How to Hatch Eggs

Before you can begin, you need to prepare your eggs. Weather you buy hatching eggs from a breeder or keep your own eggs, you want the cleanest eggs possible, but DO NOT wash them. Take a dry brush if needed and remove any debris from the egg and then store them pointy side down, in an egg carton for 24 hours before you place them in the incubator. Hatching eggs should be no more than 14 days old.

Prepare 

Begin by setting up your incubator. You need the temperature of the incubator be to around 99.5°F. be sure that your incubator is holding temp correctly before you place your eggs. An incubator with a digital controller is a huge help in ensuring that your temp is where it needs to be. I personally do not worry about the humidity until the very end of hatching. I have done both methods, of adding watcher the entire time until hatching, and not adding water until the end and the outcome was the same for me. Once you are happy with your temp, and you feel that everything is running smoothy, you can place your eggs.

Hatch

If your incubator comes equipped with a hatch timer, set the timer for 21 days. (18 days for quail, 28 days for turkey) Turn your eggs every day, unless you have an auto turner. over the next 10 days, you should continue turning the eggs, on day 10 you should candle your eggs. This means taking a bright flashlight and shining it at the bottom (rounded end) of the egg and checking for veining, and or the start of a chick. If nothing is happening by day 10 your egg is likely a dud. Continue turning the eggs until day 18 (14 for quail and 24 for turkey) on day 18 you will place the eggs on lockdown. Stop turning the eggs (or remove them from the turner and remove the turner), add some water to the resivor of your incubator, and bring the humidity up to 70-75% for the remaining days. Chicks can remain in the incubator until completely dry or up to 72hrs. 

Enjoy

By now you should have your brooder set up, it can be as simple as a tote with substrate and a light, or as advanced as a manufactured brooder. Baby chicks need to be kept at 99° for the first week and can decrease temp every week. By 4 weeks old the babies should be pretty feathered and should be okay without heat, weather permitting.