Mary Allen
Many old chicken breeds no longer incubate the chicks themselves. The next generation, therefore, hatches in the incubator. But which device is the best?
The decision has been made: an incubator is needed. But which one? Many questions arise and one important factor is the number of eggs to be hatched. The smallest devices hold ten and the largest for the hobby farmer several hundred eggs. If you have a 10 egg machine, they must all be placed at the same time. In addition, the next deposit is only possible after hatching. A device for ten or 20 eggs is therefore ideal for rearing smaller groups or even for those keepers for whom hatching should remain a unique experience.
If you want to hatch several eggs, you have to consider that hatching eggs should be stored for a maximum of ten days. By the time the chicks hatch from the first layer, the hatching eggs for the second layer have already aged considerably. Experienced breeders also know that the eggs to be hatched should be separated from the chicks that are about to hatch. This can be done with incubators that have a separate hatch room. This has a hygienic advantage, because when the eggs hatch, the eggshells, the feces, and the drying fluff create a lot of dirt, which should not get to the even less developed eggs in the incubator. Another big advantage is the individual insertion of hatching eggs.
The Big Window for Observation
The window area is important for the use of an incubator in the school building because when they hatch, everyone wants to catch a glimpse of the pecking chicks. That is why surface breeders are often used there, in which the eggs lie on one level. For the hobby breeder, on the other hand, watching is no longer so important after a few times, which is why they tend to lay the eggs on trays and in covered drawers to hatch. Stacking makes observation impossible. Therefore, a cabinet incubator is less suitable for use in a school class.
After 21 days at an incubation temperature of 37.8 degrees, the chicks hatch. Every incubator has a temperature setting and usually also an integrated thermometer. When setting the temperature, however, it is important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. The thermometer is sometimes positioned in the upper half. The apparatus must then be set to 38 degrees, for example, because the heat distribution is not completely regular. It is a good idea to set the incubator at least a day in advance so that the temperature can be checked before the eggs enter the unit.
Next to temperature, humidity is the second most important factor in egg hatching. 55 to 60 percent humidity would be ideal in the first 19 days. But the small incubator for ten eggs has neither a hydrometer nor automatic humidity control. In such devices, the evaporation of water is usually regulated by means of a precisely sized built-in container. It is important to check daily whether there is still water. An additional hygrometer or even a built-in humidity control is included in the “Deluxe” version of the device for several hundred hatching eggs.
Turn Once a Day
The hen used to stay in the nest for 21 days and only left the eggs to feed. In the natural brood, the chicken eggs are carefully turned every day so that the hail cord does not grow inside the egg. These natural conditions are also necessary for an incubator. But in the simplest version, a turning mechanism is not part of the equipment, which is why you have to turn the eggs yourself.
The more eggs there are, the more time-consuming, if not impossible, the daily turning work. That is why a turning mechanism is already built into some of the 20-egg vending machines. In such devices, the incubator itself constantly takes care of the turning and the work for the breeder or keeper is little.
In the small device, the eggs are usually separated by separating inserts per row so that the eggs can be turned regularly. These separating inserts must be removed for the hatch. With larger devices, the hatching eggs are changed from the egg racks to the slip drawers. To ensure parentage control, chicks from different parents should be placed in different compartments.
As soon as the chicks hatch, they dry and in a few hours, they run from one corner to the other in the apparatus. Some incubators control humidity with water trays placed under the eggs or hatching chicks. If the slip drawers do not have a cover, caution is advised. The fluffy “Bibeli” quickly jumps out of the drawer and fall into the bowl below. If they land in even a little deep water, they can drown in it.
The main differences in incubators are the temperature and humidity controls, as well as the turning mechanism and hatching egg capacity. They must be tailored to the needs of the buyer to ensure a successful hatch.