Incubation Procedures
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Important Incubation Procedures to Follow:
- Locate the incubator in a room with a constant temperature, away from drafts and direct sunlight.
- Sanitize the incubator.
- Ensure that the humidifier and wet bulb wick are in working order.
- Wash hands before touching eggs. Keep germs, dirt and oil away from incubating eggs.
- Only incubate egg species with similar incubation lengths at the same time in one incubator.
- The small end of the egg should not be higher than the large end.
- Keep a daily record of incubator data.
- Check temperature daily and keep it at 99.5 degrees F to 100 degrees F.
- Verify that the water trough is full and humidity measures 86 degrees F to 88 degrees F wet bulb.
- Increase ventilation during the last one-third of the incubation period.
- Turn eggs at least five times a day until the last 3 days before hatch.
- Do not turn for the final 3 to 4 days. Provide a cloth or rough paper surface upon which chicks can walk.
- Increase wet bulb to 90 degrees F in the hatcher
Emergency! The incubator broke down and eggs are at risk of dying! It is always best to keep a cheap incubator as a back-up. If none is available, you might try to use some heat packs like the sportsmen use. Other options are heating pads or reptile rocks.
Click Here For more in-depth information on egg incubation, step-by-step instruction - important technical specifications to follow (pdf format)
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