Poultry farms often find the need of acquiring egg incubators to hatch eggs. Undoubtedly, hens are the most suitable natural incubation experts. However, the need of artificial egg incubators arises when the market need increases. In order to meet the market demand, poultry businesses have to rely on quicker and more effective methods. It allows them to increase production by controlling factors that negatively impact the hatching process.
How to Choose the Right Incubator
When it comes to purchasing an egg incubator, try to look for a product that can efficiently increase hatching of eggs. The more eggs you want to hatch, the bigger size of incubator you should choose. There are three major factors on which the decision of purchasing an egg incubator depends. They are: cost, efforts and time.
Modern incubators hatch eggs within a short time period. You don’t need to turn eggs manually to make the process more effective. However, if you intend to go for more cost-effective options, you may have to compromise on the other two factors. They take more time to hatch eggs and require significant manual efforts.
Collect the Best Eggs for Incubation
Before keeping eggs in an incubator for hatching, you must separate bad eggs that you can’t hatch. First of all, check the size of the egg. Some may contain a double-yolk. Same goes for small-sized eggs, as the yolk may not have developed in them. Therefore, it is recommended to select medium sized eggs for incubation.
Make sure that the egg is free from any abnormalities. It should be of a standard shape, if you want to hatch it effectively. Moreover, the eggshell must be clean and devoid of any spots or cracks. Even if the crack is minor, it is recommended to separate it from the lot. It will help you increase production.
Factors that Affect Incubation
It takes around 3 weeks for chicken eggs to hatch. However, certain environmental factors can affect the process. Temperature and humidity are the major environmental factors that affect the hatching process of eggs. Modern egg incubators are equipped with alarms. You have to specify the allowed maximum temperature and humidity that is suitable for egg incubation. The alarm system will notify you if any of the factors surpasses the specified limit.
Eggs tend to lose water quickly once they are placed in the incubator. It is recommended to place a bowl of water inside the incubator so that the eggs obtain the required amount of moisture. It will ensure that most of the eggs are hatched in an efficient manner.
Make sure that you provide a clear path for ventilation of air. Eggshells intake oxygen and emit carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide will deposit inside the incubator, if you don’t leave any space for air to pass. As the time passes, eggshells require a higher amount of oxygen. Therefore, proper ventilation of air is essential in order to increase the production.
