Whether you are a breeder, animal lover, or classroom teacher, you may wish to purchase a variety of hatching eggs. These eggs can provide your family or students with pets or serve as an investment if you intend to sell eggs or animals in the future. You can find dealers selling eggs from ducks, geese, turkeys, pheasants, quail, peacocks, and other domestic fowl.

If you are hatching eggs for the first time, you need to know that even those with experience hatching eggs rarely attain a 100 percent yield. 50 to 75 percent is the average yield, depending on the time of year and the type of fowl being hatched. There are, however a few steps that you can take to provide the optimal conditions for hatching eggs.

The incubator in which you place the eggs should hold the temperature steady at approximately 100° F. You should also rotate the eggs either three or five times each day. It is important that this be done an odd number of times, as otherwise the hatching eggs will spend more time on one side than the other, leading to improper development.

After a few days, you can determine if the embryos inside the eggs are developing by candling them. Using a light bulb or candle as a light source, the egg should be placed above a piece of cardboard or a can that has been punctured with a hole that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the egg. If the light passes unimpeded through the shell, it is likely that the egg is infertile. If you see a clouded spot, you likely have an egg that will eventually hatch.