How to Incubate Chicken Eggs?

1. INCUBATION of POULTRY

2. FOUR BASIC REQUIREMENTS
AN EGG NEEDS TO HATCH
 Temprature : 99-102 deg.F.
 Humidity : 50%-65% RH
 Egg turning : atleast two times per day.
 Air flow : air and gas exchange.

3. NATURAL
 The broody hen is a time tested way to hatch eggs.
 To use a hen for hatching you have to do one of
the two things:
a. Find a hen sitting .
b. Induce a hen to sit.

4. SIGNS OF BROODINESS
 Clucking
 Stays away from the rest of the flock.
 Ruffled feathers.
 Aggressive and protective of nest .
 On the nest at night.

5. CARE OF THE BROODY HEN
 Hens like dark and dry places.
 Needs to keep away from other hens.
 Needs good supply of water and food.
 Needs an area to stretch her legs and relieve
herself.
 Make sure hen is free from internal and external
parasite.

6. BREEDS THAT MAKE GOOD
BROODY HENS.

7. ADVANTAGES
 No electricity.
 Hen does all the work.
 Will brood chicks after they hatch.
 High hatchability rate.
 Sometimes breeds hatch better under hens than
incubators.
 Good for hatching small number of chicks per
year.

8. DISADVANTAGES
 Hen sometimes breaks the eggs.
 Will occasionally quit and get off nest.
 Can only sit on small number of eggs.
 Disease transmission from hen to chicks.

9. ARTIFICIAL INCUBATION
Artificial incubation is given to the eggs by providing
favourable artificial environment to them so that
they can hatch successfully . This artificial
environment is made by different types of
incubators that are the following:
 Still air incubators
 Forced air incubators

10. STILL AIR INCUBATOR
 No fan.
 Has a heating element.
 Uses a wafer
thermostat
 Humidity or water pans
at bottom.
 Relative humidity of
50%-60%
 Temprature 101-
102degree.

11. ADVANTAGES
 Easy to use.
 Not very expensive.
 Does not take up much room.
 Good for hatching small to medium number of
chicks.
 Does not use much electricity.

12. DISADVANTAGES
 Hatchability can be low.
 Temp. and humidity can be hard to regulate.
 In some models you have to turn eggs by hand.
 Hot and cold spots in incubator.
 Can have high number of deformities in chicks.

13. FORCED AIR INCUBATION
 Fan
 Coil heating
mechanism.
 Humidity pan.
 RH 50%-60%
 Draft free room with
fresh air.

14. ADVANTAGES
 Hatchability usually very good.
 Easy to clean.
 Almost a turn kry system.
 Automatic egg turner.

15. DISADVANTAGES
 Can take up a lot of room.
 Expensive.