What is hatchability?

Not all eggs you incubate will hatch. ‘Hatchability is the term used to express the percentage of chicks that hatch from the eggs you set under a hen or put in an incubator.

Breeders always hatch eggs for their own needs first. This gives them an approximate hatchability rate of eggs from particular pairings of hens and roosters. Assuming good incubation, this means they can tell you the approximate number of chicks to expect.

Chicks hatched divided by eggs set x 100

= hatchability (as a percentage)

8 chicks from 9 eggs

= 88.8% hatchability

5 chicks from 9 eggs

= 55.5% hatchability