Chicken Care Sheet
Incubation figures, feeding by life stage, and the things that actually go wrong with this species — on one page.
- Incubation
- 21 days
- Incubator
- 99.3–99.5°F
- Humidity
- 50–55%
- Lockdown
- 65–70%
Chicken Incubation
Forced-air figures. A still-air incubator runs about 101–102°F measured at the top of the egg — setting 99.5°F at the wrong height is one of the most common causes of a full-term chick that never pips.
| Where | Temperature | Humidity |
|---|---|---|
| Incubator | 99.3–99.5°F · 37.4–37.5°C | 50–55% |
| Last 3 days | unchanged — stop turning | 65–70% |
| Breeding room | 55–80°F · 13–27°C | 40–60% |
The best-documented incubation of any bird here: 99.5°F forced air, 50–55% rising to 65–70% at lockdown on day 18 of 21.
The honest check on humidity is not the hygrometer — it is the scale. An egg should lose roughly 13–15% of its lay weight by the time it pips. Too little loss means the air is too wet; too much means too dry.
Feeding Chickens
What the diet should be day to day, and what changes when a pair goes down to breed.
Every day
Layer feed at 16–18% protein for laying hens; chick starter at 18–20% for growers.
Fresh food
Kitchen greens and scratch grain as extras, kept to a modest share so they do not dilute the balanced feed.
While breeding
Oyster shell offered free-choice separately from the feed, plus insoluble grit for anything eating whole grain.
Feeding chicks
Chick starter from hatch. Keep chicks off layer feed entirely.
What goes wrong with chickens
- Layer feed contains far too much calcium for chicks and damages their kidneys — never feed it to growers.
- Oyster shell should be free-choice, not mixed in, so hens take what they need.
General guidance used by breeders, not veterinary advice. Conditions vary by climate, setup and individual bird — watch your birds first and consult an avian vet for anything health-related.
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