safe heat lamp, and the result is quite similar.
Hatching with a heat lamp is challenging, so you need to clearly understand and follow all the steps properly to get the expected result.
Using a Heat Lamp to Incubate Chicken Eggs
You can quickly hatch the eggs with a heat lamp properly by following some rules. The process is simple, so maintain the time carefully even at night and try not to do any mistakes.
Lets Check Out Some Top Heat Lamps First:
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Choose the Best Eggs
Choose the eggs for hatching that is not more than seven days old. Seven days eggs are fresh and healthy and give better results in hatching. When you get the first batch, do not refrigerate them; only store them in an old egg carton at room temperature. Also, keep the pointy side down. In winter, choose not more than five days old eggs for hatching. Also, choose a big size to increase the hatch rate and get healthy baby chicks.
Maintain the Temperature
The inside temperature should be consistent (100 degrees to 102 degrees) for proper hatching. However, a short change for little times won’t make much difference, yet try to keep the same temperature. Do not keep the incubator too hot even when you are in a hurry, as it will slowly kill the chicks so that the success rate will drop.
Hang the heat lamp on the eggs, then attach a functional thermometer to monitor the temperature. The internal temperature should not drop or be too high for a long time, or the embryo growth will stop. Lift the lamp higher to heat the homemade incubator or keep the lamp lower to make it cool down. You can also install a fan for better air circulation.
Maintain Right Humidity
Maintaining the humidity level is challenging as low humidity can shrink-wrapped or not break the eggs at the right time. Use a digital thermometer to measure the humidity level.
Increase the humidity level at 70 to 75% for the first three days. Then slowly drop the level at 40 to 50 percent for the next 18 days. Then again rise the percentage till the last date of hatching. Then reduce the level after the chicks come out from the shell.
Check night’s humidity level. Provide a supplemental heat source. Keep the eggs away from direct sunlight. Tray to make a heat-resistant surface.
Flip the Eggs Regularly
You can use an automatic egg turner to regularly flip the eggs or set the alarm every 6 hours to fulfill the turning mission. The eggs must get the proper temperature and humidity on all sides, so flip the eggs at least three times a day for the first 18 days.
Mark one side of an egg “x” and the other side “y” to not forget which sides you have to flip now. Then keep the eggs in the same position for 21 days to make the chick orient itself and properly come out from the shell. The last three days are important, so do not forget to flip it.
Candling the for Natural Incubation of Chicken Eggs
Check the eggs after ten days. Some eggs may not get the proper temperature for embryo growth, so inspect them by holding them near a shining light to see veins and moving chicks inside. If any eggs still do not appear veins or chicks after ten days, remove them from the incubator because they are infertile and won’t mature.
Transfer the Chicks to the Brooder
After all the eggs have been hatched, transfer the newborn chicks to the brooders on the first or third day of their birth. The brooder temperature should also have to be 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember, consistent temperature is the main and only way for successful hatching. Do not try to hatch eggs from the supermarket as they are not fertile.
Warm Water Trick for Hatching Eggs
Warm water tricks are another funny process to hatch eggs. You can determine which eggs can hatch with warm water tricks. If you see some eggs are not hatched after 21 days, dip them into warm water to see if the eggs move and float in the water. The floating eggs can be hatched to get healthy chicks. And the eggs that do not float contain dead fetuses, so remove them from the incubator.