An incubator is an electrical machine that simulates avian energy to keep eggs incubated and warm under a controlled temperature and humidity until they hatch.
This article focuses on the chicken incubator. Many farmers engaging in poultry farming are going for these machines to increase their productivity. Therefore, this article aims to gain information about the hatching journey of eggs using these machines.
Due to the rapid growth of technology, machines now play a vital role in production. In poultry, you purchase an incubator and set it up with the right temperature and humidity. After that, you can follow the following steps to guide you on managing the eggs till they hatch.
Day 1.1: Setting the machine
Make sure the incubator is well-cleaned, ventilated, and connected to electricity. Set an optimum temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit, where the temperature should range between 99 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity level of 50 to 55 percent.
Day 1.2: Setting the eggs
Once you have the incubator at the right temperature, you can set the eggs in their correct position. Make sure you incubate a minimum of six eggs at one time. The more eggs you place, the better your chances are of getting high yields.
Day 1 to 18: Turning the eggs
After setting up the eggs, now focus on turning the eggs from day one to day 18. This keeps the chicks from sticking to the shell. The turning should be performed physically, with the embryo resting on the york. Please wash your hands or wear clean gloves when handling the eggs; they should be turned an average of three times a day.
Day 7 to 10: candling eggs
During the incubation period, it’s necessary to go over the eggs in the chicken incubator to ensure the embryo is growing. It also checks if the inside of the egg is clear and if blood vessels are currently visible. Candling involves shining a light over the eggs. You can use a flashlight for the white and light-colored shells. If you come across eggs with broken shells, remove them and continue with the 18 days of daily turning.
Day 18 to 21: Pre-hatching
By day 18, the embryo has developed into a chick and occupies most of the egg’s space. Stop turning the eggs and place them facing upward, which is the hatching position. Maintain a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit and increase the humidity to 70 percent.
Day 21: Chicks start hatching
On this day, most of the chicks are ready to hatch. A chick may take 5 to 7 hours to hatch or within 24 hours. If they were cooled before incubation, the process might take longer, so give the eggs more days. Let them hatch on their own; don’t try to help, as this may interfere with the process.
Conclusion
This article has detailed, step by step, the process of setting up and managing eggs in an incubator until they hatch. Therefore, it is recommended to be followed by someone looking forward to using an egg incubator for higher production.
