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HATCHING GUIDE

Thank you for purchasing our fertile hatching eggs.

I take pride in producing and selecting the best eggs possible. These birds are my passion, and I treat them accordingly. I would never ship an egg I wouldn’t confidently set in my own incubator.

Each egg is carefully inspected and securely packaged. I truly hope you have a successful hatch and a great experience.

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A FRIENDLY REMINDER

Feedback should reflect:

• Packaging quality

• Shipping experience

• Communication

Please allow your hens to mature and lay before evaluating egg color—genetics take time.

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I take pride in operating honestly and transparently. You can buy eggs anywhere—I want you to come back again and again, and I value your experience.

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IMPORTANT: BEFORE YOU START

Shipped eggs are delicate—especially Black Copper Marans.
Handling, temperature changes, and incubation practices all impact results.

If you’re new to hatching, practice with less expensive eggs first.

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HATCHING BASICS

1. Let Eggs Rest & Warm Slowly

• Allow eggs to come to room temperature gradually

• Keep them pointy end down in the carton

• Avoid rapid temperature changes

• Set within a few hours once warmed

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2. Incubator Setup (CRITICAL)

Have your incubator fully stabilized before setting eggs:

• Temperature: 99.5–100°F

• Humidity: ~35% during incubation

Do not guess—calibrate your thermometer.

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3. Turning Eggs

Shipped eggs can have disrupted air cells.

Two approaches:

• Let eggs rest upright 4–7 days without turning

• OR begin turning immediately (many of my best results come from this)

Either method can work—consistency matters more.

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4. Humidity & Hatch Phase

• Incubation: ~35% humidity

• After first pip: raise to 45–55%

I personally move eggs to a hatcher after the first hatch, but methods vary.

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5. Candling

• Light eggs: candle around day 7

• Dark eggs (like Marans): wait until day 14+

The darker the egg, the harder it is to see.

Less handling = better results.

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EGG HANDLING OPTIONS

To Wash or Not: I only send clean eggs.

Optional methods used by some breeders:

• Light mist with 3% hydrogen peroxide

• Bleach Solution

• Light sanding (for thick shells)

Use at your own discretion.

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Cracked Eggs

If an egg arrives cracked but not leaking:

• Seal with melted candle wax (thin layer)

• Some use glue or nail polish with success

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REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

• Darker eggs = harder to hatch

• Some chicks may fully develop and not hatch—this is normal

• A 50–60% hatch rate on shipped Marans eggs is excellent

Incubator quality matters. Many customers using Brinsea, Maticoop, or Chickcozy report strong results.

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EXPERIMENT FIRST

Do not experiment with expensive eggs.

Learn your incubator first.
Test different methods on cheaper eggs.

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INCUBATOR NOTES

I use:

• Hatching Time Cabinet & Hatcher

• Maticoop X30

Previously used:

• Brinsea Ovation 56EX (excellent performance), GQF Sportsman Setter and Hatcher Cabinets.

Not all incubators perform equally—experience matters.

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FINAL ADVICE

There are a hundred different ways to hatch eggs.

What works for me may not work for you.

The key is:

• Learn your environment

• Learn your incubator

• Adjust as you go

Hatch, learn, adjust, repeat.

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TROUBLESHOOTING

• Power outages: eggs are more resilient than you think

• Wrapping incubators can help stabilize temps

• Backup batteries can provide ~12 hours of support

Chickens have been doing this a long time—don’t panic.

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THANK YOU

I appreciate you trusting me with your purchase.

If you have questions, reach out:
Hello@BurberryHomestead.com

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Please leave feedback and share photos—we love seeing your results!

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HAPPY HATCHING 🐣

Burberry Homestead