When it comes to the hatching of chickens, Mother Nature is second to none. Under natural conditions, the mother hen is engaged in sitting on eggs. It forms a comfortable and safe nest, carefully lays the eggs, gradually and constantly turns them over, keeps them warm almost all day and night and selflessly protects against any encroachment, whether it be predatory animals, curious pets or your fingers.
An alternative solution to change the mother hen is an incubator. It is an equipment designed for incubation of eggs and hatching of chickens. Different types of incubators are distinguished depending on their purpose (for households or farms, or large poultry enterprises), functionality and design features. We will consider this issue in more detail when discussing tips for choosing an equipment. And first of all, we are going to make you aware of the basic recommendations that will be useful to you when hatching chickens.
Incubation of chicken eggs: principles
The relevance of individual tips depends on the distinctive features of your particular situation. Many parameters have the influence on the success of the process: a source and quality of eggs, keeping conditions, proper care during incubation, etc. In order to provide you with the best usefulness, we will present the relevant tips as the basic recommendations:
- Think over and plan your project.
- Choose a reliable and functional equipment.
- Prepare a comfortable place for incubation.
- Find a quality source of fertile eggs.
- Perform a laying of eggs correctly.
- Ensure proper care of the eggs.
- Prepare a brooder and a feed for the first weeks of chickens’ life.
- Proceed to the arrangement of a corral in advance.
The incubation period – from the moment the laying of eggs to the hatching of the chickens – lasts an average for 21 days. But you should not strictly focus on this value. Chickens can start to come out of the shell both during the 20th and 22nd-23rd day. It is important to be patient and prepare for the youngster birth. And you should from the beginning understand that small chickens will hatch not from all eggs – 70-90% result can be considered quite successful!
Think over and plan your project
If you decide to engage in an incubation, this hobby can hardly be called a fun. However, it is important to initially understand the scope of this idea. How many chickens do you plan to raise? Will it be mainly for meat or for eggs production? Are you ready to keep and care for a poultry all year round? Where do you plan to get eggs, and how much? It is obligatory to answer these and similar questions before you start choosing an incubator.
Once you have primary goals, draft a strategic plan. It should cover all the important points:
- The number of eggs to lay, their source.
- The appropriate capacity incubator and associated equipment.
- The safe and quiet place to place an incubator.
- The step-by-step plan of the care of eggs.
- The creation of conditions for the reception of chickens, their maintenance after hatching, etc.
If you intend to get the first brood of 20-30 or 100-150 animal units, you will need equipment of different sizes and functionality. And it will be necessary to allocate the corresponding areas for various incubators. And it is unnecessary to talk about the difficulties of care. Just turning the eggs in the incubator 3-5 times a day for 18 days is a responsible task that demands your time and attention. Think over and plan the whole process from the beginning to see this through and enjoy the result!
Choose a reliable and functional equipment
Incubators are distinguished by a number of parameters:
- A capacity.
- A functionality.
- Design features.
Since you have already carefully thought over and planned everything, it becomes clear how many eggs you are going to lay. And therefore, it is not difficult to determine the appropriate capacity of the incubator. But what about functionality? Despite the apparent simplicity and uncomplicated design of the equipment, different models provide different care of eggs. The wider the equipment functionality, the easier it is for you. The required accessories:
- A housing that ensures the maintenance of an optimum internal microclimate.
- A thermostat (a thermometer with a thermostat and a temperature control system).
- A heating equipment (a complex of incandescent lamps)
For the development of embryos, it is necessary to heat eggs and constantly maintain the optimum temperature – 37.8-38.1 °C. The heating is provided by incandescent lamps. Usually, they are located in the upper part of the housing, radiating heat to the entire area of the tray. When the lamps are on, the temperature in the incubator rises. When it reaches a certain value, they turn off to prevent an overheating. And when the temperature drops, the lamps turn on again.
There are 3-5 described cycles per minute. It is clear that this task is not solved manually. For this purpose, a system with a thermostat is used. It controls the temperature inside the incubator and controls the on/off of the lamps. In order to create and constantly maintain an environment with certain climatic conditions, a closed housing is used. Its upper part is either completely made of transparent material, or supplemented with windows for a visual control.
In addition to the mandatory accessories, the equipment can be equipped with the additional ones:
- A humidity regulator (a humidity control system).
- An egg turning mechanism.
The maintenance of a stable temperature regime is important, but not the only task. You also need to control the humidity level. In the first 18 days it should be maintained in the range of 50-60%, and in the final 3 days it should be increased to 60-70%. This problem is solved by the humidity regulator. It controls the level of humidity with a measuring instrument, and changes this level by discharging of air into the housing or exhausting of air.
For 18 days, from the moment of laying, the eggs must be turned regularly – at least every 8 hours, that is, at least 3 times a day. This can be done manually. But if we are talking about dozens of eggs, then at least 3 their turnings per day for 18 days are a labor-intensive and burdensome process. It can be automated.
For this purpose, some models of incubators are equipped with turning mechanisms. Their presence not only relieves you from daily routine duties, but also prevents the need for frequent opening of the housing that helps to maintain an optimum microclimate.
Hatching of eggs in an incubator: prepare a comfortable place
Based on the housing dimensions, it is easy to find a sufficient free area for its placement. But this is just one aspect. It is important to pay attention to others:
- The protection against temperature differences, drafts, direct sunlight, vibrations.
- The protection against an undesirable access by small children and pets.
- The round-the-clock access to an electrical supply network and the sufficient space to care for the eggs.
Temperature differences outside are leveled inside the incubator due to the housing insulation and the thermal control system. But it is definitely not worth installing of the equipment at two meters from the furnace. Drafts, direct sunlight, vibrations and shocks should also not influence the housing, because they affect the temperature level, the humidity level of the environment, and sudden displacements can cause a damage of the egg shell or embryos.
It is clear that for round-the-clock operation of the incubator, it must be continuously connected to the electrical supply network. Therefore, a socket designated specifically for the incubator (at least for a 21-day period) is an indispensable condition. However, remember that several times a day you will have to open the housing and turn the eggs (if there is no automatic turning mechanism). And when the chickens are born, they will need to be carefully transferred to the brooder. When allocating a place for the incubation equipment, make sure that you have a free access to it at any time.
Find a quality source of fertile eggs
This is one of the most important steps! No matter how functional the incubator is, a good brood cannot be achieved with poor quality eggs. If you already have hens, and among them there are roosters, the solution is obvious. It is convenient not only due to the price affordability, but also the proximity of the source of eggs. The shorter the way to transport them to the incubator, the better.
On the average, the fertility of domestic chicken eggs reaches 90%. Under the same conditions, only every second chicken can be born out of eggs acquired on a remote farm. And it’s not necessarily the low quality of the eggs. Just their transportation and repeated re-laying can violate the membrane integrity, lead to the penetration of pathogenic microbes through the porous shell and negatively affect the state of the embryos.
Useful tips:
- If you buy fertile eggs in a poultry farm, choose a reliable supplier with a good reputation.
- When transporting, pack the eggs so that they do not collide and generally move as little as possible.
- Choose eggs of medium size, without visible defects, cracks and severe contaminations.
- Store them upright with turning pointed side down.
It is strictly prohibited to wash chicken hatching eggs! At least, this results in the removal of the protective outer membrane on the shell, making it more susceptible to the penetration of pathogens. It is not necessary to choose perfectly clean eggs. Minor contaminations are quite acceptable. But if the egg is completely covered with chicken excrement, there will be difficulties both in the heating and transillumination of it.
Perform a laying of eggs correctly
Wash, dry and disinfect the incubator. Fully check its functionality: from the operability of the mechanism for turning eggs to the serviceability of thermal and humidity control systems. Before laying the eggs in the incubator, keep them for about a day at a room temperature. At the same time, they should be placed vertically or at an angle, but always with the pointed side down (the air chamber is located just in the thickened part).
In a similar position, lay the eggs in the incubator. On the shell, make notes with a graphite pencil on opposite sides relative to the vertical axis (traditionally, the symbols “X” and “O” are used for this purpose). This marking is needed so that you have a guide when observing the order of turning the eggs: in the morning all eggs are turned up one side, in the afternoon – the other side, etc. Even if the process is automatic, the position of the marks will allow you to make sure that the mechanism is working correctly.
Ensure proper care of the eggs
When the future chickens have been already placed in the incubator, a 21-day period of their growth and development begins. It can be divided into 2 stages:
- Days 0-18. Eggs should be turned every 4-8 hours. The optimum temperature is 37.8-38.1 °C, the relative humidity is 50-60%.
- Days 19-21. Eggs should NOT be turned. The optimum temperature is 37.8-38.1 °C, the relative humidity is 60-70%.
The regular egg turning serves several purposes. Firstly, it provides with the uniform heating of eggs from all sides. Secondly, it prevents the sticking of the embryo to the shell and its further death. Thirdly, the future chicken takes the correct position. If you’re doing this process manually, only touch the eggs with clean hands to keep the shell free of potentially harmful microbes. Turn them slowly and without jerking to prevent a sudden displacement of the embryos and damage of delicate blood vessels.
Control the temperature and humidity levels, maintaining an optimum microclimate. To evaluate the state of the eggs, they can be transilluminated on the 7th and 14th day from the moment of laying. At the first check, you will see a small point and thin blood vessels extending from it – something similar to a spider. At the time of the second transillumination, the embryo significantly increases in size that indicates its development.
Prepare the brooder and the feed for the first weeks of chickens’ life
After complete release from the shell, the youngster is still wet. To avoid a common cold, do not rush to get it out of the incubator. A chicken can go without food and water for 1-2 days. Therefore, give it time to dry completely and adapt to life outside the shell. When all the chickens have hatched and dried out, they should be moved to the brooder. It is important that it is equipped with a heating system – for the temperature adaptation of the youngster in the first days.
Lowering each chicken into the brooder, we recommend that you touch the water in the drinking-bowl with its nib. Now it will know where to go to quench its thirst. Place not only a drinking-bowl, but also a feeder. The youngster is quickly gaining strength and becoming more active. For a balanced feeding and a protection against diseases, use starter combined feeds and drinking systems.
Proceed to the arrangement of a corral in advance
A hatching egg from the laying moment to the birth of a chicken pass through a 3-week process. And although this is not much, after 10-12 days, routine duties can get bored. But when the chickens are already born, they can just delight sufficiently you. However, they are growing in the shortest time. It will take only a few weeks – and they will need to be moved to a full-fledged corral. Therefore, arrange it in advance.
There are many chicken coop designs. And you can easily choose the appropriate option. But with a lack of experience, some aspects (seemingly, they are insignificant) may be missed. To arrange a reliable, functional, protected corral for year-round keeping of chickens, you can seek the help of professionals. For example, the specialized Texha Company has a wide range of equipment for poultry farms and full-fledged farms.
It is possible to order both separate devices (automated feeders, drinking-bowls, conveyor waste disposal systems), as well as the implementation of “Chicken coop on turnkey basis” projects, including the delivery of components and professional installation. Whichever option you choose, start arranging the corral no later than the first day after the birth of the chickens – they grow very quickly!
Successful egg incubation: useful tips from experienced farmers
With enough patience, dedication and responsibility, you have a high chance of getting the desired brood of chickens. And to make the result even better, we present below some practical recommendations from experienced farmers:
- Buy a functional incubator from a reputable manufacturer.
- Pay attention to the choice of quality eggs.
- Be patient during the chickens’ hatching period and refrain from helping.
When choosing an egg incubator, pay attention to functional models from reputable manufacturers. The wider the functionality of the equipment (electronic thermal and humidity control, ventilation system, automatic turning mechanism for eggs, etc.), the better. Firstly, your work will be facilitated, because part of the routine duties will be taken over by the machine. Secondly, the stable maintenance of temperature and humidity throughout the entire period of incubation is ensured.
Thirdly, the reliability of the incubator is a guarantee of its serviceability, which mitigates the risks of an unfortunate critical failure, especially annoying a couple of days before the chickens are born. It is not worth saving on the main production equipment, because the success of the entire incubation process largely depends on its performance.
The choice of quality eggs is fundamentally important. Often too large eggs contain future roosters, small ones – small hens. But medium-sized eggs are a good example of the “golden mean”. If you do not get them in your own chicken coop, but buy them, then choose a contractor with a good reputation. Before laying, it will be useful to transilluminate the eggs. For those where you do not see a clear outline of the yolk or the air sac is abnormally displaced have few hopes.
When the final 3 days incubation period comes, the chickens begin to hatch. From the first chip on the shell to an independent step in the incubator, it can take up to a day. A caring owner is tempted to help the newborn get out of the egg as soon as possible. But you can’t do this!
First, the chicken needs time to adapt. And it passes through this process gradually, while being still in the shell. Secondly, the youngster partially can be glued to the shell. And untimely separation can lead to injury of blood vessels. Take your time and let Mother Nature perform the process in the best way!
Eggs incubator and other equipment for a poultry farming: where and how to order?
Are you new to chicken breeding and want to make a successful debut in this business? Perhaps are you already developing your own farm and planning to expand? In any case, you need modern functional equipment designed specifically for a poultry farming. You can order it at affordable prices in Texha Company.
A professional contractor will help you arrange a small household chicken coop or a full-fledged poultry farm. To get an advice, just write to the online chat on the site or call the specified phone number.