![]() In very dry ambient conditions you may need to use evaporating pads or blotting paper to increase the surface area of the water reservoirs. Conversely if humidity is too low you will need to reduce ventilation and/or add water. In very humid ambient conditions the incubator may be run dry for a few days. If humidity is too high you will need to increase ventilation or if the incubator does not have ventilation control remove some water. Ideal humidity during incubation is 40-50%RH for poultry and gamebirds (78-82☏ wet bulb temperature) and 45-55% for waterfowl (80-84☏ wet bulb temperature). Humidity is usually measured in % Relative Humidity (%RH) but sometimes in older books and reference manuals you will see it quoted in Wet Bulb Temperature and those should not be confused as the effects could be devastating. Top of the range digital models like the Brinsea EX models even have fully automatic humidity control. All incubators have water reservoirs and ventilation holes, some have ventilation controls and digital humidity displays. Humidity is affected by evaporation from the eggs themselves and the incubator water reservoirs, the amount of fresh air entering the incubator and the ambient humidity. Corrections can be made later for earlier errors. Variations in humidity are less critical than temperature as long as the chicks end up losing the correct amount of weight by the time of hatching. Ideally, eggs need to lose 13-15% of their weight between the time of laying and pipping. Humidity is important only to achieve the right balance between excessive dehydration and space within the egg to allow the chick to manoeuver into hatching position. Only temperature and turning affect growth of the embryo directly. Humidity does not directly affect embryo development unless the egg is seriously dehydrated. Of the four primary factors which must be controlled during incubation (temperature, turning, humidity and ventilation), humidity is the most difficult to measure and control accurately. Best to remove all dividers, egg turning discs or egg carriers to avoid any possible injuries to the chicks. Turning should be stopped 2 days before the chicks are due to hatch and the incubator or tilting shelves should be level. A 90° angle (1/4 turn) every hour is recommended for most poultry, game or waterfowl. Whatever the system, eggs should be placed on their side or pointed end down but never large end down as this causes inverted hatches (when chicks pip at the small end of the egg and usually die). When turning eggs manually mark each egg with an X on one side and O on the other with a pencil and turn them from one side to the other.Īutomatic incubators have different types of turning mechanisms such as tilting shelves or egg carriers, rotating discs and moving floors some are fully programmable. Some fully digital models like the Brinsea Mini or Maxi Advance even countdown to hatch day and automatically stop the turning 2 days prior. Turning can be done manually, but bearing in mind eggs need to be turned at least twice a day and preferably every hour you may want to consider automatic turning. This is particularly important for the first week of incubation when the embryo has no circulation system. As the egg is turned the embryo is swept downwards into fresh nutrients in the white of the egg allowing the embryo to develop. Tip: Eggs can be stored up to a week provided they are kept cool (around 55☏ with 75% humidity) and turned once a day.Īs the embryo develops on the yolk, it causes the yolk to become lighter and float upwards. Let eggs warm up to room temperature before setting them and do not make any further adjustments for 24 hours to allow the eggs to reach incubation temperature. Let the temperature stabilize for an hour or so before adjusting or setting your eggs. Whatever the type of incubator you will get best results if the room temperature is between 68 and 78☏, the incubator is kept away from drafts and not in direct sunlight. 103☏ is usually the correct temperature for these basic incubators but follows the manufacturer’s recommendations. ![]() But you can still find incubators without fans (still air incubators) so if using one of those remember that hot air rises and measure temperature right at the top of the eggs. Small differences will make embryos develop too fast or too slow causing deaths or deformities.ĩ9.5☏ is usually the correct temperature for most species when incubating in a forced draft incubator (an incubator with a fan which offers good, even temperature). Accurate incubation temperature is by far the most important factor for successful hatching of chicks. ![]()
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