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1. 00535 35335353 332 Source Okeedokee Early Learning Center http www okeedokeekids com au content data image upload embryo9620development jpg FERTILITY The fertility rate is calculated by dividing the total number of eggs that show signs of development by the total number of eggs set set 28 show development 30 0 93 or 93 The recommended rooster to hen ratio is 1 rooster for every 8 10 hens In some breeds such as rare bantams that ratio may be lower 1 3 Ahen generally remains fertile for 10 days following the removal of a rooster To guarantee that chicks are fathered by a specific rooster hens should be separated from other roosters for three or four week HUMIDITY Humidity is determined by surface area not water depth To increase the humidity increase the area water is exposed to the air either by using a wider pan or sponge When adding water to an incubator the water should be lukewarm neither hot nor cold Adding hot water will temporarily boost the humidity and may result in temporary uneven heating During the final three days placing warm wet kitchen sponges on top of the mesh will boost the humidity Be sure all detergent is washed out of the sponges before using Also be sure to carefully wash and scald sponges after each batch to prevent bacterial growth To decrease humidity within an incubator add uncooked dry rice to the incubator pan If you have difficulty seeing t
2. Not all chicks will hatch There are multiple reasons why this occurs from hen nutrient deficiencies cold temperatures during collection bacterial contamination genetic flaws and flaws in incubation methods Eggs that did not hatch should be opened and examined to determine if possible why the chick failed to hatch The following link from The Chicken Chick provides an excellent look at the stages of development http www the chicken chick com 2012 03 chicken embryo development views from html 6 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Other factors to consider include THERMOMETER PLACEMENT The control thermometer was not placed within the incubator at the ideal location Placing the thermometer within the air flow directly influenced by the heating element will result in a high temperature reading and an early hatch Placing the thermometer is an isolated area or one out of the main flow of circulation will result in a low temperature reading and a late hatch HEATING ELEMENT The incubator heating element is either under powered or overly worn If the heating element indicator comes on frequently then the unit is having a hard time keeping the incubator warm It may be time to replace the element with a new one or perhaps increase the element s wattage INADEQUATE AIR CIRCULATION There should only be a minimum temperature difference between the top tray and the bottom tray If there is more than a 0 5 F difference then the air circulation is
3. inadequate This could be caused by a low powered fan and or blockage of the air flow Check spacing between eggs and be sure other items are not blocking the air flow If the fan is not moving a good deal of air consider replacing it with a more powerful one POWER OUTAGE Extended power outages play havoc with incubation While a short outage will have little effect on large eggs placed in the middle shelf the results could be devastating on small eggs placed either on the top tray overheating or the bottom tray under heating hot air rises If power outages are common consider installing a battery operated fan within the incubator to keep the air circulating and consider an alternative means of heating the hatch room My hatch room has access to natural gas heating and I ve raised the room temperature to 98 99 F during extended power outages UNEVEN HEATING It is nearly impossible to maintain the exact same temperature in all parts of the incubator Randomly moving eggs around on the incubation tray can help accommodate minor temperature variations Additionally ensuring that eggs are evenly distributed and not blocking the air flow will help reduce hot and cold spots If the hatch gap is a persistent problem then you may want to take a temperature reading at various locations to identify any hot or cold spots The addition of small air baffles may be necessary to direct air away from hot spots and or direct air to cold spots
4. Janoe Circulated Digital Automatic Brinsea Octagon 40 ECO 48 380 00 Semi auto Brinsea Circulated Digital Optional Cradle RcomMax50 48 685 00 RAH Automatic Rcom Circulated Digital Automatic Hovabator2362E 50 8000 Manual GQF Circulated Knob Optional HovaBator 1588 50 140 00 Semi auto GQF Circulated Digital Optional JanoelJN5 60 60 13000 Manual Janoel Circulated Digital Manual 1 100 00 Automatic Rcom Circulated Digital Automatic 1 150 00 AA WAA semi auto Brinsea Circulated Digital Automatic Sportsman 1502 270 720 0 Semi auto GQF 1 500 00 AAW AA Automatic Rcom Circulated Digital Automatic 1 400 00 AAAA Semi auto Brinsea Circulated Digital Automatic PARENT STOCK The quality of hatchling is directly related to the quality of the parents only select mature parents that are healthy free of internal and external parasites and conform to breed standards produce highest quality hatchlings Unless breeding for a specific purpose parents should be genetically unrelated For two to three months prior to egg collection parents should have free access to high quality and high protein feed along with crushed oyster shells to enhance quality egg production Additionally to aid in egg sanitation nest boxes and hou
5. accuracy and secure tube with a drop of Recheck accuracy and secure tube with a drop of glue glue Artificial Egg Incubation Page 9 BATCH INCUBATION Some hobbyists may be tempted to add new eggs to their incubator every day or every few days This practice is ill advised Having eggs in various stages of incubation makes it impossible to create optimal incubation and brooding environments There are significant differences in humidity and turning requirements during the final three days humidity 70 with no turning of than the rest of incubation humidity 45 with turning Additionally during brooding hatchlings of different ages require different temperatures and older hatchlings frequently pick on younger ones For best results with desktop incubators incubate only one batch of eggsata time When stored properly eggs can be stored for 15 18 days without a dramatic drop in hatchability Whenever possible AVOID mixing eggs in different stages of development in the same incubator doing so complicates hatching and may lead to poor results Tt is better to collect and carefully store eggs for 14 18 days and hatch all eggs at the same time Alternatively if you feel compelled to set eggs every few days buy an inexpensive still air incubator and designate it as a dedicated hatcher Within this dedicated hatcher create an optimal environment for hatching humidity 47096 and move eggs to this hatcher for their last three da
6. cycle Place her up in a wire cage for five days a small dog crate with food and water but no nesting material Old timers like my neighbor did not always include food or water Five Ways to Encourage a Hen to go Broody Fresh Eggs Daily April 10 2014 http www fresheggsdaily com 2014 04 five ways to encourage hen to go broody html Artificial Egg Incubation Page 3 ARTIFICIAL INCUBATORS An effective artificial incubator maintains a constant temperature generally 99 5 F provides a means to regulate humidity and permits routine egg turning They can either be manual where the user does all the work semi automatic where the incubator does some of the work or automatic where the incubator does all of the work Which one should you buy recommend that you decide E how many eggs you want to incubate at one time and then buy the most expensive model you can comfortably afford In my opinion most manufacturers produce the best possible E product they can at any given price range if they didn t then their reputation would 2b e BH suffer and they couldn t stay in business long Incubation problems generally stem from Cr user error not the equipment If used properly almost all incubators can reliably hatch eggs My first incubator was an inexpensive styrofoam Little Giant desktop model it has been extremely reliable and is still in use today 1 Insulation What materials are used to separate the egg
7. hatchling will emerge on their own and assisting can easily cause more harm than good DO carefully evaluate your hatch results using the recommendations in this guide DO view each hatch as a learning process with a primary goal of improving with each subsequent batch DO NOT forget that home flock hatching should be an enjoyable process not every egg will hatch and not every hatchling will survive Celebrate your successes and do not focus on your failures Oo o0 0 0 0 0 O0 0 D UO D O0 D O O O O O H Artificial Egg Incubation Page 1 INTRODUCTION There are many factors involved in successfully hatching poultry eggs Failure to address any single factor can result in poor fertilization embryo development failure pipping or hatching failure and weak and malformed hatchlings The following guideline outlines important factors and provides advice for a successful hatch QUICK START GUIDE If you re looking to start incubating without a comprehensive understanding of the entire process then you re making a serious mistake While it doesn t take a nuclear scientist to hatch eggs successfully there are numerous things that can go wrong any one of which can result in a hatch time disaster Avoid a bad experience gain a good understanding of the entire process before you set the first egg The following provides the basic steps in the incubation process i S MTS A qe T BROODY HENS VS ARTIFICIAL INCUBATION Preparing the parents ho
8. high quality feed and cleaning nests amp renewing nesting material DO carefully plan your incubation and hatch schedule Whenever possible avoid setting eggs at different times or of different species unless you have a second incubator dedicated to hatching only DO NOT wash or refrigerate eggs for incubation For best results use eggs that are less than 7 days old However eggs up to 18 days old can be successfully hatched if stored correctly DO consider the accuracy of any digital thermometer you decide to purchase Most thermometers are only accurate to 1 0 to 2 0 when an accuracy of 0 1 to 0 2 is needed DO NOT trust the gauges built into your incubator DO use a separate calibrated thermometer to monitor the incubation environment Improper temperature control is the primary reason for hatch failure DO place your incubator in a room with a steady temperature away from windows drafts or direct sunlight Difficulties with regulating an incubator are often the result of poor incubator placement DO calibrate and regulate your incubator at least 48 hours prior to setting eggs For best results use water bottles to fill empty space during the regulation and calibration process DO become familiar with warm and cool spots within your incubator by measuring the temperature at various locations during the regulation and calibration process DO NOT keep your eggs in the same spot for the entire incubation period For best resul
9. may not fit comfortably into regular trays In desktop models it is probably best to remove the automatic turner lay the duck eggs on their side and turn manually For cabinet models Extra Large trays used for turkey ducks and peafowl are required 2 GooseTurning Trays Goose eggs are large sometimes very large and require a special incubation tray or set on their side during incubation do not recommend commercially manufactured goose egg trays as they are relatively expensive and hold only very few eggs Personally for desktop models simply lay the eggs on their side and turn them by hand For cabinet incubators fabricate a goose egg tray using inch hardware cloth by folding the wire ina l manner 3 Incubation Period Instead of 21 days Mallard ducks hatch in 27 5 days Pekins in 28 and Muscovy ducks in about 35 days Geese require 30 days of incubation 4 Humidity While chicken eggs do well with low humidity during their first 18 days ducks usually require a higher relative humidity 55 6096 5 Cooling amp Misting Many waterfowl egg shells are thick and hard making it difficult for the duckling gosling to emerge at hatch time Although the exact mechanism is unknown allowing the eggs to cool followed by a misting of lukewarm water causes the shell to become more brittle Personally following day 7 of incubation remove the eggs from the incubator allow them to sit on a counter at room tempe
10. morning afternoon and bedtime move the eggs in the middle to the edge and roll the ones on the edge to the center Check to ensure that each egg has been turned by checking your X s or O s SETTING EGGS WITH AUTOMATIC TURNER DO NOT attempt to set any eggs until the incubator s temperature and humidity has been stable for at least 24 hours doing so will lead to multiple problems that are difficult to correct once eggs are in the incubator 1 Allow the eggs to warm if they have been stored below 75 80 F 2 Identify the large fat end of the egg and draw a small circle on that end with a pencil If you have difficulty determining which end is the large on place a small flashlight on each end the large end contains the air cell 3 Place the eggs in the center section of the turner with the large end up the pointy end down 4 Closethe lid plug in the auto turner walk away and do not return for several hours It is normal for the incubator to take some time before warming to the set temperature It is also not uncommon for the temperature to spike a degree or two above the set temperature after setting eggs Avoid fiddling with the thermostat during the first 24 hours 5 Twice daily check your temperature and humidity While you will need to occasionally add water to keep the humidity up you should not need to touch the thermostat If the temperature is off do nothing and check the temperature in another hour If t
11. other eggs that possess a normal appearance There should be very little odor coming from your incubator If you notice an unusual smell open the incubator and sniff each egg individually Removing any egg that smells will reduce the chances of a bad egg leaking or exploding and contaminating other eggs within the incubator CLEANLINESS Placing porous cloth shelf liner placed on top of the mesh prior to hatching will allow moisture to pass through from the bottom water chambers but prevent the gunk from dropping into the lower portion of the incubation easing the task of cleaning the incubator following a hatch CRACKED EGGS Itis generally a bad idea to incubate cracked eggs it is also generally a good idea to discard any eggs that develop a crack during incubation However if an expensive or prized egg has or develops a crack the cracked can be repaired using a small amount of un perfumed wax Use as little as possible and watch the egg during hatching as the seal may make hatching more difficult EGG ANATOMY a f Blastoderm Latebra consists of white yolk Yolk alternating layers of white an E we e N an ner shell membrane ne membrane 2 Chalaza Chalsiferous around the yolk WWW GEOCHEMBIO COM SOURCE GeoChemBio http www geochembio com biology organisms chicken ege Artificial Egg Incubation Page 24 EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT
12. survive they are not among the healthiest or vigorous It is important that you get your incubation temperature correct INCUBATOR GAUGES Do Not Trustthe gauges that came with your incubator Verify that both the temperature and humidity readings are correct with a calibrated thermometer and hygrometer It is recommended that this verification be repeated periodically If there is a reading difference between the incubator panel and the calibrated thermometer trust the calibrated thermometer DIGITAL SENSITIVITY Most digital thermometers are inadequate for incubation While they may read to 0 1 F they are only sensitive to 2 0 F while the readout may display 99 5 F the temperature will range anywhere from 98 5 F to 100 5 F Before purchasing a digital thermometer read the packaging If it does not specifically list an accuracy of 0 2 F do not buy it 104 F Ten times more accurate than most digital thermometers it reads to 0 1 F with between F and C wc t most are g CAUTION All digital thermometers appear to be accurate b es ER meter must be calibrated and must have a sensitivity of no less than 20 2 RESPONSE TIME When the heating element comes on the temperature will rise and continue to do so for a short time after the element switches off Some digital thermo meters will incorrectly register this rise as a temperature spike and cause concern Why does my temperature seem to bounce all o
13. the eggs to warm if they have been stored below 75 80 F 2 Using a pencil mark one side of each egg with an X and the other side with an O These markings will help ensure that each egg is completely turned 3 Laythe eggs on their side on top of the mesh in the middle of the incubator It is perfectly fine for the eggs to touch but they should not be overly crowded or stacked 4 Closethe lid walk away and do not return for several hours It is normal for the incubator to take some time before warming to the set temperature It is also not uncommon for the temperature to spike a degree or two above the set temperature after setting eggs Avoid fiddling with the thermostat during the first 24 hours 5 Before opening the incubator to turn your eggs examine your temperature and humidity readings While you will need to occasionally add water to keep the humidity up you should not need to touch the thermostat If the temperature is off do nothing and check the temperature in another hour If the thermometer continues to read high or low you may carefully make a small adjustment Temperatures normally fluctuate from time to time If your incubator has difficulty maintaining the set temperature look at where you placed your incubator perhaps a more stable place will help Always be reluctant to alter your thermostat settings as fiddling with the thermostat frequently causes more problems than it solves 6 Three times a day
14. the first external pip and the first hatchling to emerge is 12 hours and that first hatchling to pip is not necessarily the first one to emerge GUARD YOUR HUMIDITY The membrane that protects the chick from outside bacteria or an excess loss of water during incubation can dry out in as little as 60 seconds if humidity is lost Once dried out this membrane prevents the chick from hatching and becomes a death shroud Guarding your humidity it s a matter of life and death NOTE Low humidity inadequate turning inadequate ventilation low temperatures prior to lockdown or high temperature after lockdown are all common reasons why a hatchling fails to pip externally In many cases the hatchling simply does not have the consistency for continued life and is not the result of a flawed incubation 5 ZIPPING Once the initial hole is made the chick will turn inside the shell and proceed to make a crack around the diameter of the shell zipping If the humidity is low during this process the membrane may dry out shrink and the chick may become stuck shrink wrapped The task of zipping may take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours Almost all hatchlings that make it this far will hatch unless there is inadequate ventilation of the hatching temperature is too high 6 EMERGENCE Once zipping is complete the chick may rest for a spell Once it regains strength it will push against the bottom of the shell using its feet eventuall
15. then the first 48 hours thereafter manually turn them 3 times a day until they are transferred to the cabinet incubator at the end of day 6 Placement within the Incubator The temperature within a cabinet incubator can vary by 0 5 1 degrees between the top and bottom shelves While it may be difficult to correct these variations in temperatures they can have a significant impact on hatchability Place newer eggs on the top shelf as Artificial Egg Incubation Page 29 they benefit from the slightly warmer temperature Place older eggs on the bottom as they do better with lower temperatures 6 Humidity Peafowl lose internal water at a much faster rate than chicken eggs and require higher incubation humidity 60 is generally recommended although have found that 56 works better in my environment 7 Daily Cooling Peafowl shells are thicker than chicken eggs making it more difficult for the peachick to emerge at hatch time Although the exact mechanism is unknown allowing the eggs to cool causes the shell to become more brittle Personally following day 7 of incubation remove the eggs from the incubator allow them to sit on a counter at room temperature for 10 minutes flip each egg 180 and then replace them in the incubator If you have an infrared temperature gun the shell surface should cool to 90 F Do not cool eggs once turning has stopped three days before hatch 8 Brooding Peachicks Peachicks hatch by a hen do well
16. turning For tilt tray models turkey eggs do well in extra large plastic trays with the small end pointed down Turkey eggs are sensitive to temperature variations and should be rearranged daily within the egg tray to ensure avoid extended exposure to hot or cold spots Still Air Desktop Models It is very important that the temperature be regulated at the top of the turkey eggs do not assume that the setting used for your last batch of chickens will be satisfactory for a new batch of turkeys Temperature Precision My hatch rate for all eggs set the first year was about 7596 was able to increase that rate to 90 496 the second year by focusing on better temperature control during the various 24 day normal old turkey egg Artificial Egg Incubation Page 30 stages of development Turkey eggs are larger than chickens and a turkey embryo will produce more internal metabolic heat than a chicken Placement within the incubator seems to have a significant impact on hatchability newly set eggs are placed on the top shelf where the temperature is warmer 100 0 F and the oldest eggs are placed on the bottom shelf where the temperature is cooler 99 0 F Additionally lowering the temperature to 98 5 F during the active hatching phase reduces the hatching stress and end stage mortality 5 Candling Eggs Turkey eggs are frequently thicker and darker than chicken eggs making it more difficult to clearly visualize the interior during ca
17. 1 24 22 28 17 19 17 18 33 37 2 49 50 4 36 42 POWER OUTAGES N N O 58 62 58 62 58 62 58 62 58 62 m CO 2 2 2 2 2 54 58 58 62 58 62 54 58 32 40 32 40 50 N gt U1 21 14 8 5 9 14 0 1 24 25 8 14 18 8 24 3 8 2 m Poweroutages do occur and usually at the most inopportune time Fortunately an outage of 2 3 hours and a temperature drop in to the mid 80s will have little effect on embryos Longer power outages may harm the embryos and a delayed hatch Placing a blanket over your incubator will help reduce heat loss Additionally if you have access to non electric heat source such as natural gas cranking up a space heater can reduce possible negative effects Regardless of the length of the power outage do not abandon the hatch candling the eggs a few days later will help determine if any embryos died i Gregory S Archer and A Lee Cartwright Incubating and Hatching Eggs Texas A amp M University July 2013 http posc tamu edu files 2012 08 EPS 001 Incubating and Hatching Eggs pdf Artificial Egg Incubation Page 26 SEPARATING CHICKS AT HATCH Using plastic canvas knitting sheets construct cages for each group of eggs you wish to keep separate The cages should be as large and tall as possible avoiding the heating or other incubator components Each cage must have a lid to prevent the hatchling from climbing over the side and in
18. 2014 HATCHES ee etn heme Tie eee ea ee TT eee 7201430 Nov 032014 Ameraucanas 13 13 100 Nov 242014 13 00 o 0 13 0 201420 Oct 262014 Goldenreds 67 65 82 1 Nov 162014 41 745 41 0 201428 Ost 132014 Serama 5 4 00 Nov 03204 4 100 0 1 2 0 Artificial Egg Incubation Page 21 HATCH PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION Problem Eggs candle clear Eggs candle clear with blood ring present Dead embryos before day 18 Dead embryos after day 18 Eggs not pipped Eggs pipped but not hatched Chick dead in shell Sticky chicks Shell sticking to chick Chick pips wrong end Eggs hatch early Eggs hatch late Hatch window longer than 12 16 hours Crippled chicks Weak chicks Artificial Egg Incubation 9 999 9999 99 99 9 99 9 99 999 9 99 999 9 99 99 A 99 9 9 99 9 999 9 99 9 Possible Causes Rooster too young or too old Too many hens for each rooster Too many roosters interference during mating Season decline late summer and fall Eggs stored at below 40 F Extreme weather before collection Hens too old or in poor health Eggs stored too long or at wrong temperature Excessively high temperature spike Temperature too high at start of incubation Hens too old or in poor health Inadequate turning or turning angle Lack of ventilation or blocked pores Egg contamination bacterial infection Hens too old or in poor health High average humidity before lockdow
19. ARTIFICIAL EGG INCUBATION A GUIDE TO HATCHING BACKYARD POULTRY Table of Contents Incubation Checklist 1 Introduction 2 QUICK START GUIDE 2 Broody Hens vs Artificial Incubation 2 Artificial Incubators 4 Parent Stock 6 Culling Breeding Stock 6 Genetic Pools 7 Fertilization 7 Egg Selection amp Storage 8 Thermometers 9 Batch Incubation 9 Shipped Eggs 10 Know Your Incubator 10 Incubator Preparation 11 Temperature amp Humidity Settings 12 Setting Eggs No Automatic Turner 14 Setting Eggs With Automatic Turner 14 Setting Eggs Cabinet Models With Tilt Trays 15 Candling Eggs 16 Humidity 17 The Hatching Process 18 Evaluating the Hatch 20 Hatch Problem Identification 22 Notations 23 Simple Facts Tips amp Tricks 24 Ducks amp Geese Specifics 28 Peafowl Specifics 29 Turkeys Specifics 30 Incubator Data Chart 32 Hatchability and Mortality Record 33 ROBERTS FARM Mallards Brown Chinese Geese Dominique Hens Bronze Turkeys amp India Peafowl Calvin amp Cindy Roberts 206 North Clark Street 488 County Road 335 San Augustine Texas 75972 mail calvinroberts us INCUBATION CHECKLIST This checklist highlights several important factors to consider during the incubation process but does not serve as a substitute for reading and understanding all factors outlined in this guide DO prepare your breeding stock prior collecting incubation eggs including selecting the best unrelated parents worming your birds feeding
20. Incubators Model Capacity Price Ease Type Make AirFlow Control Turning Brinsea Mini ECO 7 9500 Semi auto Brinsea Circulated Digital Automatic Brinsea Mini ADV 7 16000 Semi auto Brinsea Circulated Digital Automatic JanoelIN 12 12 12 00 Semi auto Janoe Circulated Digital Automatic RcomMax20 20 38500 XAXA Automatic Rcom Circulated Digital Automatic Brinsea Octagon 20 ECO 24 180 00 Semi auto Brinsea Circulated Digital Optional RcomKingSuroEco20 24 190 00 Semi auto Rcom Circulated Digital Manual JanoelJN 24 24 23000 Semi auto Janoe Circulated Digital Automatic Rcom King Suro20 24 280 00 XARAK Automatic Recom Circulated Digital Cradle Brinsea Octagon 20 ADV 24 350 00 AWAK Semi auto Brinsea Circulated Digital Cradle HovaBator 1602 41 5000 AA Manual GOF Optional Farm Innovators2100 41 50 00 Manual Farminnovators StillAir Knob Optional Little Giant 10300 41 75 00 Manual Miller Circulated Digital Optional Farm Innovators 4200 41 9000 Manual Farm Innovators Circulated Knob Optional Little Giant 93300 46 45 00 Manual Mile StillAir Digital Optional JanoelJN A8 48 14000 Semi auto
21. a wet bulb reading provides no real benefit and is more complicated than necessary Relative Humidity is measured by percent is easier to read and conceptualize and is more than adequate to accurately measure humidity for home incubation 6 EggTurning How are eggs turned and how frequently Studies indicate that eggs do best when turned 45 every two hours In the least expensive incubators egg turning is accomplished by the user opening the incubator and manually turning the eggs 180 three to five times a day To eliminate this tedious task most low end incubators offer automatic egg turners that tilt the ends from side to side While convenient few of these turners are able to achieve a full tilt of 45 and I ve found them to be inadequate when used with more sensitive species such as duck or peafowl Large cabinet incubators frequently rely upon tilt shelves where eggs are placed into plastic trays and the entire shelf tilts either left or right Another method includes rolling the egg from side to side 7 Desktop Models 50 00 800 00 Small desktop models holding between 3 48 chicken eggs For beginners recommend purchasing a relatively inexpensive styrofoam model with circulated air and an automatic egg turner Although these models require greater time and effort they give the hobbyist time to figure out the incubation process enabling them to better understand the type style and price range of the incubator best suit
22. aken to maintain humidity during the Close the lid and keep it closed except to add hatching period Unobstructed ventilation water when necessary holes both above and below the eggs are essential for proper air exchange Remain patient hatching takes time 2 POSITIONING Two to three days before hatch the hatchling will move into its hatching position Normally the hatchling s head will be positioned towards the large end of the egg Occasionally the head may be in a different position breach Causes of mal positioning include incubating the egg upside down inadequate turning inappropriate incubation temperature extra large egg size or poor flock health Malpositioned hatchlings may hatch without assistance but often suffocate in their shell without pipping or are unable to turn and zip if they are able to successfully pip Some hobbyists prefer to allow eggs to stay in the turner during hatching they simply unplug the automatic turner Eggs remaining in the upright position place the chick in an unnatural position delaying hatching and making zipping more difficult For best results remove the eggs from the tray and lay them on their side 3 INTERNAL PIP The hatchling will peck a hole in the membrane separating it from the air cell begin to breathe and may begin to chirp At this point the hatchlings begin to absorb the egg yolk a process that may take several hours or even a day to complete Since the int
23. atch 32 5 F You may need to calibrate a glass thermometer and then use it to check the accuracy of your digital thermometer Tocheckthe calibration of your thermometer allow the incubator to warm to 99 5 F according to your independent thermometer and then measure the incubator temperature using a thermometer intended for human use CAUTION Inaccurate temperature measurement is perhaps the primary cause for hatch failure weak or deformed chicks and early or late hatches To avoid these pitfalls you MUST calibrate a thermometer using two or three thermometers will not alleviate the problem Artificial Egg Incubation Page 11 3 Place the control thermometer in the middle of the incubation space When the heating element is on the air temperature will temporarily rise as the air becomes heated To reduce this influence place a small circular piece of cardboard loosely around the thermometer bulb Digital thermometers are notorious for recording this temporary temperature rise as a temperature spike Personally avoid using a digital thermometer for this reason they are just too sensitive If your incubator experiences frequent temperature spikes or dips it may be your thermometer not your incubator 4 INCUBATOR PLACEMENT is perhaps the most overlook factor in maintaining consistent incubating temperature and humidity For best results place the incubator in a controlled environment free of drafts and temperature f
24. but only 8 in April Species genetics age maturity health weather season and experience all play a role in hatching there is more to incubating than correct temperature and humidity What is a good hatch rate I d first set a goal of 50 and then raise or lower that goal as you gain experience What is a good hatch rate You have a good hatch rate when you are happy with the results Good luck influence the fertility rate also play a role in the hatch rate DID THE CHICKS HATCH ON TIME If they hatched early then your temperature may have been a little high If they hatched late then your temperature may have been a little low You may need to recalibrate your thermometer The accuracy of digital thermometers should be checked against a trusted calibrated glass thermometer It is also not uncommon for small eggs to hatch early and large eggs to hatch a little later than average size eggs DID ALL EGGS HATCH WITHIN A 12 16 HOUR PERIOD If more than 12 16 hours transpired between the first chick and the last chick then you may have warm and cool spots Randomly moving the eggs around periodically will prevent an egg from staying within a warm or cool spot for a long period of time Additionally eggs will begin developing if they are stored in temperatures above 70 causing older eggs to hatch a little earlier than fresh ones When possible store eggs at below 70 Artificial Egg Incubation Page 20 5 EGGTOPSY
25. ce candles in jars light them and place the jars under the box that covers the incubator Be careful not to put any flammable material closer than a foot from the top of the candles The heat from the candles can easily keep the eggs above 90 F until the power returns Embryos have survived at temperatures below 90 F for up to 18 hours You should continue to incubate the eggs after the outage then candle them 4 to 6 days later to check for further development or signs of life If after 6 days you do not see life or development in any of the eggs then terminate incubation Most of the time a power outage will delay hatching by a few days and decrease the hatchability to 40 50 percent Tom W Smith Care and Incubation of Hatching Eggs The Poultry Site May 27 2004 http www thepoultrysite com articles 1 66 care and incubation of hatching eggs gt Adapted from Incubation Guide Hubbard Breeders http www hubbardbreeders com managementguides Incubation 6 20guide 6 20 english pdf gt Phillip J Clauer Incubating Eggs Virginia Cooperative Extension Virginia Tech NDA http pubs ext vt edu 2902 2902 1090 2902 1090_pdf pdf Artificial Egg Incubation Page 13 SETTING EGGS NO AUTOMATIC TURNER DO NOT attempt to set any eggs until the incubator s temperature and humidity has been stable for at least 24 hours doing so will lead to multiple problems that are difficult to correct once eggs are in the incubator 1 Allow
26. ching in an attempt to increase humidity Increase humidity by other methods If any vent adjustments are made they should be opened more Another reason for mortality during hatching is improper humidity adjustment The deaths can be produced from too much humidity during the entire incubation period or from too little humidity during the hatching period The desired egg weight loss during incubation caused by water evaporation is about 12 percent If humidity during incubation is kept too high adequate water evaporation from the egg is prevented The chick can drown in the water remaining in the shell at hatching A dried coating around the chick s nostrils and beak indicates that drowning was likely Attention to maintaining proper incubation humidity during incubation will reduce the potential for this problem at hatching time If the humidity is allowed to decrease after the chick pips the shell the membranes within the shell can dry out and stick to the chick This prevents the chick from turning inside the shell and stops the hatching process The chick eventually dies If the membranes around the shell opening appear dried and shrunken the cause is probably low humidity during hatching This condition can occur quickly within 1 or 2 minutes when the incubator is opened to remove or assist other chicks that are hatching When hatching begins and proper incubator conditions are attained the incubator should never be opened until after all c
27. ed for their needs Some hobbyists discover they don t like incubating eggs while others realize they need greater capacity and flexibility 8 Cabinet Models 700 00 2 350 00 Large floor models holding between 190 600 chicken eggs These models intended for serious hobbyist or small professionals range from semi automatic to fully automatic operation with almost all models having automatic egg turning capabilities Which one is right for you Each brand has their loyal fans who assert that their brand has the best hatch rate and is the easiest to use My recommendation Choose the one within an affordable price range and the capacity to meet your needs 9 Homemade Models My first cabinet incubator was made from 7 inch foam board sandwiched between two sheets of 7 inch plywood It had three tilt trays that held 54 chicken eggs each was too cheap to spend the money necessary for a commercially made model It worked superbly and continues in use today Its only problem was the trays had to be tilted manually If you re an industrial individual who likes to build things then you may want to consider building your own Multiple examples of homemade incubators can be found at http www backyardchickens com a homemade chicken egg incubator designs pictures The original plans for my cabinet model may also be found at http www calvinroberts us Incubator pdf Artificial Egg Incubation Page 5 Example Hobbyist
28. emain capable of fertilizing an egg for more than two weeks although it isn t likely to occur after tens Raising Chickens For Dummies by Kimberly Willis and Rob Ludlow Artificial Egg Incubation Page 7 How long to produce fertile eggs If a sexually active rooster is placed into a flock of hens fertile eggs can be produced by the second day after introducing the rooster If mating occurs within a short period the next egg yolk released by the hen s body can be fertilized The remainder of the albumen and shell requires about 26 28 hours to be formed around the fertilized yolk Therefore a minimum of 30 36 hours is necessary to produce a hatchable egg Mississippi State University EGG SELECTION amp STORAGE Proper egg collection and storage has a significant impact on hatching success For best results 1 Use fresh large pine shavings to line nesting boxes or nesting areas Hay straw or other materials may contain mold or other contaminates possibly infecting the embryo during development Replace any soiled lining as soon as it becomes contaminated f f f Wash Your Hands 2 Thoroughly wash your hands prior to collection and avoid touching the ground or other possibly contaminated areas Avoid cross contamination by utilizing separate containers and collection times for hatching eggs and non hatching eggs Before handling eggs at any stage in the process wash your hands Dirt bacteria and natural oils can ll h
29. ernal membrane is punctured the drying process begins If the incubator s humidity is too low the internal fluids become sticky and may glue the hatchling to the shell Additionally the hatchling starts to become dependent on the available oxygen Fresh air increasingly becomes a necessity for the hatchling s survival REMOVE ALL VENTILATION PLUGS three days prior to hatch As the hatching process proceeds the hatchling becomes more and more dependent on its outside environment rather than the yolk sac Hatching requires a great deal of physical exertion and oxygen Failure to remove ventilation plugs can lead to exhaustion weakness and possibly death NOTE If the humidity was too high prior to lockdown the air cell will be too small and the hatchling may not be able to locate and breach the air cell In such cases the hatchling will likely suffocate drown without externally pipping Tom W Smith Care and Incubation of Hatching Eggs The Poultry site May 27 2004 http www thepoultrysite com articles 166 care and incubation of hatching eggs gt Artificial Egg Incubation Page 18 4 EXTERNAL PIP When ready the hatchling will peck a hole in the large end of outer shell At this point things begin to pick up speed absorption of the yolk sac increases blood vessels attached to the yolk sac begin to shrink and dry the membrane becomes increasingly dry and the demand for oxygen increases In my experience the time between
30. es such as lavender or chamolile can help the hen relax and feel safe and secure Check the nesting boxes for insects mites and mice A hen generally won t sit if she senses critters in the boxes that could harm her eggs or chicks Be sure the nesting box material is fresh and clean and that there is a nice thick layer so the eggs won t touch the wooden floor and risk breaking How to Break a Broody Hen When was a child noticed a neighbor s hen in a small wire cage and asked him why he had locked her up His response She stopped laying eggs and a chicken that doesn t lay eggs isn t worth much Within my flock spring eggs are valuable they produce hatchlings and hatchlings pay the feed bill collect eggs two or three times a day to discourage broodiness Five Ways to Break a Broody Hen Collect the eggs frequently however some hens will sit on anything that looks like an egg or even imaginary eggs Remove the hen from the nest carry her for 10 15 minutes and then place her outside the coop however since broodiness generally involves hormones I wouldn t have high expectation Deny access to her nesting spot or place her in a small pen without any nesting spots sometimes just a change in the environment or making it difficult to nest may be sufficient to end the process Dunking the lower portions of her body in cool water until her feathers are saturated some give a full bath hoping the cooling off will break the
31. f Iv if have a negative impact on the 3 Collect eggs two or three times a day more frequently i egg and hatchability temperatures are unusually high or low 4 Remove eggs that are unusually dirty large small or misshaped as these eggs hatch poorly and consume valuable incubator space Dirty eggs can be especially troublesome as bacteria thrive in the warm moist incubation environment and can result in exploding eggs that spread contamination 5 Using a pencil or non toxic marker label eggs with the species pen date laid and any other important information These markings aid in identifying hatchlings and assist with accurate record keeping 6 Handle the egg as little as possible Do NOT wash or wipe off dirt or waste from the egg Do NOT use sand paper to sand off dirt or waste If the egg is marred by a small amount of waste allow it to dry and then gently scrape it off with a finger nail Washing wiping or sanding dirty eggs removes the cuticle the natural antibacterial coating and tends to push any contamination into the pores 7 Store eggs in new paper egg cartons or similar containers with the small end down Tilt the container to its side 45 and change the direction daily if the eggs are to be stored for longer than seven days Do not store eggs in the refrigerator as the temperature is too low and decreases egg vitality dramatically 8 For best results store eggs for no longer than 7 days as age decreases the egg v
32. f the water container increasing the surface area increases the humidity decreasing the surface area decreases the humidity For manual incubators always use warm water when adding to the water container TEMPERATURE amp HUMIDITY SETTINGS Hatching Chart Incubation Humidity Stop Hatch eie repas Teme mm 21 days 99 5 F 45 50 19 day Pointed end down Duck Mallard 27days 99 5F 55 60 25 day Geese Brown Chinese 30 days 995F 27 day Peafowl India Blue 28days 99 5F 55 60 26 day Pheasant Golden 22 days 99 5 F 55 6096 19 day Turkey Bronze 28 days 99 5 F 45 5096 26 day Pointed end down Temperatures are for forced air circulated air incubators FOR STILL AIR INCUBATORS PLEASE ADD 1 5 2 F Stop turning eggs remove turner and increase humidity at the very beginning of the day indicated three days before the hatch Artificial Egg Incubation Page 12 The temperature of the air within the incubator Still Air Incubator Temperature does not accurately reflect the temperature Maintain a still air incubator at 102 degrees F to compensate for the temperature layering within the temperature is the combination air temperature incubator Obtain the proper temperature reading by embryonic metabolism and ventilation air flow elevating the bulb of the thermometer to the same As the embryo develops it increasingly produces height as the top of the eggs when the eggs are laying horizontal If the egg
33. f their shell Purchase and calibrate your control thermometer before you turn on the incubator Place the incubator in an area with a controlled environment Regulate the incubator temperature 48 hours before setting the first egg Keep an eye on the humidity and add water to the water pan when needed Turn the eggs at least three times per day Precision makes a significant difference when hatching time arrives The first 24 48 Hours The first 24 48 of incubation is critical During this time period many people do not turn the eggs eliminating the possibility of jarring the egg and disturbing the embryonic germ Additionally research tends to indicate that a higher CO2 level closed vents and slightly higher temperature 100 5 F during the first several days is beneficial to embryonic development However creating these conditions within a small styrofoam incubator is nearly impossible and fiddling with the thermostat can do more harm than good Fiddling with Thermostat Even the best incubators have variations in temperatures usually resulting from changes in room temperature humidity or other external factors Temporary spikes or drops in temperature usually have little effect on the hatch Resist the urge to fiddle with the thermostat in order to get things perfect Many a hatch has gone bad because of minor adjustments that resulted in a significant imbalance Bad Smell If you notice a bad odor within the incubator you must immediately l
34. he thermometer continues to read high or low you may carefully make a small adjustment Artificial Egg Incubation Page 14 Temperatures normally fluctuate from time to time If your incubator has difficulty maintaining the set temperature look at where you placed your incubator perhaps a more stable place will help Always be reluctant to alter your thermostat settings as fiddling with the thermostat frequently causes more problems than it solves 6 Automatic turners turn at a very slow pace and you may not see any motion Occasionally take a look at which way the eggs are tilted You know that your egg turner is working when the eggs are tilted in different directions at various times SETTING EGGS CABINET MODELS WITH TILT TRAYS Broody hens instinctively know when to sit when to turn and how to regulate temperature and humidity Artificial incubators attempt to replicate broody hens but are far less effective 1 Setfresh eggs in the uppermost incubator shelf Few incubators maintain a consistent temperature throughout the incubating space newly set eggs benefit from a slightly higher temperature than eggs that are nearing hatch and the top shelf is usually warmer than the bottom shelf For incubators with only one shelf the center of the shelf is usually the warmest area 2 Besurethere is space for air circulation between eggs A broody hen depends on conductivity touch to warm eggs an incubator depends on convec
35. he water in the water chambers add a drop or two of food coloring As the water level drops the color will drop It will lighten once again as you add more water You can add water to the chambers underneath the mesh without opening the incubator At lockdown thread a small tube through a ventilation hole through the mess and into the chambers Attach a children s medical syringe with the plunger removed to the tubing and then use the syringe as a funnel Artificial Egg Incubation Page 25 INCUBATION PERIODS Texas A amp M Incubation Conditions Hatcher Conditions AgriLife Total Temperature Humidity Stop Temperature Humidity Extension Days F RH Turning RH 13 14 100 5 56 58 11 66 74 TE 66 75 18 20 99 5 66 74 22 30 99 5 66 74 99 5 66 75 39E 66 75 26 5 99 5 66 75 BE 66 75 CO gt CO 58 62 58 62 15 18 20 27 co gt 58 62 58 62 58 62 58 62 58 62 Runner Crested 99 5 66 75 29i 66 74 99 5 66 75 995 66 75 99 5 66 74 993 66 74 99 5 66 74 99 5 66 74 100 5 66 74 99 5 66 74 99 5 66 74 99 5 66 74 99 5 66 74 995 66 74 99 5 66 75 99 5 66 74 99 5 66 74 995 66 74 99 5 66 74 100 5 66 74 99 5 66 74 9975 66 74 99 5 66 74 99 5 66 75 97 5 97 5 97 5 N Domestic Goose N N N 3 3 3 ep N N co Chinese African 54 58 54 58 58 62 58 62 56 58 58 62 58 62 58 62 58 62 N 22 25 26 28 18 26 18 28 Ui Ul 23 24 28 29 21 23 20 2
36. hicks are hatched and ready for placement in the brooder Poultry Reproduction amp Incubation MSUCares Mississippi State University Extension Service August 21 2014 lt http msucares com poultry reproductions poultry pipped html Artificial Egg Incubation Page 17 THE HATCHING PROCESS Hatching involves a multi step process where the hatchling performs a task rests and then proceeds to the next step Each step requires physical exertion and the hatchling may rest for an extended period of time between each The last three days of the hatching process is frequently called lockdown as the eggs are no longer turned the humidity is increased and the lid remains closed 1 LOCKDOWN PROCEDURE Lockdown should begin at the start of third days prior to hatch and consist of the following procedures Ventilation Ventilation is very important during the incubation process While the embryo is developing oxygen enters the egg through Remove the eggs from the turner remove the x the shell and carbon dioxide escapes in the turner and remove the turning tray same manner As the chicks hatch they Set the eggs on the bottom mesh on their side require an increased supply of fresh oxygen with the large end slightly elevated As embryos grow the air vent openings are Remove all ventilation plugs gradually opened to satisfy increased un embryonic oxygen demand Care must be Increase the humidity to 65 70 t
37. hout affecting other eggs ducklings and goslings benefit from a lower temperature during hatch 98 0 98 5 F Do not attempt to adjust on models where you must turn a small knob to adjust the temperature the risk of causing excessive temperature swings outweighs any benefits from a slightly lower temperature While some birds that are assisted from the shell develop into fine specimens a large percentage of them are usually handicapped by a deformity or weakness When it is understood that the hatch is a fitness test given by nature to cull out the weak and deformed protecting them from facing a life for which they are unprepared we can take a more realistic view of helping ducklings from the shell David Holderread Raising a Home Duck Flock 1978 Hatching Normally the first pip will occur 36 48 hours prior to the hatch date It can take 24 36 hours for a duckling to completely zip the shell and emerge They will naturally rest between efforts so resist any temptation to help a tired duck from their shell Be patient unless there has been an unexpected incubation event healthy ducklings will emerge from the shell under their own power Brooding Ducks and geese are excessively messy birds Do not use water containers that allow them to play in the water as the litter will become damp promoting the growth of mold Additionally the down of artificially brooded ducklings and goslings does not repel water a wet ducklings and goslings chil
38. iability significantly However clean eggs stored within a controlled environment can remain viable for up to 21 days Make no mistake longer storage results in higher embryonic death a decreased hatch rate and lower hatchling vitality It also increases the incubation time on average 45 to 50 minutes for each day of storage Period of Storage Settings 1 2days 3 4days 5 6 days 7 8 days 9 12 days 13 16 days 17 20 days 66 2 F 62 6 F 59 9 F 57 2 F 54 5 F 53 6 F 52 7 F Relative Humidity 700 800 850 900 900 900 900 Turning No No No No Ye Ye Yes Small end up No No No No No Ys Yes 9 Moving stored eggs from a cool dry environment to a warm moist environment results in condensation of moisture on the shell surface this is bad real bad When moving eggs from their storage location to the hatching room I cover the eggs with a clean towel for 2 3 hours to reduce condensation Additionally allow hatching eggs to slowly warm to room temperature 75 80 over 12 24 hours before setting them Adapted from Incubation Guide Hubbard Breeders lt http www hubbardbreeders com managementguides Incubation 20guide 20 english pdf gt Artificial Egg Incubation Page 8 THERMOMETERS Chickens should hatch on day 21 If they hatch early then your temperature is too high If they hatch later then your temperature is too low While early and late chicks may
39. infections Eggs that ER l demonstrate problems should be removed as early as possible to prevent possible 1 4 contamination of other eggs 6 You will also want to examine the size of the air cell The longer the egg is in the incubator the more water will evaporate If the humidity is too high the air cell will Y be small If the humidity is too low the air cell will be large N 7 For illustration of normal development visit http www backyardchickens com t 261876 chicks are here egg candling pics progression though incubation How are you candling With my Ameraucana and Cream Legbar eggs at 10 days I can candle from the pointy end and see quite a bit of space usually at the bottom which tells me the dark mass I see from the top is a growing chick If it is dark through and through at 10 days that is a bad sign Also sniff test them seriously at least open the incubator once a day and take a good sniff at the door You will know LONG before a bad egg explodes if you sniff daily that there is a bad one somewhere in the bunch Sniff them one at a time until you find the stinker Once you are used to what they are supposed to look like a quick candling along the top of the eggs is plenty good enough But at first exploring them from all angles and comparing them to each other is important to teach you what they SHOULD look like at each stage You should be monitoring air cell size anyway you want the egg to lose abo
40. ir system where a fan circulates the warmed air throughout the incubator In lower end models a fan in an optional component and must be purchased separately A third and rare method attempts to replicate a broody hen using a plastic bladder to cover and warm the eggs this method but is rare because of the expense and limited batch size 4 Humidity Controls How is humidity monitored and maintained With lower costs units the control may measure the humidity but has no means to raise or lower it humidity is controlled by manually adding or withdrawing water from a pan or trough While simple l ve found that with a little experience this method is So 5 MO perfectly adequate in maintaining a fairly narrow humidity range zw 7 With expensive units the controller automatically measures and manipulates the humidity While automatic humidity controls are certainly convenient they frequently add considerably to the cost As with temperature the humidity within a incubator should be monitored using a separate calibrated hygrometer Artificial Egg Incubation Page 4 5 Wet Bulb vs Relative Humidity Experienced incubation purists frequently assert that a wet bulb reading is the only accurate means of measuring humidity Under normal conditions the amount of moisture in the air varies as the temperature varies and this is most accurately measured using a wet bulb However within an incubator the temperature does not vary and
41. ls easily resulting in death Personally brood waterfowl on old cloth towels for the first three days and then raise them on inch hardware cloth thereafter do not allow ducklings or goslings to swim until their down has been largely replaced with feathers PEAFOWL SPECIFICS Many say that peafowl are especially difficult to hatch have yet to find that to be true however there is a lot less room for error with peafowl than chickens Most of the information provided in this guide applies directly to peafowl but there are a few specifics that need to be considered L 2 Incubation Period Peafowl require 28 days of incubation Setting amp Turning Peafowl do best when they are set on their side While chickens do alright if you forget to turn them routinely peafowl are less forgiving Turn them on schedule and don t forget to manually flip each egg 180 at least twice daily Incubator Placement Peafowl do better when the incubator is placed where the climate experiences little temperature and humidity variations Be especially careful to avoid rooms with a low humidity peafowl eggs seem to be sensitive to low humidity Initial Setting Some breeders initially place their peafowl eggs under broody hens for the first week and then transfer them to an artificial incubator Personally get them started by placing them in a well regulated styrofoam incubator with closed vents and a temperature of 100 5 F do not turn
42. luctuations however the room should have good ventilation to ensure an adequate supply of fresh air Place the incubator in the corner of the room away from windows drafts and direct sunlight Personally keep my incubator in a spare bedroom with the curtains closed 5 After turning on the incubator allow several hours for it to warm up prior to attempting to regulate the internal temperature After initial warm up slowly adjust the temperature until your control thermometer reads 99 5 F When making adjustments take temperature readings when the heating element is off adjust the thermostat in very small increments and wait at least one hour before making additional adjustments It can take 24 hours to complete this process do not rush this process as it can lead to temperature problems throughout incubation Once adjusted allow 24 hours before setting the first egg and RESIST any temptation to fiddle with the thermostat once eggs are in the incubator CHECKING YOUR HYGROMETER Dampen a towel not dripping wet then wrap the hygrometer in the towel for 30 to 45 minutes Then unwrap it and quickly read the humidity it should read exactly 10096 You should make a mental note of how far over or under the actual humidity is from the reading from your hygrometer 6 Adjust the humidity using the incubator s instruction manual For manual incubators humidity is controlled by the amount of water surface area open to the air the width o
43. n Low humidity after lockdown Malposition of embryo High temperature after lockdown Hatcher opened too frequently after lockdown Low average humidity before lockdown Low average temperature Low humidity after lockdown Insufficient turning High temperature after lockdown Insufficient ventilation Eggs incubated small end up Inadequate turning Not placed on side at lockdown High average temperature Small eggs or difference between breeds Low average humidity before lockdown Low average temperature before lockdown Large eggs or difference between breeds High average humidity before lockdown Eggs stored above 70 F or for different lengths of time Temperature variations in incubator Mix of large and small eggs Mix of eggs from young and old hens Air cell too large low overall humidity Temperature to high during incubation Poor nutrition of hens Genetic defects Temperature too high at hatching Low average temperature before lockdown Lack of ventilation Poor nutrition of hens Contaminated eggs Page 22 NOTATIONS 1 Precision Probably the most common difficulty experienced with beginners is the lack of attention to details A temperature of 98 5 is close but it is not close enough A Relative Humidity that fluctuates between 40 and 8096 will result in a poor hatch Turning eggs only when you feel like it hampers the embryonic development and result in weak hatchlings that have difficulty breaking out o
44. nd that there is always something to be learned and will carefully evaluate each batch seeking to improve the next 1 FERTILITY RATE Number of eggs set Number of eggs begin development Fertility Rate Among my flock rare birds such as Sebrights may have a fertility rate of 15 20 while the rate for more common breeds such as Mallard ducks may run 10096 Low fertility rates are generally the result roosters that are too old or too young too few roosters lack of genetic diversity among rare breeds inbreeding or environmental extremes HATCH RATE Number of hatched hatchlings Number of fertile eggs Hatch Rate A hatch rate of 8596 is generally considered satisfactory among most breeds of fowl Some species such as turkeys and bantams naturally produce a lower hatch rate than average Other breeds such as hybrid laying hens will produce a higher hatch rate than average The incubation factors as well as those that Hatch Rates What is a good hatch rate Many people claim they get a hatch rate of 9096 9596 even 100 BUT that is not normal and should not be expected There are too many variables to declare a 85 hatch rate good and a 50 rate bad In some situations I d be thrilled with a 409 hatch rate Sebrights while I d be disappointed in a 9096 rate hybrid layers I need 18 mallard eggs for 12 healthy ducklings in February but only 14 in May In January 16 goose eggs will produce 10 vigorous goslings
45. ndling Frequently after the first two weeks only dark and light are visible within the egg Movement may or may not be visible In generally development can be judged by the growth of the dark area rather than visualization of finer details 11 H R A Ernst et al Egg Candling and Break Out Analysis for Hatchery Quality Assurance and Analysis of Poor Hatches Animal Science Department University of California lt http animalscience ucdavis edu Avian pfs32 htm gt Artificial Egg Incubation Page 31 INCUBATOR DATA CHART eo Ul JI E Artificial Egg Incubation Page 32 HATCHABILITY AND MORTALITY RECORD Set Candling Hatching Chicks Statistics ID Date Live Dead Cull OK Fertility Hatch Total i l Date Infertile Deaths Artificial Egg Incubation Page 33
46. ngs Conversely my Mallard ducks have proven to be highly successful at brooding their young Since ducks are exceptionally messy there is far less work involved in broody ducklings naturally than with an artificial brooder Unfortunately brooding takes a duck out of egg production and do not permit natural brooding until after Spring needs are fulfilled How do I get a hen to go broody Generally a hen will go broody when she s is good and ready Silkies and Cochins tend to go broody frequently however many breed such as Leghorns have been bred over many decades no to go broody they re expected to lay eggs not hatch chicks Fresh Eggs Daily recommends the following Five Ways to Encourage a Hen to go Broody The first thing you can do is choose breeds that tend towards being broody such as Australorps Brahmas Buffs or Cochins and bantam breeds such as Silkies bantam Cochins or Orpingtons A second way to encourage a hen to go broody is to leave some eggs in the nests dummy eggs such as golf balls or plastic Easter eggs work just as well as real eggs and don t risk being broken This can encourage your hen to start sitting on them You can also encourage a hen s broody nature by providing her a dark safe place to sit on the eggs Hang some curtains across the front of the nesting boxes even a piece of sheet or fabric will help convince her the nest is a secret place to raise her chicks Adding some herbs to the nesting box
47. o small decrease the incubator humidity if it is too large increase the humidity In some cases the hatch room humidity must be raised or lowered when the incubator is incapable of reaching the desired levels Airspace Development throughout Incubation Incubation Tip As the embryo matures it will Start producing its own heat through metabolism the actual temperature of the egg will be higher than the air temperature If the bulb or probe tip is touching an egg shell then Different environments and incubators require slightly your temperature reading will not be accurate different humidity settings The humidity settings provided in the next sections can serve as starting references that should require adjustments according to your individual circumstances When making changes make them gradually check for results and then readjust as needed Sudden large adjustments can dramatic changes that can be difficult to correct Pipped Eggs That Do Not Hatch The air exchange requirement within an incubator is greatest during the last day of incubation The chick embryo s oxygen requirement continually increases during development and especially when breathing using the respiratory system just before hatching The vent openings are frequently restricted at this time in an attempt to boost incubator humidity Instead of helping the chick hatch the chick is suffocated from lack of ventilation Never decrease ventilation openings at hat
48. ocate the culprit This can be accomplished by sniffing and or candling the individual eggs Upon candling a bad egg will be completely dark show a blob without distinct borders or contain multiple dark areas Failure to find and remove the culprit can result in an explosion that contaminates other eggs and causing a mess Leaking Eggs Eggs that are cracked and leaking fluid will not hatch but may become glued to the wire floor or other eggs Look for small cracks when candling remove these eggs as soon as they are discovered Daily Cooling In Nature a hen will leave the nest to eat drink water and defecate During this time eggs will cool slightly In some species of birds especially waterfowl artificially incubated eggs benefit from a daily cooling period making the shell more brittle and allowing the hatchling to emerge more easily Personally for waterfowl and peafowl replicate this process following the first week by removing the eggs from the incubator to room temperature 70 75 F for a period of 10 15 minutes For waterfowl mist the eggs with lukewarm water 100 F prior to placing them back into the incubator Heat Sinks Even the best incubators experience temporary spikes and dives in temperature that can cause havoc on hatching eggs Fortunately the eggs within a full incubator effectively serve as heat sinks and help moderate these temporary variations Sealed drinking water bottles or rocks in less than full incubato
49. on fertility very young or very old roosters are less effective than young mature roosters In general How many males do you need For most species a ratio of 1 male for 10 females should provide satisfactory fertilization rates for my flock generally use the following Geese 1 2 Bantams 1 3 Peafowl 1 3 Mallard ducks 1 4 Turkeys 1 5 Chickens 1 10 When placing a new rooster in with hens the rooster may immediate mate with the hen or it may take a few days before the hens accept him generally wait a week before collecting eggs for incubation To check fertility crack an egg open and locate the blastoderm small white spot if the spot is small and solid the egg is not fertile if the spot is spread out or resembles a bulls eye the egg is probably fertile When changing roosters how long should you wait to ensure that it is the new rooster who will parent the chicks After 10 days virtually all of the chicks will come from the new rooster however if you want to be 10096 positive it is best to wait a full month e If arooster is removed from the flock and replaced by another it may require 3 weeks before it can be assured that all eggs will produce chicks sired by the new rooster Mississippi State University e The sperm host glands can store sperm for long periods of time 10 days to 2 weeks Dr Thomas Caceci Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine e Sperm can be stored and r
50. r resist any temptation to adjust the temperature or humidity These temporary fluctuations will not affect the hatch rate and will eventually settle to calibrate temperature and humidity Artificial Egg Incubation Page 15 CANDLING EGGS Candling is not a necessity but can help ease anxiety about how eggs are progressing 1 Candling is the process of applying a strong light to the outside shell allowing a glimpse of the inside A small LED flashlight and a dark room is sufficient to candle lightly colored eggs many utilize their smart phone flashlight app 2 For dark colored or thick shelled eggs use a candling box constructed out of a shoe box old light fixtures from a ceiling fan light two 23 watt CFL bulbs 100 watt equivalent and lots of duck tape The CFL bulbs are cooler than traditional incandescent bulbs 3 Most people candle their eggs on day 7 14 and 18 However on day 4 you should be able to see a small reddish embryo with blood vessels in white eggs For darker colored or thick eggs you may not be able to see anything but a dark shadow on day 10 Day 0 Day 4 Day 7 Day 14 Day 18 4 Eggsthat are clear and show no signs of development may be discarded on day 14 If in doubt leave the egg in the incubator If an egg develops a bacterial infection it probably will C develop an odor You can locate the bad egg by sniffing each egg individually T m kN 5 Potential problems such as cracks or internal bacterial
51. rally stable and predictable Lower success among difficult breeds amp species Must manually monitor temperature and humidity Requires electricity Losses due to human error Artificial brooding required Must manage exposure to Coccidiosis Loss due to brooder disease and power outages Broody hens availability may be limited Initial investment low with some maintenance cost Broody hens generally limited to Spring and Summer Clutches limited by hen size Removes the hen from egg production Scheduled according to broody hens availability Success rate may vary according to hen traits Higher success among difficult breeds amp species No manual input required Self powered Losses due to hen s unpredictable and accidents Hen cares for hatchlings Coccidiosis exposure naturally occurring less impact Losses due to predators and other flock members Brad Legg Incubation amp Hatching Peafowl Eggs Legg s Peafowl Farm NDA http www leggspeafowl com incub htm Several ideas drawn from INCUBATOR VS BROODY HEN Community chickens NDA http www communitychickens com incubator vs broody hen Artificial Egg Incubation Page 2 Personally the only broody hen types in my flock are Heritage Bronze turkeys and Mallard ducks The turkeys have not proven to be successful mothers frequently breaking eggs and not leaving the nest after the hatch Since they prefer to brood on the ground fire ants take a significant toll on hatchli
52. rama Bantams have a smaller genetic pool than more common breeds such as Rhode Island Reds Additionally birds with significant inbreeding such as Show Quality birds have less genetic diversity than common barn yard animals Eggs with less genetic diversity have lower fertility rates higher embryonic death lower hatch rates and weaker hatchlings than those from larger genetic pools Do not expect purebred bantams to hatch at the same rate as hybrid laying hens While experienced breeders utilize line breeding to achieve a specific effect inbreeding should be avoided in most circumstances For best results use parents that are unrelated and originate from different flocks Line breeding parent to child can produce very rapid gains in the quality of your line for certain traits but nearly always results in a degeneration of the reproductive capacity of your line and you end up outcrossing and starting over For a few generations it can give you some outstanding birds at a higher frequency than you would get by not inbreeding but there is no such thing as a free lunch This is why commercial breeding companies try to avoid inbreeding and concentrate on improving the whole population The gains are not as dramatic but they don t fall on their faces as often Inbreeding Polish Breeders Club 2010 FERTILIZATION If you have a rooster your eggs will probably be fertile The health and age of the rooster has a significant impact
53. rature for 15 minutes mist one side with lukewarm water flip each egg 180 mist the other side and then replace them in the incubator If you have an infrared temperature gun the shell surface should cool to 86 F do not cool or mist the eggs once stop turning three days before hatch Dirty Eggs Badly soiled eggs should be washed as soon as possible after gathering within two or three hours after being laid to be effective to reduce the numbers of bacteria invade the egg s interior through the shell pores Washing does remove the cuticle a protective film on the shell that reduces dehydration making it necessary to raise the humidity level during incubation by approximately 5 10 percent If incorrectly done Washing can drastically lower hatchability Nonetheless dirty eggs that have been properly washed and sanitized result in a much cleaner environment within the incubator reduce exploding eggs and minimizing infected navels in newly hatched goslings When eggs are washed it is imperative that clean water 10 to 25 F 6 to 14 C warmer than the eggs is used Washing with fouled water spreads contaminants from egg to egg while cold water causes filth to be pulled deeper into the shell pores A hatching egg sanitizer should be used in the wash water or else eggs should be washed under running water David Holderread The Book of Geese 1981 Artificial Egg Incubation Page 28 Hatching Temperature If you can do so wit
54. rd will be attached to its bottom This cord will fall off without any assistance 11 HERNIATED YOLK SAC On rare occasions a chick will emerge from its shell before the egg yolk is completely absorbed herniated yolk sac It should absorb on its own if the area remains moist Artificial Egg Incubation Page 19 12 ENDING THE HATCH How long should you give an egg to hatch Many people wait 2 3 days after the due date before discarding unhatched eggs Personally will end the hatch a few hours after any visual activities have stopped With experience you will adopt your own preference on how long to wait REMOVING HATCHLINGS Hatchlings should be completely dry and actively moving about before removing from the incubator Hatchlings absorb their egg yolk just prior to hatch and can easily survive 48 72 hours after hatch without food or water In most cases it is best to wait until the entire hatch is 13 14 complete before removing any hatchlings Do not be in any hurry to remove hatchlings PATIENCE Even the experienced feel anxiety at hatch time beginners may be overwhelmed with excitement and concern Be patient Mother Nature has designed each step in the process for a reason and each step takes time EVALUATING THE HATCH Hatches consisting of 10096 fertility and 10096 hatching are rare A hatch rate of 8596 for all eggs set is generally consider satisfactory and is the industrial norm Experienced hatchers understa
55. rs also serve as heat sinks and help moderate fluxes in temperature When using artificial heat sinks be careful not to block or impede the flow of circulating air Digital Thermometers In an attempt to achieve perfection many people purchase expensive digital thermometers to accurately measure temperature Unfortunately many of these devices are extremely sensitive and will register temporary temperature spikes such as when the heating element turns on This may cause the user to adjust the thermostat when no adjustment is needed Personally prefer an old fashion inexpensive red glass thermometer Once calibrated they are sufficiently accurate to bring in a good hatch without the complications of measuring temporary fluxes Protection from Children Children are naturally curious and will fiddle with an incubator s thermostat or open the door to get a look at what is inside With my grandchildren it is sufficient to show and explain then double check everything when they leave l ve heard many reports where children have fiddled with incubators ruining the hatch Check even if you don t believe that your children have been near your incubator Artificial Egg Incubation Page 23 SIMPLE FACTS TIPS amp TRICKS BAD EGGS Eggswith severe bacterial infections can be identified during candling by multiple small dark spots floating within the egg or by an unusually large dark area For best results compare a questionably bad egg with
56. s are positioned in a vertical position elevate the thermometer bulb to a point about 1 4 to 1 2 inch below the top of the egg The temperature actual temperature inside the egg will rise as the is measured at the level where the embryos develop at embryo develops Equipment permitting the the top of the egg Do not allow the thermometer s bulb settings below provide a more ideal environment to touch the eggs or incubator Incorrect readings will result experienced by the embryo The actual embryonic its own heat through metabolism If the air temperature remains constant 99 5 F then the for developing embryos Ideal Air Temperature amp Ventilation Incubation Air Embryo Temperature Ventilation Day Temperature 132 9095 398 n so SM NOTE OF CAUTION The above recommendations are ONLY suitable with single stage incubation one batch of eggs at a time and ONLY with advanced digital equipment Fiddling with a tricky thermostat while eggs are in the incubator can have disastrous results Changing incubator settings is NOT recommended for the hobbyist In Case of Power Outage If you experience a power failure do not scrap the hatch Most of the time the hatch can be saved The key is to keep the eggs as warm as possible until the power returns This can be done by placing a large cardboard box or blankets over the top of small incubators for additional insulation To warm the eggs pla
57. s from the room environment The least expensive models utilize polystyrene foam styrofoam or simple plastic others use plastic board while still others use insulation sandwiched between plastic and metal While all incubators do best in a climate controlled room better insulated incubators have fewer temperature and humidity fluctuations than those that use a thin layer of plastic 2 Thermostat How is the temperature regulated The simplest and perhaps most accurate thermostat uses a simple wafer switch to regulate temperature as the temperature warms the wafer expands and opens the heating element contact Unfortunately these models rely upon a screw or knob to set the temperature Many manufacturers are currently using digital thermostats employing an LED panel to display and control temperature While this type of control is certainly easier to use quality may suffer in lower end units Additionally most digital controls can only be calibrated by the manufacturer and may lose accuracy over time it is best to always use a separate calibrated thermometer to validate the control s reading 3 Air Circulation How are all sides of the eggs warmed The least expensive incubators are still air and contain no fan to circulate the warmed air Many claim that this method is the best one in that is closely resembles a hen setting on W eggs where only one side is heated However most prefer a circulated or forced a
58. sing should be cleaned just prior to the laying season CULLING BREEDING STOCK All too frequently hobbyist attempt to set all available eggs hoping to increase the number of hatchlings produced Unfortunately this can be a strategic mistake as eggs from young old weak unhealthy or nonconforming parents negatively impacts the fertility rate hatch rate and hatchling viability In general no more than 50 percent of my females are suitable for breeding purposes If have 20 laying hens perhaps 8 or 9 will be selected for their hatching eggs If have three roosters only one will be used for breeding This becomes more difficult with rare or expensive birds however using lower quality birds for breeding lowers hatching success and perpetuates bad qualities among the flock Weak or defective birds may be wonderful pets but do not use them for breeding purpose In actuality culling inferior birds and selecting superior birds results in improvements to a flock over time Good improvement breeding need only focus on mating together birds that share good traits to cause them to occur more frequently in the flock as well as making sure that mated birds do not share the same faults so that faults occur less frequently We call these two aspects of improvement breeding emphasizing good traits and Offsetting faults Don Schrider Breeding the Horne Flock 2011 Artificial Egg Incubation Page 6 GENETIC POOLS Rare breeds such as Se
59. tion air movement Keeping eggs evenly spaced helps avoid hot and cold spots Additionally rearranging egg placement within the tray can also reduce the impact of hot and cold spots 3 Routinely turning eggs provides the embryo with needed exercise helps develop the circulatory system and prevents hatchlings from sticking to the shell membrane For best results Cabinet Incubators with Tilt Trays Chickens turkey and duck eggs should be placed in egg trays with their pointed end facing down Eggs will benefit from a daily quarter turn to the right so they experience tilting on four axes rather than only two Additionally shuffling eggs within the tray moving the eggs in the center towards the edges and the outer eggs towards the center reduces the influence of hot and cold spots Peafowl Goose and Larger Eggs with Tilt Trays Peafowl goose and other large eggs do better when placed on their side rather than pointed end down Manually turning these eggs 180 daily will avoid the embryo from settling towards the bottom of the shell and increase overall embryo health and improves the hatch rate Additionally eggs laid on their side benefit from periodically being rearranged within the tray 4 After adding fresh eggs to the incubator the temperature and humidity will fluctuate both up and down while the eggs are warming It is not uncommon for the temperature to rise to 101 F within an incubator during the first hou
60. to ensure that their incubator is operating properly that the temperature is steady and that the humidity is constant 1 Do NOT trust the thermometer or hygrometer measures relative humidity that comes with or is built into the incubator use at least one other independent source for measuring temperature and humidity these serve as the Small Incubator Loads control thermometer and hygrometer Personally use a Incubators operate most efficiently when they at 70 80 capacity Smaller loads negatively affect air flow and temperature cheap red glass thermometer as my gold standard for measuring temperature it has served me well over the pests stability For best results loosely fill empty 2 Carefully calibrate your control thermometer before turning space with a similar amount of sealed on the incubator Calibrate by placing it in stirred ice water drinking water bottles These water it should register just slightly above 32 F bottles serve as heat sinks and help maintain the temperature during brief Forglass thermometers You may need to slide the glass power outages portion of the thermometer slightly up or down until the reading matches the measurement scale Secure the glass portion using a dab of hot glue towards the middle and top of the glass tube do not place hot glue near the bulb portion For digital thermometers follow the manufacturer s instructions to raise or lower the reading to m
61. to the next cage SEX DETERMINATION Unlike in humans the hen determines the sex of the chick by passing along either a W chromosome for females or a Z chromosome for males Although not scientifically demonstrated some hobbyists believe that round eggs produce females and pointy eggs produce males Although not scientifically demonstrated some hobbyists believe that lower incubation temperatures produce more females and higher incubation temperatures produce more produce males Some specifically bred hybrids breed mixes produce chicks where males will be one color and females Will be a different color these hybrids are known as sex links TEMPERATURE STABILITY Full incubators will experience fewer temperature fluctuations than nearly empty ones If you must incubate only a small number of eggs add a heat sink sealed water bottles or rocks A heat sink will absorb excess heat during short spikes in temperature and release that heat during short dives WET BULB CONVERSION Dry Bulb gt 98 F 99 F 100 F 101 F so nx 70 684 e as sex sew sex sik ss 53 51 48 46 sr sow aem 46 42 Artificial Egg Incubation Page 27 DUCKS amp GEESE SPECIFICS Much of the information pertaining to hatching chickens applies to ducks and geese but there are some differences 1 Duck Turning Trays Duck eggs except mallard and call ducks are usually larger and
62. ts move the eggs sitting on the outer edges to the center and the eggs sitting in the center to the outer edges daily DO NOT fiddle with the thermostat while eggs are in the incubator Some fluctuation in temperature is normal and you re likely to cause more problems by fiddling with the temperature controls DO remove any automatic egg turner at the beginning of day 19 to avoid injury or death of newly emerged hatchlings DO completely fill troughs pans full prior of water prior to lockdown the last three days of incubation DO NOT open the incubator unless absolutely necessary until the hatch is complete DO add sufficient warm wet sponges during lock down to raise the humidity to at least 65 or until a small amount of moisture accumulates on the viewing pane DO remember that chicks burn a great deal of oxygen during the hatching process DO remove any vent plugs during lockdown DO NOT sacrifice fresh air for humidity during the final days DO remember that hatchlings live for 48 72 hours after hatch by feeding from the absorbed egg yolk The bumping of unhatched eggs by hatchlings encourages the unhatched to pip zip and emerge DO remember that 12 or more hours may elapse from the first pip to the first emergence and that hatching is an exhausting process hatchlings may rest for extended periods of time during the process DO NOT assist eggs during the hatching process unless it is absolutely necessary In most cases a healthy
63. using and nests to obtain high quality hatching eggs Collecting and storing the eggs to ensure they remain sanitary and healthy Preparing and calibrating the incubator to establish the ideal temperature before setting Setting and caring for the eggs during incubation to encourage proper embryonic development Candling eggs to monitor embryonic development humidity and potential problems Establishing the ideal hatching environment during the final days to assist the hatching process Evaluating hatch results to identify problems and necessary corrections Many hobbyists and breeders prefer to incubate eggs the old fashion way let a broody hen do all the work This method is helpful in that we don t need to worry about temperature humidity turning or power outages Unfortunately it also removes the hen from egg production Many report that a broody hen improves hatch rates and viability especially with more difficult species such as peafowl and rare bantams Some professional breeders such as Legg s Peafowl Farm allow broody hens to incubate eggs for the first week before placing them in an artificial incubator Incubator vs Broody Hen Artificial Incubation Broody Hen Incubation Incubators are easily obtained Initial investment high with low maintenance cost Incubators available 365 days a year Batch size virtually unlimited No effect of egg production Scheduled according to incubator space availability Success rate gene
64. ut 30 of it s volume inside to air space before the eggs hatch But sometimes looking from the side or pointy end can give you valuable clues as to whether or not the chick is live and well Time is a factor too if this is your first time or you only have a small incubator candling is a fun thing to do I ve got anywhere from 90 300 eggs in at a time so I don t take any longer than necessary anymore Rinda Sudweeks Myers Hatchaholics Anonymous Artificial Egg Incubation Page 16 HUMIDITY Opinions vary as to the best humidity setting and its impact on hatch success it may take several batches before discovering the settings that work best within a particular situation During incubation eggs must lose 11 12 of 1 their water content prior to hatch If insufficient water loss 10 occurs the hatchling may have difficulty moving inside the 14 15 19 20 egg fail to locate the air cell and possibly drown If too much water loss occurs the air cell will consume too much space crowding the hatchling and possibly preventing it from rotating and completely zipping the shell Factors such as hatch room humidity altitude shell quality shell thickness bird species and dirt on eggs affect water loss Removal of the cuticle by washing results in greater water loss than unwashed eggs While we cannot control all variables we should take care to closely monitor air cell size by candling each egg at least weekly If the air cell is to
65. ver the place Digital thermometers encase in plastic frequently continue to register this increase long after the air temperature has returned to normal For best result buy only digital thermometers with a probe type sensor where the probe can be slipped into a vent holes STEM RED SPIRIT GLASS DIGITAL PROBE DIGITAL PRO Slips thru vent May be calibrated CON Difficult to read Not readable to 0 1 PRO Easily calibrated Inexpensive CON Difficult to read Not readable to 0 1 PRO Slips thru vent Easily to read CON Can be Expensive Most not accurate 0 2 PRO Easy to read Inexpensive CON Cannot be calibrated Most not accurate 0 2 CALIBRATING A THERMOMETER Thermometers must register down to 32 F or 212 F to be calibrated FREEZING POINT BOILING POINT 1 Fill a glass with crushed ice cubes and cold water Boil a pot of distilled water 2 Stirthe water and let sit for 3 minutes Once the water has reached a rolling boil insert 3 Stir again then insert your thermometer into the your thermometer making sure not to touch the glass making sure not to touch the sides sides or bottom of the pot 4 The temperature should read 32 F 0 C The temperature should read 212 F 100 C 5 If it doesn t loosen the glue holding the glass to the If it doesn t loosen the glue holding the glass to the scale move the glass up or down as needed scale move the glass up or down as needed 6 Recheck
66. when cared for by their mother For some reason they seem to avoid the ill effects of Coccidiosis while peachicks artificially hatched and brooded do not Artificial brooding should involved keeping the peachick off the ground until they are 14 18 weeks old along with feeding medicated feed Additionally peafowl mature at a much slower rate than chickens Chickens will be completely mature by 6 months it takes 2 years for peafowl Consequently peafowl benefit from a longer stay under artificial heating and lighting TURKEYS SPECIFICS Many hobbyists report that turkeys are more difficult to hatch than chickens Many factors may contribute to this perceived difficulty such as smaller genetic pool inadequate protein feed for parent stock larger egg size and incubator temperature instability Turkeys can be hatched successfully when attention to detail if given to each factor involved in the incubation process 2 Incubation Period Turkeys require 28 days of incubation Egg Size Turkey eggs are about 50 larger than chicken eggs they take up more space in the incubation tray and take more time to warm than chicken eggs NOTE Eggs from mature hens may be too large to comfortably fit into Extra Large plastic setting trays You may need to leave some spaces open or lay them on their side in a goose setting tray Turning Eggs Turkey eggs are too large for automatic turners in desktop models and should be set on their side with manual
67. y and possibly experience developmental issues Those placed in the cool sections may not develop be slow to develop and or experience difficulties at hatch time With this knowledge the end user can make physical modifications to the incubator decreasing temperature variations they can also address variations by placing newer eggs in the warmer sections placing older eggs in the cooler sections or simply routinely moving the eggs within each tray Small desktop incubators can experience similar temperature imperfections with warmer areas in the center with cooler areas towards the edges A common mistake is to set the thermometer in the location where it is the easiest to read and ignore the other areas You should move the thermometer around until you re familiar with temperature variations Different incubators also react differently to changes in room humidity and egg development For the first several batches consider placing a second hygrometer in the hatch room and monitor the effect room humidity has on incubation humidity Also note how the normal development of the embryos affects both temperature and humidity Make changes accordingly and store this knowledge away for future reference INCUBATOR PREPARATION The incubator should be prepared turned on and well regulated at least two days before setting the first egg AVOID getting in a hurry to set your first batch of eggs Most beginners get into trouble by not taking the time
68. y freeing itself from the shell Assisting a chick too early can easily result in permanent harm or death In most cases a healthy chick will rest periodically and will emerge in time If you decide you must assist a chick please use caution and follow the advice in the following article http www back yardchickens com a step by step guide to assisted hatching 7 TEMPERATURE In small desktop incubators with relatively weak fans and filled capacity physical exertion from the hatchlings may cause the temperature to rise In such cases the thermostat should be carefully lowered in order to prevent overheating and exhaustion For incubators with reliable digital controls the recommended temperature during the final hatching phase is 97 98 F 8 EARLY HATCHING If the incubation temperature has been a little high throughout incubation or the eggs are small the chicks may begin to hatch early If they do there is little you can do except maintain your temperature and humidity 9 LATE HATCHING If the incubation temperature has been a little low throughout incubation or the eggs are large the chicks may begin to hatch late If they do there is little you can do except maintain your temperature and humidity 10 UMBILICAL CORD Prior to hatching the chick will absorb the remainder of the egg yolk and the blood vessels attached to the shell contends will dry out If a chick emerges too quickly what appears to be an umbilical co
69. ys SHIPPED EGGS Regardless of how well packed shipped eggs may encounter a great deal of shock during shipment that may damage the air cell or disrupt internal structure For best results allow eggs to settle with the large end up for 24 hours prior to placing in the incubator Additionally do not turn shipped eggs for the first 48 hours of incubation Even under ideal conditions shipped eggs often have a significantly lower hatch rate than those gathered locally KNOW YOUR INCUBATOR CAUTION Fully automatic incubators may not be fully automatic Manufacturers generally produce the best product possible within a given price range cost restraints lead to less than perfect incubators You the end user should become aware of these imperfections before setting the first egg Temperature variation is perhaps the most common imperfection The following chart illustrates the imperfect temperature distribution in a new GQF 1500 incubator The temperature for each area zone was measured by placing a temperature probe through an air vent allowing the internal temperature to settle and recording the difference from the set temperature red indicates warm zones and blue indicates cool zone Top Shelf 9909936 99 5 Middle Shelf Bottom Shelf 99 6 99 4 99 6 99 6 99 4 99 4 99 6 99 6 99 5 199 4 99 4 99 4 Artificial Egg Incubation Page 10 Without this knowledge eggs placed in the warmer section will mature hatch earl

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