What Are The Factors To Consider In Selecting Eggs For Incubation?

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The satisfaction of hatching chicks is unmatched and we elaborate what you need to consider when choosing an automatic egg incubator.

  • The biological process of hatching chicks is a marvel to relish. Thanks to the human understanding of biology, we can achieve this using machines that are under our control. The automatic egg incubator takes a lot off your shoulders because it can be difficult keeping up with the physiological requirements of hatching.
    Choosing an automatic incubator can give you exponential productivity and it also offers a solution if you have inattentive hens.

  • There are many kinds of egg incubators on the market and you might get confused by marketing stunts. Before you head out to the stores, here is a checklist that you need to familiarize yourself with in order to make the right choice.
    What Is the Right Size of Egg Incubator?

  • The right size of egg incubator for you is one that can hold all your eggs. We understand that people hatch chicks for different reasons. If you only want to enjoy the feeling of seeing a chick come out from an egg under your care, then a mini-incubator will be just enough. If you want to grow a flock, then you might go for a bigger size. If you are going heavy commercial, you go even more rungs up on the incubator size ladder.
    You can find an incubator for half a dozen eggs as well as those that can hold thousands of eggs. Remember that there are other accompanying factors, some of which will be captured in the subsequent sections. A large commercial egg incubator will need more operational labour and it will cost more than the small incubator meant for teaching school kids.
    but before you settle for the size of incubator that suits you, remember that there are variables. One crucial factor is the hatch rate of the incubator. Not all the eggs will hatch. It doesn’t matter if you have got the nidus touch. Most users get a hatch rate of between 50 and 80 per cent. It, therefore, means that when you have fifty eggs, you can get about forty of them producing chicks. This doesn’t always have to do with the incubator or the operator. The eggs might have been mishandled earlier or laid in poor conditions. So if you have a target for a brood size, you need to estimate the number of eggs upwards to reach the desired numbers.
    When you shop for an incubator, you might want to pick a size or two larger than what you need currently. This is simply because hatching can turn into a hobby, more so when you get amazing results with the first attempt. And because of the initial cost of purchase and other logistical considerations, you might have to plan long before you go back shopping. Therefore, you can deal with this by anticipating and having a solution in advance.
    What Size of Eggs Do You Want to Incubate?

  • Do you want to grow chicken, geese, ducks, quails, or emu? These eggs come in different sizes and you need to pick an egg incubator that can handle them ideally. The size of eggs that can be incubated will be specified by manufacturers. If not, you need to confirm with the seller so that you don’t get an incubator for quail eggs when you want to hatch ostriches. Some incubators need a little tweaking to accommodate different sizes of eggs. If you will be hatching different species at times, then you need a versatile incubator with enough room for big eggs and with properly said rails for smaller eggs.
    Consider The Location of the Egg Incubator
    It would be prudent to check the room size you have before deciding on the size of the egg incubator. You might be geared up to raise tens of chicks but you need a special place for an incubator that can hold those many eggs.
    The best place for the incubator is away from human traffic. You also have to consider the accessories that will be needed for the hatching process. You will need room for some cables, candlers, pumps and other necessities.
    If it is a school project or intended for public viewing, the incubator should be placed in a spacious room with viewing space around. Preferably, it should be surrounded by large viewing windows where people can take a look without disturbing the setup.
    How Easily Can You Clean the Incubator?

  • When you buy a new egg incubator, the process of cleaning can easily escape your attention. At his point, all you want to see is your chicks hatching. And when you need to incubate the next set of eggs, that’s when the need to clean becomes real. You need to be forward-thinking. When you pick an incubator, make sure you can access the corners to remove the mess left behind after the brood has hatched. The best choice would be an incubator that can be dismantled and the parts cleaned separately after a hatch.
    An incubator that is cleaned properly can achieve better outcomes because you will destroy bacteria and get rid of the dirty environment which is their habitat.
    Choosing Humidity and Temperature Controls

  • The essence of an automatic egg incubator is reducing the workload for you. This becomes crucial if you have many eggs and if you don’t have too much time to take care of the eggs. An automated egg incubator should have the ability to keep the temperature and humidity at optimal levels so that you don’t need to switch things by yourself.
    A good fully automated incubator can display the temperature and humidity levels on a screen so that the operator knows the condition of the eggs inside. Most people are more concerned with temperature than humidity, yet the latter is equally important in hatching. An external humidity pump will help you improve the yield of the incubator.
    The Cost of An Egg Incubator
    Should you break the bank to buy an incubator? When you have considered all the above, you can make an informed decision on the kind of incubator you need. But you can only operate within your means. The larger incubators with more accessories will cost you more than simple incubators that only have the basic features. The fully automated machines will also cost more initially compared to the semi-automated incubators.
    An automatic egg incubator is an excellent way to ramp up production and you need to choose one that doesn’t disappoint. Go through these points and you will get yourself an incubator you can rely on.