Chicken breeding: hatching eggs with a broody hen or incubator
Rooster ratio, 21 days, incubator settings.
Reserve nowSet clean eggs no older than 7 days and chicks hatch after 21 days. A broody native hen does it herself; for a forced-air incubator, US extension guides advise 37.5–37.8 °C (99.5–100 °F) and 55–60% humidity, then 65–70% for the hatch (Mississippi State, Maryland Extension). For mating, a Western Visayas farmer’s guide suggests 1 rooster for 7–10 hens (WESVARRDEC guide). Rather buy than breed? See our native chicken for sale in Ronda, Cebu.
Incubation settings for chicken eggs
| Item | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Incubation | 21 days |
| Temperature, forced-airIncubator with a fan | 37.5–37.8 °C (99.5–100 °F) |
| Temperature, still-air | about 38.9 °C (102 °F) |
| Humidity, days 1–18 | 55–60% |
| Humidity, hatching | 65–70% |
| Turning | At least 4–6 times a day, stop at day 18 |
| Candling | After day 10 |
| Storing hatching eggsSmall end down | Max 7 days, about 13 °C, 75% humidity |
| Rooster : hensReplace roosters yearly | 1 : 7–10 |
Sources: Mississippi State University, Care and incubation of hatching eggs (temperature, humidity, turning, storage), University of Maryland Extension FS-1114 (99.5 °F, 55–60%, 70% at pipping, candling), WESVARRDEC guide (rooster ratio). General US guidance; your incubator’s manual comes first.
Broody hen or incubator
Broody hen
Most native hens go broody and raise their chicks, but a hen spends about 17 weeks hatching and rearing a clutch and does not lay, so she manages about 3.5 clutches a year (FAO).
Incubator or hatchery
Hens keep laying while eggs hatch elsewhere. Without an incubator, you can bring hatching eggs to a commercial hatchery once a week (DA-RFO 3).
Pick the right eggs
Normal size, no cracks, thick shell and clean; store them in a cool, dry place (DA-RFO 3). Do not wash dirty eggs (Mississippi State).
After the hatch
In the four improved native strains, fertility ran 63–83% and hatchability 70–77% (PCAARRD); a farmer’s guide reports up to 18–20 eggs per clutch when eggs are collected daily (WESVARRDEC guide). In village flocks of developing countries, 60–70% of chicks may die in the first 7 weeks; losses drop sharply when chicks stay confined with the hen, get creep feed for the first weeks and are vaccinated against Newcastle disease (FAO).
US guidance for brooder heat: 32–35 °C (90–95 °F) in week 1, then about 3 °C (5 °F) less each week (Mississippi State). A 2 × 3 × 1 ft brooder holds 20–30 chicks up to 3–4 weeks (DA-RFO 3). Chicks that huddle and chirp are cold; chicks that pant and move away are too warm (Mississippi State).
Vaccines for chicks: chicken vaccination schedule. Starter feed: chicken feeding guide. Nests and perches: chicken coop design. Choosing a strain: native chicken breeds. Selling chicks or birds: native chicken business and native chicken farming.
Eating eggs, not hatching them? See egg sizes, egg price per tray or reserve native eggs. Live birds: native chicken prices and wholesale.
Gepanaga’s Farm in Ronda opens in April 2027. Reserve free-range native chicken: a vet health certificate with every batch, NMIS slaughter on request, a 30% deposit for seasonal reservations. Delivery in Ronda and southwest Cebu; Cebu City by arrangement.
Questions
How many days does it take to hatch chicken eggs?
21 days (Mississippi State, Maryland Extension).
How many hens per rooster?
A Western Visayas farmer’s guide suggests 1 rooster for 7–10 hens, replaced yearly (WESVARRDEC guide); surveyed raisers there kept about 1 for 4 (PIDS, 2015).
What temperature should an egg incubator be?
37.5–37.8 °C (99.5–100 °F) in a forced-air incubator; about 38.9 °C (102 °F) in a still-air one (Mississippi State).
When do you stop turning eggs?
At day 18, 3 days before the hatch (Mississippi State, Maryland Extension).
How long can you keep eggs before incubating?
Up to 7 days at about 13 °C; hatchability drops fast after that (Mississippi State).
Sources: Mississippi State incubation · Mississippi State brooding · Maryland Extension FS-1114 · FAO Poultry Development Review · DOST-PCAARRD · DA-RFO 3 · WESVARRDEC guide
