Kira Stoletova
To produce young broiler chickens artificially, farmers use special devices. There are certain rules, following which, you can achieve a high percentage of hatching healthy and viable chicks. Air humidity and normal temperature in the incubator for chicken eggs is of paramount importance. But before laying the initial product, it must be carefully selected and prepared.
Breeding chickens artificially is an interesting and not particularly complicated process. It is suitable for both farmers with many years of experience in raising poultry and for beginners. The main thing is to know everything and follow the recommendations of specialists.
Preparatory stage
Preparing eggs for laying - important stage, which has its own characteristics. The first thing you need to pay attention to is the quality of the product and its time of origin. Thus, an egg that a hen laid for the first time in her life or all subsequent eggs that appeared between 8 o’clock in the evening and 8 o’clock in the morning cannot be placed in the incubator. The likelihood that they contain embryos is very small.
In addition, deformed and cracked samples or those whose shells are uneven in color are not suitable for incubation. It is best to choose medium-sized eggs: this way the embryos will develop evenly, and almost all chicken eggs will begin to hatch at the same time, the maximum difference being 24 hours (1 day).
It is advisable to place the selected material in an incubator for 6 days. To reliably preserve the product before storing, it should not be kept in the refrigerator. To preserve the original qualities of the original product, you need to take a sheet of plywood or other dense material, cut round holes with a diameter of 4.5-5 cm in it and carefully place an egg in each with the blunt end down.
The air temperature in the room where the eggs are stored, depending on the holding period, should be in the range of 10-18°C with a humidity of at least 65%. Additionally, the room should be equipped with a good ventilation system.
Cleaning eggs before placing them in the incubator
Immediately before placing in the incubator, each egg must be cleaned of contaminants and disinfected in one of 2 ways:
- For 20 minutes with formaldehyde vapor. Composition: 30 ml - main substance, 30 ml - water, 30 ml - potassium permanganate.
- For 3 minutes with an aqueous chlorine-lime solution. Composition: 20 g of main substance, 1 liter of water.
If you need to process a lot of eggs, the first method is preferable.
Place the sterile product into the incubator very carefully. You need to wash your hands well, put on medical latex gloves, take the sides of the egg with two fingers and transfer it to a container. You cannot grab the sharp or blunt ends, as you can damage the protective shell and the specimen will become unusable.
Incubators have special trays on which the eggs must be placed so that their sharp ends point down. If you accidentally put the starting material on the wrong side, all its contents will begin to put pressure on the air chamber, and it will move, and if this happens, the embryo will develop incorrectly and die as a result.
Requirements for the air chamber of an ideal egg:
- location at the obtuse end,
- maximum height - 2 mm.
Egg incubation temperature
When it comes to hatching young animals artificially, the key factor is the optimal incubation temperature, which should be evenly distributed inside the incubation chamber. As a rule, this parameter should be considered in conjunction with humidity. There is even a special wet thermometer, the readings of which differ significantly from a dry thermometer.
This is explained by the fact that simply measuring the air temperature in the incubator it is impossible to accurately capture all the characteristics environment. But it develops in eggs difficult life, so you need to pay attention to all the subtleties.
In addition to the main ones (humidity and temperature), there are no less important additional environmental parameters, such as uniform heating, ventilation and drafts. Only careful adjustment and constant monitoring of compliance with all these factors will ultimately ensure the hatching of chicks highest quality massively and in a timely manner.
Many household budget ones are not able to heat the air evenly in all parts of the container, so there is a possibility that in some eggs the embryos will develop faster. To even out the wrong situation, you need to buy another device or periodically swap the eggs in the tray.
The processes occurring inside all eggs (chicken, duck, goose and even turkey) heat the shell to a certain temperature. It is on this data that the rules for setting the temperature in the incubator are based. In order for the artificial environment to be as close as possible to the natural one, during incubation the device settings must be changed every time after the development of the embryo moves to a qualitatively new level.
Dependence of incubation parameters on its stages
note that this information will help you correctly adjust the settings in the incubator only for chicken eggs. If you plan to breed other birds at home, for example, it is better to look for information on how to do this in other articles and video sources. Since both the timing and regimes for each species of birds must be established individually.
It is important to maintain the temperature regime in the incubator, even when the egg is still waiting to hatch. The result depends on proper storage.
As long as the temperature in the egg is lower than the physiological zero of the bird, no processes occur in it. That is why the room where eggs are stored awaiting incubation should be slightly cool.
According to numerous studies by scientists, it is still unclear why the longer eggs are stored, the less chance of producing offspring from them. But the fact remains a fact. It has been noticed that the best hatchability is shown by specimens that were placed in the incubator after 2 days from the moment they were laid by the hen. But you can keep the egg in storage for as long as you like, the main thing is to keep it at the right temperature:
- from 1 to 3 days - 18-20°C,
- from 4 to 7 days - 15-18°C,
- from 8 days and longer - 10-12°C.
Humidity levels should range from 65 to 80%. Due to the long shelf life and parameters of the parent stock, the incubation properties of the product may be reduced. In this case, in order for the eggs to be well preserved, the humidity must be increased to 85-90%.
Before placing it in the incubator, it is necessary to keep the egg for some time after the storage chamber in a room where the air temperature varies between 22-25°C.
Incubation should take place in four stages:
- 1 - from 1st to 7th day;
- 2 - from the 8th to the 15th day;
- 3 - from the 15th day until the first squeak;
- 4 - from the 1st squeak to the peck.
Incubation mode table
The table of incubation modes is intended to help cope with hatching chickens. This table contains all the recommended settings you need to know for incubating at home, and also indicates how often you should turn the eggs during incubation. It is imperative to twist the source material so that the embryo does not grow into the shell. The hen always does this natural conditions.
Many modern devices automatically turn eggs, but if you only have a simple homemade incubator and this function is absent, you should be prepared for 15 days, including at night, to properly care for the eggs.
First stage
After being placed in the incubator, the processes in the eggs that began when they were in the chicken are resumed. As soon as the material becomes warmer than the established physiological zero, embryonic development and cell division resumes. At the first stage, tissues are formed, which will later turn into vital organs.
On the third day, the head and heart of the future chicken can already be seen in the egg. At this time, the correct uniform ambient temperature is especially important, since the climate around the egg greatly affects the rate of cellular development and the delivery of oxygen from external environment to the embryo.
These processes occur best when the eggshell is heated to 37.7-38°C (it can be measured using an IR thermometer). The incubator needs to be set to a slightly higher temperature.
Second stage
- If it becomes noticeable that the embryos are developing unnaturally quickly for representatives of the chicken family, it means that the temperature in the incubator has jumped very much, just reduce it, and everything will return to normal;
- if, on the contrary, development practically does not occur, you need to slightly increase the heat level in the settings.
At the second stage of incubation at home, the surface temperature of the eggshell should be 37.5-37.7 ° C. A slight deviation from the norm is allowed. But under no circumstances should eggshells be colder than 37°C or hotter than 38°C. Otherwise, the embryos will develop unharmoniously, and many may even die from overheating or hypothermia.
Third stage
During this period, the maturity of the internal organs and the embryo as a whole begins. Percentage dry matter increases, and fluid in the tissues becomes less, and therefore the embryo is already able to sense the stress caused by the temperature regime with its internal organs. If the climate in the incubator is favorable, the development of the chicken occurs according to plan; if not, growth is either accelerated or inhibited. It is undesirable to allow either the first or the second option.
It is necessary that the air temperature is last days was slightly higher than at previous stages of incubation. The critical limits dangerous for embryo maturation are below 38.1°C and above 38.8°C. Ideally, the shell will be heated to 38.5°C (plus or minus 0.2°C).
We must not forget that the process is accompanied by the active release of metabolic heat from chicken eggs (heat released from the source material due to the metabolism occurring inside). You need to take this into account when setting the settings.
From the 16th day until the chicks hatch, so that the temperature in the incubator does not rise to a critical level, ventilation must be turned on every day for several hours. If the device does not have an overheating sensor, you must independently measure the surface of the shell every 2 hours and, if necessary, forcefully ventilate it by opening the lid of the container with eggs for a while. When the shell is blown with air, its temperature is regulated, so the likelihood of overheating becomes minimal.
The fourth stage from the beginning of squeaking to hatching
By this time, the chicks are almost ready to be born; they can turn over inside the shell on their own, so there is no point in spinning the eggs in the incubator additionally. The main thing now is to ensure easy biting in ideal conditions. The table shows what temperature is required in the incubator, but the data given in it is approximate. During this period, it is worth listening not to dry facts, but to the chickens themselves.
No table can tell better than the little squeaking lumps that can’t wait to crack the shell and see big world around that they are ready to be born. It is important to listen to the chickens: if they feel good, their squeak is even, calm, and they sing melodiously with happiness. If they are frozen, hysterics and loud squeaks begin inside the incubator. If, on the contrary, the incubator is unnaturally quiet, it means the chicks are hot - it is important to hurry to lower the air temperature before it is too late.
Before breaking through the shell, the chicks begin to spin around inside it and peck at the walls around the perimeter; 3-4 powerful blows are enough for the fortress to give up and split in half.
Equipment
Without special equipment, it will be difficult to achieve good results from incubation at home. First of all, it is necessary to purchase instruments that perform measurements with increased accuracy. For example, to check the temperature of eggshells, you need to use a hygrometer and an infrared thermometer, and without a reliable incubator it is difficult to hatch a good percentage of healthy young.
If you are just starting out in poultry breeding, choosing an incubator is very important procedure. There are household appliances for home use for several dozen eggs, equipped minimum set necessary functions. There are technically complex devices, such as “Cinderella”. They are also intended for use for non-industrial purposes, but have huge amount settings: from a humidity control system, temperature control and automatic ventilation to an overheating protection system and a hypothermia regulator. There are some experienced poultry farmers who breed strong and healthy flocks using homemade devices.
Before purchasing this or that incubator model, it is important to analyze your goals and planned scale, and consult with people who have been successfully breeding young animals for many years. In any case, it doesn’t make sense to buy expensive semi-industrial equipment right away. You can start with a few dozen eggs and a simple incubator to practice hatching chicks and understand the relationship between incubation parameters and embryo development.
Each device has instructions for use, which indicate all its functionality, indicate the output circuit and indicate the optimal temperature for this.
Common causes of death of livestock in an incubator:
- low or high temperature,
- high or low humidity,
- incorrect ventilation and turning schedule.
It is extremely important to know how many degrees the eggs can withstand at each stage of their development and to set only the permitted indicator. The table of incubation modes will tell you exactly what temperature is permissible.
If there is financial opportunity, it is better to overpay a little, but buy an incubator that will automatically maintain temperature and humidity at the set level, ventilate the chamber and turn the eggs. It is important to take into account that even fully automatic devices do not guarantee stable, perfect operation. This is a technique, and periodically it breaks down, so every day it is necessary to monitor the incubation process several times and, if necessary, take measures to eliminate shortcomings in the operation of the device.
The main thing is to remember that greater productivity depends on the conditions created by man.
The literature contains a whole series indications of the beneficial effects of temperature fluctuations on embryo development.
It is very difficult to systematize all the accumulated literature on this issue due to differences in experimental conditions, and we will present only the main studies with different opinions on this matter.
Needham points out that temperature fluctuations under the hen do not cause metabolic changes, since they are compensated by adjusting the supply of nutrients to the embryo. Baldwin and Candy note something else: due to the inability of the embryo to regulate body temperature, it fluctuates greatly as the temperature in the nest continuously changes. Ferdinandov believes that periodic heating and cooling of eggs improves the respiration of the embryo, since when heated, the contents of the egg expand, releasing carbon dioxide into the outside air, and when cooled, on the contrary, sucking oxygen from the surrounding air into the egg. Ogorodny, proposing the use of temperature fluctuations when incubating eggs of all types of farm birds, suggested that, by affecting metabolism, they can increase the resistance of embryos to adverse effects during periods of increased embryo mortality. Lisitsky points out that periodic changes in temperature within the range of 37-40°, carried out at short intervals, play the role of a thermal stimulus that stimulates the growth of the embryo.
Let us divide the studies on the use of temperature fluctuations during the incubation of bird eggs into two groups: 1) on short-term (no more than an hour) and relatively small fluctuations in intra-egg temperature and 2) on long-term and large changes.
Tretyakov recommended temperature fluctuations when incubating chicken and duck eggs. In his new experiments, the author discovered that the physicochemical indicators of incubated duck eggs (refractive index, electrical conductivity, etc.) using cooling are very close to the indicators during natural incubation; therefore, the development of embryos during incubation of eggs with cooling takes place under the same favorable conditions as during natural incubation. The author believes that cooling reduces the excessively high temperature of the embryo at the end of development and is more appropriate, since it arose in the phylogeny of birds. By cooling goose eggs to a temperature of 32-34° 2-4 times a day from the 15th day until the end of incubation, the author obtained an increase in the hatchability of goslings by 14% (with a hatchability of 49.3% in the control). In experiments with cooling chicken eggs, Tretyakov and Zaletaeva obtained an increase in the hatchability of chickens by only 2%.
Considers it necessary to use temperature fluctuations, especially when incubating duck and goose eggs, and Ryumin. Lisitsky, Bykhovets and Krok emphasize that when incubating goose eggs, which are 3-4 times larger than chicken eggs (i.e., have a smaller relative surface area and, therefore, less ability to give off heat in the second half of incubation, when this is especially necessary), having Plus, with 4% more fat (which produces significantly more heat when burned than carbohydrates and proteins) and a less porous shell (which complicates gas exchange), temperature fluctuations play a particularly large role. In the authors' experiments, raising the temperature to 40° for 3-6 hours, and then lowering it to 35° for 3 hours once every 3-4 days gives a significant increase in the percentage of goslings hatching. Cooling chicken eggs for 2 hours at a temperature of 10° on the 4th and 16th days of incubation, followed by heating them at a temperature of 40° for 1 hour in Kucherova's experiments improved the development of embryos, increased the hatchability of chickens by 2% and their viability in the postembryonic period.
Nikolaeva's production experiments using refrigeration on more than 100,000 duck eggs resulted in an increase in hatchability of ducklings by 7.2%. Salgannik also used cooling of duck and goose eggs, and was one of the first to achieve high hatchability of ducklings and goslings on many hundreds of thousands of eggs. Bykhovets provides data on the incubation of about 30,000 duck eggs and shows that when cooling from the 1st day of incubation, 73.3% of ducklings hatched from fertilized eggs, and if cooling began on the 16th, then only 64.4%. The author emphasizes that cooling duck and goose eggs and especially heating them after this must be carried out as quickly as possible. Thus, with rapid heating of eggs, i.e., bringing their temperature after cooling to the optimum within 25-30 minutes, the hatchability of ducklings and goslings was 80%, and with slow heating (within 40-50 minutes) the hatchability was only 50-60%. Khodzhaev reports on the experience of incubating duck eggs (5000 pieces in a group) with cooling them twice (per day) inside the incubator (the doors were opened, the heaters were turned off and the fan was not turned off) from the 1st day of incubation. In the cooled group, 81.3% and in the control group, 73.6% of ducklings were from fertilized eggs, and weak ducklings were 1.1% and 2.3%, respectively.
Nikitenko tested the effect of periodic cooling to 20° 2 times a day (from the 1st to the 7th day of incubation for 60 minutes, and from the 7th to the 20th - for 30 minutes) when incubating guinea fowl eggs. The author observed positive influence cooling until the 7th day of incubation (an increase in the number of somites, the size of the embryo body and the width of the vascular field), but after the 7th day the acceleration of embryo growth was less clearly expressed. Unfortunately, the author conducted experiments on only 250 eggs and does not provide data on the hatchability of guinea fowl in the experimental group and in the control.
A number of studies are devoted to the question of the effect of egg cooling on various aspects of embryonic development. Ruus showed that cooling goose eggs by spraying 2 times a day until the 15th day of incubation, and from the 16th, in addition, cooling the eggs for 30-50 minutes. at room temperature cause profound changes in the development of the embryo: they inhibit its growth in the 1st half of incubation, increasing, however, both the absolute and relative weight of the heart, and subsequently contribute to more high content hemoglobin in the blood (by 18.5% by the 21st day of embryonic development and by 6.7% by the 25th day), better absorption of nutrients (less weight of the residual yolk) and higher viability in the postembryonic period compared to those cooled only from 15 day of incubation. Zaletaeva reports that cooling eggs (2 times a day for 15-20 minutes to a temperature of 30-32°) increases the use of nutrients: on the 15th day, 71.4% protein was used instead of 61.4% in the control and glucose 94.3% instead 86.6%, and on the 18th day - 91% fat instead of 80.5%. Embryos of the cooled group had a greater relative weight of the heart and liver, as well as a higher number of red blood cells and percentage of hemoglobin. The author notes greater vitality and increased growth of chickens from the experimental group, as well as a faster onset of maturity and greater egg production in pullets.
According to Haskin, cooling chicken eggs 2 times a day for 1 hour from the 2nd day until the end of incubation at a temperature of 22-25° caused: a) a significant increase in the total oxygen consumption of embryos; b) the appearance of the first signs of chemical thermoregulation in them already on the 16th day of incubation (as the temperature decreased from 37.5° to 31.5°, oxygen consumption by the embryo increased), while in the control (in the group without cooling) chemical thermoregulation begins only on 20 day, and c) increased resistance of embryos to long-term cooling. Even more interesting is the fact established by the author that after hatching, chickens retain this resistance to low temperatures, and also observe an increased efficiency of their thermoregulation and a more rapid development of complete homeothermy in them. Subsequently, the author showed that as a result of periodic cooling of chicken eggs, “the intensity of tissue respiration of muscles increases and greater lability of the oxidative system of mitochondria of muscle cells occurs. The main source for the implementation of thermoregulatory reactions in cooled embryos is, according to the author, muscles. Using periodic cooling of chicken, duck and goose eggs, Bykhovets observed better development of the circulatory system in embryos in cooled eggs, an increase in growth rate, improved gas exchange and an increase in the safety of hatched young animals in the postembryonic period. The effect of egg cooling on the activity of the pituitary gland of embryos was observed by Tixier-Vidal. 2-3 days of incubation at a temperature of 27-28° leads to intense thyroid-stimulating stimulation of the thyroid glands, which shows their “homeothermic” state by the end of embryonic development.
The so-called cold method of incubating duck eggs, used in China, is described by Kolobov. The main thing in this method is cooling the eggs from the 1st day until the end of incubation 2-4 times a day at a temperature of about 20° for 15-60 minutes. depending on the temperature in the incubation room. In addition, the temperature of the eggs in the 2nd half of incubation is gradually reduced by transferring the eggs on the 15th day of incubation from the incubator to unheated racks in the hatchery, and in subsequent days by changing the blankets covering the racks from denser to less dense. The temperature on the racks above the eggs decreases from 38.7° to 37.0°. The use of this method on a Beijing poultry farm on hundreds of thousands of eggs resulted in 85-87% hatching of ducklings and 87-93% of chicks. In the USSR, this method has already been successfully used at the Kagalnitskaya IPS in the Rostov region when incubating duck and chicken eggs.
However, some researchers oppose the use of fluctuations in incubation temperature. Pritzker, based on his experiments, believes that with sufficient heat removal from the eggs in the second half of the incubation period with the help of enhanced ventilation and with incomplete loading of the incubator with eggs, it is possible, even without cooling, in modern incubators (especially in the Record-39 incubator) to obtain a high percentage of hatching of full-fledged eggs. ducklings However, the data presented by the author shows that groups of eggs without cooling gave a hatching percentage of ducklings that was 2-16% lower than with cooling. And in Otryganyeva’s experiments, in the presence of a very high percentage of chicken hatching in the control - 95.7-97.0% of fertilized eggs - in the Record-39 incubator there was no increase in the percentage of chicken hatching when cooling 2 times a day for 15-20 minutes. at a temperature of 16-22°; on the contrary, the author notes a lag in the closure of the allantois, lower weight of the embryos and a delay in the use of albumen and yolk, and the violations were greater as were there before cooling applied. Only single cooling for 1.5 hours slightly increased the percentage of chicks hatching. during the period of shell pecking. Soroka did not compare the results of incubating duck eggs with and without refrigeration, but set himself the goal of finding out whether it is possible to obtain a high percentage of hatching ducklings when incubating them without refrigeration, which requires large material costs. The author proposed reducing the temperature in the 2nd half of incubation to 37.3-37.4° (in a cabinet incubator), increasing humidity to 56-58% and increasing air speed to 1 m/sec. Under production conditions, the use of this regime gave 80.6-80.9% hatching of ducklings from laid eggs per 300,000 duck eggs. Orlov also opposes egg cooling, proposing to replace it with a differentiated regime according to periods of development (which was already discussed above) as more biologically determined. However, in the heat of controversy, the author loses sight of the fact that the daily repeated cooling of eggs is biologically determined by the entire evolution of the embryonic development of birds.
Vilner was one of the first in the USSR to conduct experiments with long-term (6 hours) cooling of goose and duck eggs to 20° once every 3 days of incubation in one group, and in the other with heating to 41°. In both groups, if thermal exposure was stopped 4-5 days before hatching, it increased the hatch rate and viability of the young. The author suggested that temperature fluctuations play the role of a thermal irritant that increases gas exchange. Mashtaler proposed deep cooling of chicken eggs (at 0°C for 40-45 minutes) and found that deep cooling increases the hatching percentage of chickens the most if carried out 3 times during the incubation period, each time a day before periods of increased mortality embryos, namely on the 5-6th, 13th and 18th days of incubation. The author writes that practically in this case the hatchability of chickens reaches 98-100%, but, unfortunately, he does not provide more accurate data. In later work, the author observed that after deep cooling, the development of the heart and circulatory system improves, the percentage of hemoglobin increases, the size of the lungs increases and the percentage of hatching increases in chickens by 10-15%, ducklings - by 15-25%, goslings - by 25-35 %.
Long-term cooling of eggs at room temperature (19-25°) for 18, 24, 30 and 48 hours. Ruus spent one day of incubation, as if simulating power outages, and found that 18- and 24-hour single cooling during the incubation period increases the hatch of chickens by approximately 2% (with 82.4% hatch from fertilized eggs in the control), and 30-hour, on the contrary, reduces the withdrawal percentage to 50%, 48-hour - to 30%. According to the author, the day of application of cooling is indifferent; Tretyakov did not observe a decrease in the percentage of hatching only when cooling for an hour (at 18°), but when cooling for 24 hours. found a decrease in hatchability, especially large when embryos were cooled on one of the days from the 5th to the 15th day of incubation. In another work, the author used long-term and deep cooling (at a temperature of -1°) on one of the days of incubation for 1, 3, 6 or 12 hours. and received (though not very well) large material- 10 eggs in each group) a significant decrease in hatching percentage for all cooling periods except 1 hour. The author's conclusion that hatchery workers need not be afraid of long-term cooling does not correspond to the material he cited. Ryzhikh and Klementieva found that cooling chicken eggs from the 2nd to the 8th day of incubation in a refrigerator at a temperature of +2, +3° for 45 minutes. per day increases hatchability, increases the size of red blood cells and the percentage of granular leukocytes, and the same cooling in the 2nd half of incubation extends the period of embryonic development and reduces the hatchability of chickens by 4-6%.
Indirect confirmation of the fact of increased metabolism during deep cooling of chicken eggs was obtained by Shuvalova, who established that under the influence of cooling (45 minutes at 0 and 13-14 degrees, 4-10 times during incubation) cell nuclei increase, especially in the neural tube and liver. The author suggests that the increase in nuclei is associated with an intensification of metabolism, and emphasizes that the data she obtained refutes the idea of the constancy of cell sizes.
Carson chill turkey eggs once for 5 hours. on one of the days after the 24th day of incubation is called a “stressful” effect. The author observed after this exposure an increase in the hatchability of turkey poults by 9-16%. When the impact is repeated in the next generation, the positive effect increases slightly. These data are statistically reliable, and the author suggests that “stressful” exposure from generation to generation would have a genetic effect in increasing hatchability.
Orszag and Micek, using a large material (about 30,000 chicken eggs) and in the presence of high hatchability of chickens in the control (about 80%), reliably established that the use of variable temperatures in an incubator of one type (for 1200 eggs) gave a positive result - increased hatchability, and in an incubator of another type (for 3600 eggs) - negative.
As we see, data on the effect of long-term and deep cooling on the development of embryos during artificial incubation of eggs is even more contradictory. How can we compare this with the presence of frequent (when eggs are turned by the hen), as well as long-term and rather deep cooling of eggs, observed in nature when brooding birds fly off to feed and do not cause harm to developing embryos? We believe that the main role in natural conditions is played by fast recovery the temperature of the eggs after the bird arrives at the nest due to their contact heating by the hen’s body. Let us recall the significant increase in hatchability of ducklings and goslings noted by Bykhovets due to an acceleration of 15-20 minutes. heating eggs after cooling to normal incubation temperature. It is quite possible that different researchers heated eggs after long and deep cooling at different speeds, without paying attention to this, and as a result obtained different results. This, apparently, partly explains the inconsistency of the results on short-term cooling of eggs at room temperature. But in the latter case Probably, the main role is played by the adaptation of the embryos of a particular bird species to incubation without refrigeration. Let us clarify our idea. The more domesticated a species is larger number generations of embryonic development under conditions of artificial incubation (where there is always less cooling than in natural conditions), the less embryos of this species need incubation with cooling. For example, chicken eggs, especially chickens of the most common breed - white leghorn, which have long lost the ability to incubate eggs, least of all need cooling during artificial incubation. Goose embryos are the most in need of cooling during incubation among domesticated birds, mainly due to the fact that geese were domesticated somewhat later and geese still incubate a significant part of the eggs, and therefore the species still partially retains its connection with the conditions of natural incubation. For incubating eggs of game birds (pheasants, partridges, eiders, etc.) that have not previously been incubated artificially, temperature fluctuations in the incubator are really necessary.
Many novice poultry farmers do not know how to hatch chickens in an incubator and make many mistakes. Naturally, the result is low hatchability.
For good results, you need to understand that hatching chicks requires certain conditions, and the incubation regimes for chicken eggs vary depending on the period. You need to know how to properly store incubation material and how many days it takes for chicks to hatch.
Selection of chicken eggs for incubation
The quality of the selected chicken egg determines the successful hatching of chickens in the incubator and the productivity of future laying hens. Therefore, it is worth paying due attention to this.
How to select material for hatching chickens in an incubator:
- General indicators of chickens. You need to hatch eggs from healthy and productive laying hens in an incubator - bad heredity will be passed on to the offspring.
- Eggs weighing less than 52 g are discarded. The optimal weight for hatching chickens in an incubator is 56-63 grams. There is one subtlety in incubation. Each gram of weight adds 30-40 minutes to the development of the chick. Therefore, you need to make a uniform bookmark. That is, you cannot, for example, make a batch of different eggs weighing 53 g and 70 g.
- To hatch chicks, you need to take into account the age of the laying hen. 1.5 – 2 years is considered optimal.
- Feeding. If chickens were given additives to their diet that increase egg production or other chemicals, it is better not to use them for incubation. The more natural the diet, the better.
- The form must be correct. The sharp and blunt ends are clearly defined, the transition between them is smooth. For good hatching of chickens in an incubator at home, there should be no growths, roughness or cracks on the shell.
- They have a thin shell.
- According to statistics, they have a low hatchability rate.
- If there are large eggs in the incubator, there is little space between them and they are less ventilated.
Roosters also play an important role in hatching chickens in the incubator - the fertilization of eggs depends on them.
Viewing material on an ovoscope
In addition to visual inspection of eggs during selection, incubating eggs at home involves checking them with an ovoscope.
Transillumination on an ovoscope
What to look for when viewing:
- Eggs are not allowed for incubation if there are microcracks or shell defects.
- The air chamber is located at the blunt end. Its thickness is the main indicator of freshness. The optimal value is 2-4 mm.
- The yolk is located in the center, slight displacements are allowed. It should be inactive, this can be checked by sharply turning the egg over - if the yolk moves quickly, it should be discarded.
- Stains. There should not be any, the inside should be clean and uniform, without visible inclusions of foreign bodies or blood clots.
Using an ovoscope, a poultry farmer can conduct a high-quality selection of material. The check will definitely increase the hatchability of chickens in an incubator at home.
Storage and disinfection of eggs
There are many opinions about how many days of storage the incubation material will become unusable. It is best to stick to the rule, the fresher the better. Optimal for incubation, a storage period of no more than 5-6 days is considered. After this, the hatchability percentage drops sharply.
If the material is stored for less than 3 days, storage temperatures up to 18 degrees are allowed. If stored longer, you need to lower the temperature to 8-12 degrees. Humidity should be 75-80%. If the material is stored longer, it must be turned over once a day.
Effect of humidity on weight:
- If the humidity at the storage location is 80%, then in ten days the mass will decrease by 0.7-0.8%;
- If the humidity is 60% - by 2.5%.
The same relationship exists with temperature - the higher it is, the faster weight loss.
The storage area must be well ventilated. Since the shell can absorb microelements from the environment, the air must be clean.
Table of the dependence of hatchability of chicks on the storage period of the material:
It is important to plan in advance how many days it will take for the material to enter the chicken incubator and strive to reduce this period.
Disinfection
To incubate eggs at home successfully, they need to be disinfected. The best option is to use a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate or a solution of hydrogen peroxide (1-1.5%) for disinfection. The shell is carefully wiped with a damp cloth soaked in the prepared mixture.
You can also soak them in the solution for 5-6 minutes. This is enough to soak the dirt. Then they need to be laid out on a cloth and waited to dry. The optimal temperature for the solution is 29-30 degrees.
You can use 25% bleach. It is added 15-20 g per 1 liter of water. Then the eggs are dipped into the solution for 3-4 minutes. This procedure is carried out 1.5-2 hours before laying.
The shell cannot be washed - this will damage the protective film on it.
Preparing the device
First, you should read the instructions for the incubator. You need to understand that different models can differ significantly from each other. Therefore, you need to be able to set up the incubation mode for chicken eggs in the chamber in advance.
All parts of the bird incubator must be dry and clean. You can disinfect them.
To hatch chicks with an incubator at home, you need to choose a dry room without drafts; you should not place it near doors or windows. The unit itself is placed on a flat, stable surface. It is important to level it so that it does not wobble.
Now the egg incubator needs to be turned on and set to the desired mode. After 24 hours of operation, it will be ready for use. Turning on the incubator before setting it serves to check its operation and also prepares the necessary microclimate. During this time, the required temperature and humidity in the incubator are established.
Bookmark
Before laying, the material for the incubator is moved to a room with a temperature of 19-22 degrees. If this is not done, the temperature and humidity in the chamber will change, and condensation will appear.
The optimal time for bookmarking is 17-22 hours. Then the chicks will hatch during the day.
The temperature table is an important element in incubation. To achieve the best hatchability, it must be used.
Chick hatching periods
First, you need to know what day the chicks hatch. After pipping, they need to be moved to pre-prepared brooders. The incubation time of chicken eggs is 20-22 days after laying. Sometimes this period can increase by 1-2 days, for example, at low temperatures in the chamber. But there is no point in waiting longer than the 25th day.
Before laying, you can make marks on the shell with a marker - this will make it clearer whether the trays are upside down or not.
Incubation of chicken eggs at home is conventionally divided into four periods. They differ in the required microclimate conditions in the chamber. It is important to maintain the required temperature in the egg incubator throughout the entire period.
- Incubation of chicken eggs: incubation mode in the first days. The incubation period of chicken eggs lasts 5-6 days after laying. The temperature is set at 38 o C, humidity – 60-70%. It is recommended to turn the eggs every 3-4 hours. You can do a longer interval - but at least 2 times a day. If the egg incubator is not equipped with automatic turning, it is better not to be lazy. Under natural conditions, the hen turns them over almost every hour. On the 4th day you need to set the temperature to 37.5 o C and the humidity to 55%.
- Incubation of chicken eggs: incubation mode in the second period – 7-11 days. The humidity in the incubator should be reduced to 35-46%, temperature - 37.5-37.7 degrees. At this time, the chick's skeleton begins to form.
- The third period is 12-20 days. Temperature – 37.3-37.5 degrees, humidity in the incubator 70-80%. The final stage of chick formation. On days 15-16, it is advisable to check the correct development of the embryos using an ovoscope. To increase humidity, eggs can be sprayed with water. From the 18th day it is necessary to increase ventilation - you can turn on the fans to maximum. You also need to ventilate the chicken incubator twice a day - open it for 10-15 minutes.
- Incubation of chicken eggs: incubation mode in the fourth period. The chicks are pecked and hatched in the incubator. You need to wait until all the chickens hatch and dry out. Before this, the chamber cannot be opened - all the chicks must be taken at the same time.
Development of a chicken embryo by day
Typically, the chick hatching process is completed within 24 hours. At this point, incubation of eggs at home is considered complete. The main indicators of healthy chicks are activity, reaction to sounds, and neatness. appearance. A slight fading of the down and a slight increase in the belly are allowed.
If, in general, the chicks from the incubator appear healthy and strong, you should not cull them. It is best to get rid of weak individuals immediately - the likelihood of their full development is very low.
Chicken eggs can be placed in the incubator vertically or vertically. horizontal positions– this does not affect hatchability.
Viewing with an ovoscope during incubation
The hatching of chicks in the incubator should be controlled by scanning the embryos on an ovoscope at different stages of incubation. Because from the first day you can see changes and control the development process.
Usually, the first candling is done on the 7th day from laying. At this time, you can already see the network of blood vessels. If the development is good, they will be evenly located, a little worse if the vessels are concentrated in the center. If the embryo looks more like a spot, it is discarded.
Ovoscoping can be done before biting, on days 19-20. The embryo should not be visible, and in size it occupies 2/3 of the volume of the egg.
It is also worth watching how the chickens hatch in the incubator. If the chick emerges quickly and breaks off large pieces shell - it is healthy and strong, but if not, most likely it is a weak individual.
Humidity and temperature during incubation
To get high hatchability, you need to know what temperature should be in the incubator for chicken eggs. The correct microclimate determines the quality of incubation. Even the smallest deviations in temperature and humidity can lead to death or disrupt the development of chicks.
The temperature in the incubator for chicken eggs has a maximum value of 27-43 degrees. Hypothermia or overheating of eggs is tolerated without harm only for a short time - for a few minutes. The optimal incubation temperature for chicken eggs is from 37 to 40 degrees.
The maximum temperature at which an embryo can develop is from 27 to 43. C. If it is low, development is slow, the hatching period is extended, and at a very low temperature the embryo develops incorrectly and soon dies.
It is also important to take into account the method of heating the incubator - if the heat source is from above, temperatures up to 40 degrees are allowed (near the top of the incubator). If the sources are located on all sides, the optimal temperature in the incubator is no more than 38.5 C.
The temperature maintained in the incubator must be stable. Hypothermia and overheating of eggs provokes the development of diseases in chicks and also inhibits their development. The same applies to humidity. Its maximum indicators are 45-82%. But it's better not to approach them.
Temperature and humidity table for incubator:
Common mistakes of novice poultry farmers
Incubation is a rather complex process. Therefore, novice poultry farmers who raise chickens on their farms often make mistakes.
If eggs are not turned over in a chicken incubator, the embryo will stick to the shell.
Common mistakes beginners make when incubating:
- Ignorance of the device. You need to start hatching chickens in an incubator after studying the instructions. Different models may have different operating features and requirements.
- There is no incubation table for chicken eggs;
- Improper storage. A common mistake that does not result in high hatchability. The maximum shelf life of the material is 14 days. Recommended – up to 5 days.
- Wrong bookmark. When incubating chicken eggs at home, a heterogeneous set is often made.
- Poor preparation. The incubator at home is often not prepared properly. Eggs are laid dirty or with defects. Material selection criteria are ignored.
- Temperature and humidity fluctuate. Eggs are incubated under incorrect conditions.
- Wrong choice of place where the incubator for chicken eggs is located;
- The eggs don't turn over.
In order for incubating chicken eggs at home to give good results, you need to try to avoid such mistakes. And also remember that each egg incubator has instructions.
Selecting an incubator
Example of an incubator for chicken eggs
To raise chickens, they must first be hatched. And for this you need to create the right conditions. The incubation period for chicken eggs is 20-21 days. And they spend all this time in the incubator. Therefore, the level of hatchability directly depends on the quality of the device.
Incubators for chicken eggs can be with manual turning of trays or automatic. Mechanical devices require constant monitoring by the poultry farmer - if the trays are not turned over, the embryos will die. Therefore, it is better to buy automatic ones - they turn them over themselves in a given mode. Eggs in the incubator lie on bars or in trays - special significance it doesn't have.
How to choose the right chicken incubator:
- capacity;
- how trays are turned over;
- how temperature and humidity are maintained in the incubator - manually or automatically;
- what the body is made of, is it insulated or not;
- Is it possible to connect backup power?
These are the main criteria that you need to pay attention to when choosing a device. At the same time, the presence of automation affects how much an incubator for chicken eggs costs. Fully manual devices are the most affordable.
There is a lot to choose from on the market. Among farmers, both domestically produced models, such as Nesushka77 or Cinderella-A98, and imported ones, such as the Chinese I-48 chicken incubator, are popular.
Breeding chicks is not that difficult. Control over the microclimate is important throughout the entire time the chickens are hatched in the incubator and proper preparation. As a result, you can easily raise chickens at home.
Video
Video about how to raise chickens in an incubator:
Tell me at what height the thermometer should be in mi-30 incubators.
The thermometer should be in the middle of the incubator, at a minimum height equal to half an average egg.
The thermometer should not touch or be closer to the eggs, otherwise it will change its readings due to the heat emanating from the egg.
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Hello dear readers. Proper incubation of eggs is the key to obtaining strong chickens in a home incubator or under a brood hen. Read our tips, look at photos and videos. As a matter of fact, these rules apply not only to the incubation of chicken eggs, but also to any other poultry that is in “demand” in your home.
Regardless of the purpose for which poultry is kept for the reproduction of eggs or for the future consumption of valuable environmentally friendly meat (meat raised at home cannot be different, can it be?), stable reproduction of the livestock is necessary.
Thus, the happy moment of the chick being born is preceded by the incubation process. How exactly eggs are incubated is up to everyone to decide for themselves. You can put the eggs under the hen, or use an incubator.
In both cases, it is necessary to follow certain rules that precede and accompany the process itself - the incubation of poultry eggs.
Feeding the parent flock
As you know, the egg begins with the chicken (Or maybe vice versa?). Well, in our case, definitely from chicken. And to be even more precise, from her feeding. The nutrition of breeding birds must be complete and contain all the necessary nutrients and microelements necessary for breeding healthy offspring.
Nutritional deficiencies immediately affect the quality of the young animals bred. Chickens are born weak, dystrophic and subsequently have a high mortality rate. Balanced feeding of the parent stock allows you to increase the hatchability rate and, as a result, obtain strong young animals.
So, we come to the first rule:
If we want to breed a healthy chicken, the hen (the mother of this chicken) must be properly fed.
The easiest way to replenish a laying hen's diet with essential vitamins is to include sprouted grains (for example, oats or wheat) in her diet, up to 60% of the feeding norm. This will not be difficult, but the benefits will be enormous, since sprouted grain contains a huge amount of vitamins and microelements.
Adding 3-5% yeast to the feed will also enrich the diet with a large amount of B vitamins. And of course, an integral part of the diet is grass (if the time of year allows, of course) or grass meal. By the way, don’t forget that the rooster (the father of our future chicken) also needs to be fed well.
The photo shows the incubation of eggs of different breeds of chickens; an Araucana chicken appeared from a blue egg.
Storage temperature for hatching eggs
Well, the egg was laid for us, now we need to store it properly before incubation begins.
The storage of eggs between laying and the start of incubation must occur within certain parameters. Compliance with these parameters allows you to preserve the incubation properties of the egg for as long as possible.
The embryonic development of the chick begins in the body of the hen and is interrupted after the egg is laid. The embryo remains alive during this time period, but is, as it were, in suspended animation. As soon as conditions change to more favorable ones, the metabolic rate increases and development is completely resumed.
Maintaining temperature conditions during egg storage is the most important condition maintaining the ability of the germinal disc to divide. Its upper limit is marked by a temperature of about 19 degrees, beyond which cell division of the embryo resumes, but occurs with deviations.
The lower limit is the temperature at which life completely ceases, without the possibility of its restoration in the future. At temperatures below 0 degrees, the embryo dies. Close to ideal storage temperatures are considered to be from 8 to 12 degrees Celsius.
The second rule for preparing eggs for incubation:
Store eggs at a temperature of 8 to 12 degrees.
Shelf life of hatching eggs
After fertilized eggs are laid, their value, from a biological point of view, steadily decreases. There is a loss of liquid from the white and yolk, and since this loss is not recoverable, the eggs lose their original incubation properties. Respectively,
conditions for further development embryo. As a result, this will either lead to the hatching of weak, non-viable chicks, or to a very low hatching percentage and high embryo mortality. In this regard, the duration of storage of hatching eggs is of great importance.
The less time passes between the laying of an egg and the start of incubation, the greater the chances of hatching a full-fledged chicken. When storing eggs for more than seven days, the mortality rate of chickens increases by 1% for each additional day of storage.
I would like to note that for each type of bird the shelf life of eggs is individual. For example, Muscovy duck eggs can expect up to twenty days of incubation without loss of incubation qualities, but not less than five days from the moment of laying. When freshly laid eggs are placed for incubation, the hatch rate is significantly reduced.
So, the third rule for preparing eggs for incubation:
Store eggs from laying to incubation for no more than seven days.
Humidity during storage of hatching eggs
The water contained in the egg is directly involved in the growth and development of the chicken embryo. Water is also responsible for heat capacity and thermal conductivity, and thanks to it, during the incubation process, the uniform distribution of temperature parameters inside the egg is ensured. It participates in all biochemical processes occurring during the formation of a new organism.
During storage of hatching eggs, water loss in the form of evaporation is inevitable. Water losses are especially high when stored in dry rooms or in rooms with inappropriate temperatures.
Due to the fact that water loss is irreversible, a large loss of water before incubation will inevitably lead to embryo mortality. Therefore, during the storage period prior to incubation, it is necessary to create conditions to minimize the loss of water reserves from the egg.
The fourth rule for preparing eggs for incubation:
Parameters must be observed to maximize water conservation and minimize evaporation losses. To do this, just place a container (bath) filled with water next to the eggs.
The egg is designed in such a way that, in any position, the yolk always floats up. This is due to the difference in the density of the white and yolk. The yolk also has different densities. For example, at the location of the germinal disk, the density of the yolk is minimal, as a result of which, no matter the position of the egg, the yolk always floats up with the germinal disk upward.
When storing eggs, even within the optimal period, the embryo remains motionless, which entails the risk of the embryonic disk drying out to the membranes inside the egg. To avoid this, eggs should be turned over once a day.
The fifth rule of preparing eggs for incubation:
During storage, eggs must be turned over.
Compliance with all the above rules for maintaining and feeding the parent flock and storing hatching eggs will allow you to hatch and raise healthy and highly productive birds all year round.
It is the correct incubation of eggs and, accordingly, preparation for incubation that is the main factor determining the full development and growth of the bird, which in turn will provide you with eggs and meat all year round.
The temperature regime is automatically maintained in the incubator; after 20-21 days you will get strong chickens if you follow our recommendations.
Egg incubation - preparation
Incubation of eggs - doing an ovoscope
Incubation of eggs - incubator temperature
Incubation is a complex process, in which air humidity also plays a major role. If the temperature is high, the development of the embryos will be significantly affected. But as a result, the brood will be small.
If the temperature is low, the chickens' mobility will be reduced. And if the temperature deviates, the embryos may even die. Dry air often causes premature hatching, while humidity can lead to delays. Based on this, it is not difficult to understand how important it is considered for their proper development.
Duration of storage until storage
The general shelf life of eggs before the incubator is 6 days. Eggs that have dirt on their shells should never be washed. The difference in temperature between the water and the embryo can lead to the appearance of fungus and mold. You can remove dirt very carefully using a knife.
What influences it?
How many days do chicken eggs last in the incubator? The incubation period for chicken eggs often lasts 21 days, and It can be conditionally divided into 4 periods:
First, important organs are formed in the embryo. The incubator should have a temperature of 38 degrees and air humidity of 60-70%. Afterwards, these indicators are gradually reduced.
During the second period of incubation of chicken eggs, the embryo develops a beak, claws and skeleton. The temperature is brought to 37 degrees, humidity to 45%. Deviation upward or downward is unacceptable.
Important create a temperature of 37 degrees and humidity up to 70%.
After the first squeak, namely in the fourth period, the chickens open their eyes. They are taken away and transferred to the hen. IN in this case, is considered completed.
Development time in natural conditions
The period lasts from 19 to 21 days. Incubation time Time can be represented by the following table:
Period T-ra Humidity Cooling Flipping 1 38 85 No – 2 37,5 85 No 10 times 3 37,5 75 Twice 5 minutes 10 times 4 37,5 65 Twice 5 minutes 10 times 5 37,5 55 Twice 10 minutes 10 times 6 37 55 Twice 10 minutes 10 times 7 37 70 2 times 5 minutes No If something goes wrong It is important to be very careful, because
Incubation of chicken eggs is a very exciting process. Its result will not only be the joy of the appearance of small and mobile yellow lumps, but also significant financial benefits. If you hatch chickens regularly in an incubator, the costs will pay off very quickly and in short term you will receive a stable source of income. However, this process requires a lot of attention and, above all, knowledge. In our article you will find useful tips about the conclusion, as well as educational photos and videos.
Basics and stages of incubation
Proper incubation of chicken eggs will require a lot of attention and effort. You must be prepared to devote a lot of time to this process and strictly follow all instructions. They are quite simple, but require strict execution, because the slightest mistake can lead to damage to chicken eggs and loss of chickens. Some incubator models can make the incubation period at home a little easier due to the presence of automatic control systems. But you still need to keep all stages under control to ensure the best possible output.
In most cases, the incubation process lasts 21 days. This period is conditionally divided into 4 stages, at each of which it is necessary to maintain certain conditions. This is done in order to bring the chick hatching mode in the incubator as close as possible to their natural incubation by the mother hen. A detailed table will help you find out how many degrees and what humidity should be on each of the required days.
First stage
The temperature is set to 37.8 degrees, humidity should be in the range of 50-55%. If the incubator is not equipped with an automatic egg turning system, then you will need to turn each egg at least 4 times a day. The first period should last exactly 7 days.
Second stage
The process of caring for eggs during this period will not differ much from the actions at the first stage. It is necessary to maintain the temperature at 37.8 degrees, but the humidity will have to be reduced to 45%. This stage will also last exactly a week. On each of these seven days, the eggs must be turned 4 to 6 times.
Third stage
During this period, continue to maintain the previously established temperature regime, and it is recommended to increase the humidity by 5%. Also, do not forget to turn the eggs at least 4 times daily. For three days, it is necessary to remove the tray of eggs from the incubator once a day for 15-20 minutes to cool. The device itself must be left turned on without changing the settings mode.
Fourth stage
At the final stage, and this is the last couple of days, the temperature should be lowered to 37.5 degrees, and the humidity should be increased to 65%. The final stage lasts three days and you will no longer need to turn the eggs, since the chick inside will already be fully formed.
Incubation technology
In addition to temperature and humidity, several more rules must be followed to successfully hatch chickens at home. Little secrets will help you get many healthy and active chicken chicks.
Egg selection
Choosing the right eggs is quite simple, but if you make a mistake, you can significantly reduce the number of chicks hatched. While well-selected material will help to achieve 100% hatchability of chicks. Do not lay dirty eggs. Carefully inspect the shell; there should be no damage or roughness on it.
It is recommended to place 2-day-old eggs in the incubator. Each of them must be checked with an ovoscope for the presence of microcracks, double yolks and other defects. In addition, specimens that are too large, small or deformed should be immediately eliminated.
Preparation for bookmarking
After selecting the desired number of eggs, they must be wiped with 1.5% hydrogen peroxide or a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate. Never wash them with water. Before storing, it is recommended to keep them in a room where the temperature is 25-27 degrees for about an hour.
Make sure you have a working thermometer and hygrometer before starting incubation. In most cases they are built into the incubator, but sometimes you need to purchase them separately. You must know exactly how many degrees and what humidity is inside the incubator. After all, even small deviations during the incubation period can lead to the loss of a litter of chickens.
Compliance with incubation conditions
It is better to choose an incubator in which the temperature and humidity are automatically regulated. This way you will save a lot of time and be able to avoid errors during the withdrawal period. Many modern devices support automatic humidity control, but if your incubator does not have this function, you will need to install water baths inside.
Humidity will depend on the area of the evaporated surface, so you can easily adjust it by changing the number of water tanks and their sizes. It is better to experiment with the number of baths before laying the eggs in order to know exactly how many of them will need to be substituted during the most critical period.
Don't forget to turn the eggs regularly. Under natural conditions, the hen performs this action at least ten times a day. At home, it will be enough to make 4 to 6 revolutions per day. Otherwise, the yolk will stick to the wall and the embryo will stop developing. An incubation table will help you best follow the regime. You can hang it near the incubator and regularly monitor how many degrees and percentages of humidity should be at each stage.
The appearance of chicks
Chicks hatch on days 21-22 of incubation. They don’t need help, because if they are healthy, they will break through the shell and come out on their own. The chicks must be left inside; drying time usually takes several hours. After this, move them to a more suitable place where the temperature will not be lower than 20 degrees. If after this you find eggs that the chickens began to peck, but could not get out, then the humidity was disturbed.
Incubation errors
Sometimes all your efforts can be ruined by a few wrong actions. It would seem that the instructions were fully followed, but the chickens hatch in small numbers or do not hatch at all. For example, very often low-quality thermometers are used for measurements during the hatching period, because of which you cannot know exactly how many degrees there are now inside the incubator. It is best to purchase special thermometers, which can now be easily found on the market.
Another mistake new farmers make is being overly curious. Do not look into the incubator for no reason; open it only to turn the eggs and regulate the humidity. Otherwise, you will disrupt the temperature regime and the entire incubation process may be at risk.
Video “The nuances of incubating chicken eggs”
After watching this video, you will learn how to prepare chicken eggs for laying, check them for defects and place them in the incubator.