Before you start breeding poultry, it is advisable to find out all the nuances and features of the process, starting with the incubation of eggs and ending with the cultivation of adults. If you have poultry, then most likely you have already encountered the fact that few hens agree to become brood hens, so getting chickens in many subsidiary farms is a serious problem. In such cases, small incubators come to the rescue. Do not be afraid of them and think that the chickens that have been hatched will be better or healthier. If you follow certain instructions, incubating eggs at home gives good results, almost all eggs can hatch.
It is not difficult to purchase a device designed for hatching chicks - you can find the options you are interested in in various farmer's shops or just in the market. In order for the incubation of chicken eggs at home to be successful, carefully read the instructions for the purchased device before laying them. This will help to avoid errors associated with its operation, which can lead to the loss of chickens.
In addition, pay special attention to the quality of the eggs used: they must be from a healthy bird, without various cracks, roughness and other shell defects. Their freshness is also important: they should be no more than 5 days. By the way, this is one of the reasons why it is not recommended to buy eggs in stores or in markets.
Incubation of eggs at home begins as follows: bring them into a warm room, before placing them in the device, they should become a little warmer. At this time, the apparatus is prepared: it must be thoroughly washed, disinfected and warmed to a temperature of 37.5-37.8 ° C. After that, lay the eggs in the incubator with the blunt end up. Do not think that your work is over. If you have a regular home appliance, then you will have to constantly monitor the microclimate inside the device, adjust the humidity and, of course, turn over future chickens.
The incubation temperature of chicken eggs is one of the most important conditions for the success of the process. Experienced poultry farmers say that it should change depending on how many days ago the laying took place. So, in the first 3 days, strive to ensure that the device has about 38
° C (a fluctuation of about 0.3
° C is permissible). Starting from the 4th day, the
temperature of the incubation of chicken eggs changes: the apparatus should become a little cooler. Optimally, if there is about 37.6
about C. This temperature level should be kept up to 10-11 days, after this, make sure that it does not rise above 37.2
about C.
But the microclimate in the incubator also depends on the level of humidity: at first it should be lower. In the first days, make sure that it remains at a level of about 50-60%, and from day 11 it is better to increase it to 70%.
Special devices, such as a thermometer and a hygrometer, will help you keep track of the required indicators. Starting from day 4, ventilate the incubator regularly. Also, do not forget that incubating chicken eggs at home will only be successful if you regularly turn them over. For 1-4 days, this must be done at least 6 times a day, then it will be enough to twist them twice. In order not to forget which eggs you have already turned over, mark each of them with a marker or a simple pencil. With a successful incubation, hatching of the shell should be expected on the 20th day; by the 21st day, mass hatching of chickens will already occur .