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Egg Incubation — Complete Guide

Hatching chicks with a home incubator — step by step

Egg incubation is an exciting and rewarding process. This guide covers every step — from egg selection to hatching day.

Choosing an Incubator

Many beginner-friendly incubators are available in Georgia. For beginners, we recommend an automatic incubator with auto-turning and temperature control.

You can also purchase one from Jishiani Guli — a 30-egg automatic incubator with auto-turning and temperature control for 250 GEL.

Incubation Parameters

ParameterDays 1–18Days 19–21 (Lockdown)
Temperature37.5°C (99.5°F)37.5°C (99.5°F)
Humidity45–55%65–75%
Turning3–5 times/dayStop turning!

Brahma eggs: Slightly higher humidity (50–60%) due to large size

Quail eggs: 17–18 days incubation, same temperature

Candling

  • Day 7: Blood vessel network should be visible
  • Day 14: Embryo clearly visible, moving
  • Day 18: Egg almost fully dark (embryo fills it)

Remove infertile or dead eggs carefully — they can explode.

Lockdown & Hatching (Days 19–21)

  • Day 18: Stop turning
  • Raise humidity to 65–75%
  • Don't open the incubator!
  • Chick breaks shell on its own — don't assist unless necessary
  • Leave hatched chicks in incubator until dry (12–24 hours)

Caring for Newly Hatched Chicks

  • Brooder: 35°C first week, decrease 3°C weekly
  • Water: Room temperature, add sugar or honey on first day
  • Feed: Chick starter feed (crumbled)

Frequently Asked Questions

37.5°C (99.5°F) throughout the entire incubation (days 1–21).

21 days. Quail eggs: 17–18 days.

Jishiani Guli offers hatching eggs from Brahma, Rhode Island Red, Ameraucana, Marans and other breeds.

Common causes: wrong temperature/humidity, infertile eggs, old eggs (stored over 14 days).

Related Breeds

Light Brahma Rhode Island Red Ameraucana Marans Texas Quail

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