1. Fun with Incubation Center for Excellence for Poultry Science
University of Arkansas
Cooperative Extension Service

2. How many of you would like to hatch baby chicks?

3. Where do the eggs come from?

4. Eggs Come in All Sizes and Colors

5. How the baby chick grows
In just 21 days, the chick is ready to leave its shell
Inside the egg, the chick has all the food and water it needs
The shell keeps the chick safe and lets air in for the chick to breathe

6. What does the growing chick need?
The incubator will keep the egg warm
Like the mother hen would on her nest

7. How do you take care of the eggs?
Check temperature often
Keep a daily temperature chart
The chicks like it pretty warm

8. How do you take care of the eggs?
Turning the eggs
Mark eggs with an “X” in pencil to help keep track of egg turning X

9. The Beginning
Where the arrow is pointing, you can barely see where the baby chick is starting to grow. It is the size of a pin head.

10. 3 day old embryos
You can
still barely
make it out

11. 3 day old embryos
It has a
Heart
Brain
Backwards ? shaped body

12. 6 day old embryo It has: Can you see its eye? Bird-like shape Eyeballs
Legs
It’s a boy or a girl
Lots of blood vessels
Can you see its eye?

13. 9 day old embryo The skull is forming
Limbs are starting to look like legs and wings
Feather follicles

14. 12 days old embryo It has: Eyelid covers Hair-like feathers
And its growing very fast

15. 15 days old embryo It has: Do you see its feathers? Down feathers
Egg tooth
Toe nails
Still growing
Do you see its feathers?

16. 18 days old embryo
Fully grown
Ready to
start hatching

17. Breaking Free
The chick uses a special “egg tooth” to break the shell

18. 21 Days-Time to Hatch! It will take it 10 to 20 hours to be free
The chick will be wet and cold when it gets out of the shell

19. Happy Birthday Chicks!

20. Chicks need food, water, and to be warm just like you do!
Caring for New Chicks
Chicks need food, water, and to be warm just like you do!

22. Just like you don’t look like anyone else!
All chickens grow up to look different
Just like you don’t look like anyone else!