Hatching Out Chicks

Our love of science projects are continuing through the summer months. I wanted to hatch out some chicks from fresh chicken eggs, but I didn't want to pay the price for an incubator. The cheapest I found was $60 - not a very frugal science lesson. So, I found how to make a simple incubator on you tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCfdvClWUWo


I had most of the materials already on hand, but you could probably build it for $10-$15.


If you decide to try hatching out your own eggs, here are some general guidelines.

The main things to remember is:

• Don't touch the eggs with your hands.
• Remember to turn the eggs several times a day.
• And make sure your incubator is at a steady temperature of 99-103 degrees. *We had to leave ours plugged in for 24 hours before the temperature regulated.

Here's a whole lot more information on hatching chicks:

• Incubating and Hatching Chicks by Texas Agriculture Extension Service. This contains some charts that would have been great to use for homeschooling.
• Hatching and Brooding a Small Number of Chicks. In a few days, I'm looking forward to candling the eggs to see if we have any chicks.

We have also been reading several children's library books about chicks and hatching out.

Have you ever tried hatching out eggs? If so, please share any advice. What else are you doing to keep the learning going this summer?