The Chook Shop

25/08/2026

INCUBATOR HATCHING

Some posts ago I explained what it looks like when incubating under a hen looks right, now I'll explain what it should look like to incubate and hatch using an incubator.

There are a heap of myths and misunderstandings around about incubator hatching so that you might be a bit worried about some of the things I'll explain here. Don't worry, following most of them won't do any damage.

Placing your eggs in the incubator - put your eggs in the incubator as soon as you have them. You don't have to wait, or even wait till your incubator warms up before putting the eggs in.
Incubation day one starts the next day, as they have been incubating a day. For example: If you put them in on the 1st of a month then count from the next day. They should hatch on the 22. Keep in mind that bantam eggs take 20 days, and full sized chicken eggs take 21 days. Tiny bantams like serama take 18-19 days.

First candling - I prefer to do my first candling on day 10, though some people do it on day 7, and some not at all. I find that on day 10 it's really easy to see if any eggs haven't developed and can be taken out, and which are healthy or iffy.

On day 14 the chick gets into position with their head at the big end of the egg. After this day it is usually getting too big to turn easily.

On day 18, or 17 if it's a bantam egg, the incubator goes into lockdown. This is where you take out the turner so the eggs don't turn. If you leave the turner in any early chicks may get harmed when the turner moves. On this day I do another candling and remove any eggs that have not survived to that point.

Around 36 hours before hatching the chick is starting to not be able to get enough oxygen from the blood vessels in the membrane next to the shell and it's instinct is to push its beak up through the membrane into the air sack. This is called internal pipping. The chick is absorbing the last of the yolk into its belly from this time.

About 8 - 12 hours before hatching the chick will push it's beak through the shell. During incubation the blood vessels next to the shell have been absorbing oxygen for the chick, and it has also been absorbing calcium from the shell to make the chicks bones. This has thinned the shell enough for the chick to easily puncture the shell.

After externally pipping the chick rests for 8 - 12 hours before finishing the hatching. During this time the blood vessels start slowly shrinking and stopping working. It is really important not to be impatient during this time. The chick needs this time and if you interfere you can tear the blood vessels and it will bleed to death.

8 - 12 hours after externally hatching the chick will 'zip' this is where they work their way around the shell to open it up and pop the top off so they can get out. It usually takes around 20 minutes. If it takes a little longer it's ok.

If you are getting impatient you should walk out of the room and leave the hatching egg overnight. If a chick has been pipped for over 18 hours and is still alive then you can try to help it by gently peeling some shell off. If there is even a little ooze of blood it isn't ready and you must put it back in the incubator for a bit longer.

There are some myths around the hatching.
1, increasing humidity. I never increase humidity after locking down. I often don't add water during the whole incubation process as long as the room humidity is over about 25 %. Too high humidity causes more problems that it prevents.
2, Opening the incubator during hatching. I open the incubator often, as do many people, during hatching with no problems.
3, Leaving the chicks in the incubator for days. Many studies have been done on the health of hatching chicks, and every one shows that getting chicks on feed as soon as you can makes a big difference in their health. I take each one out as soon as it can walk well. leaving for two or three days increases the risk of chicks that don't learn to eat and drink, and also stops the intestinal system from working properly before the yolk is absorbed.

Apart from the leaving the chicks in the incubator too long, most of the myths won't do much damage, so don't stress too much.

24/08/2026

At last, the first Belgian d'Uccle chicks of the season are hatching. 2 out and another zipping now.

I bought a couple of dozen Pekin duck eggs 10 days ago and only had to take two out last night on candling. I hope these go well. I've got an order for a few and I hope there is interest for more ducklings after they hatch. Pekins are really fast growing meat ducks that can be harvested at only 7-8 weeks old, or keep them for eggs as they are also really good layers.

21/08/2026

I'm doing an experiment. Since my hens go broody after around 20 eggs, I'm experimenting with putting them in the boody pens before they go broody to settle them first. It's nice to be able to plan their brooding :)

Millie is about 4 eggs from going broody so I've transferred her nest box and her to a pen, and put a hen that she gets on well with in with her. I'll remove that hen when Millie is sitting.

If this goes well, I'll probably do this with all the hens that I want to sit.

18/08/2026

I've started a Wiki called 'The Belgian d"Uccle Project"

Anyone who would like to contribute information and photos to it is welcome. Let's make this the most comprehensive and valuable information source for the public that they will find.

If you don't know how to edit and add pages to a wiki, let me know. It's really easy. Keep in mind that any photos added will become public domain so only contribute ones that you don't mind other people using.
I'm particularly interested in photos of sicknesses and injuries to help owners to see if that is what is affecting their own birds. For example - if you have a pic of a chicken with splay leg, one is needed on the splay leg page.

I understand that many people will have differing opinions on some things, so don't delete another persons information, just add another opinion.

I don't mind if you add your stud/breeder name to photos and sources. I'm also about to make a page that contains sources for purchasing birds or eggs, as well as contact details of breed societies, if you want to add your details.

This Wiki is to consolidate information about the Belgian d'Uccle chicken breed, also known as Barbu d'Uccle (The official French name, where Barbu translates to "bearded"). Caring for, breeding, colours, medical issues, genetics, and more. At the start it will be from an Australian perspective, and...

18/08/2026

I've been using Chat GPT to help me code a new program to keep records for the hatchery part of my business.

I hate that I can't help but keep saying please and thank you to it when asking for advice on how to fix a piece of code, or to ask for another feature. I think it is basic manners, but maybe I'm subconsiously being nice to it to put me in the good books for when AI takes over the world, lol.

Anyway, I'm so happy with the program, it's going to be very handy to keep track of everything.

Send a message to learn more

17/08/2026

Yay, it looks like I'll be getting a serama trio in about 6 weeks. It's costing me an arm and a leg both for the birds and the travel for them to get to Warrnambool, where I'll pick them up and bring them home.

For those who don't know, these are the smallest breed of chicken and they come in many colours. They are too tiny to let out except when you are out there with them (hawks, crows, cats etc will see them as a tasty treat), but they are also small enough that they are comfortable in a reasonable sized pen for most of the time.

I'll put up pics when I get them home.

Send a message to learn more

14/08/2026

I can't figure out which the quail enjoy more - lettuce day every Thursday or cleaning day every fortnight, where they get new shavings and their sand topped up.

They get very exited with both.

13/08/2026

Henry and his spoiled flock standing around the heater in the shop, lol.

11/08/2026

The start of the hatching season is a bit bitter sweet. I bought 15 eggs and 12 were unfertilised. Only two made it to hatching.

I've spent so much money at the ends of winters and autumns on unfertilised eggs that I'm now going to ask that everyone who offers eggs has done a test for fertility, or let me have 3-4 sacrificial eggs to do a basic fertility test for you (free). This will allow me to choose whether it's worth it to put some in the incubator or wait.

Now that its closer to spring, chooks are becoming more fertile it's not such an issue, but I still get far too many where the sellers don't care about fertility.

Here's one of the two buff orpington chicks. They'll probably both be male, lol. At least I have a couple more dozen in the incubators and will be getting about 10 more dozen as soon as my main egg sellers hens are laying better, and mine start laying properly.

08/08/2026

What brooding with a hen looks like when it's done right

If you've never had a broody hen before this is what it looks like if everything goes right, so you know when it isn't going right. Keep in mind that not all hens will behave exactly like this, but most will.

Many of these signs rely on you having the time and will to spend time observing them. If you have to work, or simply don't care enough you might miss them, but that's ok - well, maybe not, not caring enough.

Before a hen goes broody, about a week before, you'll most likely notice her starting to get more testy with the other hens. She'll be less patient and chase them for no reason that you can see. She'll also start sitting on her nest box for longer than usual.
She may or may not pluck feathers from her breast where you'll see them in and around the nest box. They don't always.

For the first couple of days when you're pretty sure she's broody she may still get off a number of times a day, and you'll question your assumptions that she's actually broody.

After that she will start sitting firmly. She will most likely make a growling noise and try to peck you if you reach in to touch her. It's best to leave her along unless you have to take otehr hens eggs out from under her each day.

While she's broody, she will most likely get off the nest once a day for 20-40 mins to get some exercise, dust bath, eat and drink. She will also use this time to make a huge, stinky p**p, called a broody p**p. She holds in all the days p**p to let it out at once. Never leave food and water close to her as that can reduce her urge to get off and do what she needs to do.

If you know that she is not getting off the nest every day, you should encourage her by taking her off and sitting her next to some food and water. She will sit there for a minute before moving. Don't worry.
Brooding is bad for her health so you really should make sure she is getting off. While they are brooding they are not exercising so it can harm their joints, she will lose weight, and it allow mites and other parasites to build up, hence the dust bathing. This is also why you shouldn't let her sit for long after you're sure her eggs aren't going to hatch. Some hens will site for months if you let them.

A couple of days before hatching the eggs will internally pip and she will hear the chicks cheeping. At that time she will not get off the nest or move the eggs until they have hatched. This is because once the eggs have pipped the shell integrity has been breached and it makes the shell fragile, which can be crushed if she moves.

Hopefully all the eggs hatch within 24 hours, and then she will usually sit for another 24 hours until the chicks are stronger. After you have heard the chicks cheeping (and hopefully you have kept and eye on the date she started sitting) for 24-48 hours remove any unhatched eggs so she can get off the nest and start getting her chicks food.

If there are any live but unhatched chicks after 48 hours you might have to put them in an incubator (unless you have another hen broody on no eggs). Honestly, I move her and her chicks to a brooder pen at 24 hours because I like the chicks to be eating as soon as possible after hatching.