How to Hatch Chicks for a Science Project

You need to have a plan for your chicks after they hatch.

Hatching baby chicks is an exciting science project for students of all ages. Caring for the eggs throughout the chicks' embryonic development process provides an excellent learning experience. It's also a great opportunity to get up close and personal with nature. Waiting to see if all of the chicks will hatch is an eye-opening way to see just how delicate the balance between survival and extinction can be. Hatching baby chicks requires some preparation in advance and a responsible plan for the chicks once they hatch. They take 21 days to hatch.

Things You'll Need

• Shoelace
• Thermometer
• Dental floss
• 2 water trays
• Incubator
• Transparent tape
• Fertile eggs

Instructions

1. Cut a 6-inch piece off the end of a shoelace so that it has a tube-like opening if you look down into it. Stick the end of the thermometer into the tubular end of the shoelace. Secure the shoelace to the thermometer by tying a strip of dental floss around it and set it aside. Fill the water tray. This device is called a wet bulb thermometer, and the temperature it shows indicates the relative humidity.

2. Place the water tray into the incubator. Attach the wet bulb to the side of the incubator 5 inches above the water and secure it with tape. Allow the end of the shoelace to sit in the water. Adjust the temperature of the incubator to 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Adjust the relative humidity so that the wet bulb registers 86 degrees Fahrenheit. You can adjust the humidity by adding or removing water trays. Relative humidity is affected by the surface area of the water, not the depth. Make sure the temperature and humidity are stable before moving to the next step.

3. 

   Store-bought eggs aren't fertile, so you'll need a supplier for fertile ones.

   Wash and dry your hands. Mark each egg with an ''O'' on one side and an ''X'' on the opposite side. Lay the eggs carefully into the incubator with the larger end of the egg being higher than the pointed end.

4. Turn the eggs from one side to the opposite side five times a day, using the marks you gave them to ensure you have turned them 180 degrees from side to side. Rotating the eggs like this prevents deformities and death of the embryo during the incubation period. Continue the rotations daily for the first 18 days, and then stop. The chicks will hatch three days later, on day 21.

5. 

   Watching the chicks peck out of their shells is amazing.

   Watch the chicks hatch but do not disturb their hatching process. It can take them up to 24 hours to emerge from their shells after they make the first peck through the shell. If a chick struggles after 24 hours, attempt to assist it by removing the top of the shell. If you strictly monitor temperature variations and control the humidity, you can expect that 50 to 95 percent of the chicks will actually hatch and be free of deformities.

Tips & Warnings

• Exact temperature and humidity monitoring is the key to success when hatching chicks.

• You can see how the chick embryos are developing inside the shell by making a cone-shaped paper tube and holding the egg up to the large open end. Shine a flashlight behind the egg, towards your face, and look through the tube. This can help you determine if the embryo is developing inside the eggshell.

• Never put water on a fertile egg, it will die.

• Do not remove chicks from the incubator until at least 24 hours after they hatch.

References

• Texas Agricultural Extension Service: Hatching Eggs in the Classrooom: A Teacher's Guide; A Lee Cartwright, et al
• Fossweb: Chicken Eggs
• Backyard Chickens: How to Hatch Chicken Eggs

Resources

• Lesson Planet: Hatching Eggs Lesson Plans
• Poultry Equipments: Hatching Chicken Eggs