# Cultivating Eggs

If you are reading this, you've completed all the previous steps and now have a **Fertilized Egg** in your inventory. The final stage is cultivation, turning that fertilized egg into a living creature.

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## Process

1. **Place the Egg in the Incubator**  
Open the [Incubator]($content/machines/incubator)
Insert the fertilized egg into any of the 5 available slots
Cultivation begins automatically

2. **Wait for Cultivation**  
After a short period (around 5 minutes, depending on settings), the incubator will output a **Hatched Egg**

3. **Retrieve the Hatched Egg**  
Carefully remove the hatched egg from the incubator
Handle with care  dropping it will destroy the egg

4. **Place the Egg in the World**  
Right-click on the ground to place the hatched egg
The egg will begin the hatching process

5. **Support the Creature**  
Ensure you have the basics ready (food, shelter, environment)
Without proper care, the newborn creature may not survive

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## Next Steps

Congratulations! You've successfully cultivated your first prehistoric egg.  
From here, you can begin raising your creature, experimenting with genetics, or expanding your park.

For more advanced topics, see:
- [DNA Modification]($guides/modifying_dna)  Improve DNA quality and add genetic traits
- [Creating an Egg]($guides/creating_an_egg)  Fertilization process recap
- [Incubator]($content/machines/incubator)  Full documentation on incubation mechanics

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## Tips

- Keep multiple incubators running to speed up your park's growth
- Always prepare food and habitat before hatching  newborns are fragile
- Track incubation times; different species may vary slightly
- Avoid carrying hatched eggs recklessly  they are delicate until placed