CARE AND INCUBATION OF HATCHING
EGGS
Dr. Tom W. Smith, Mississippi State University
Novice poultry producers usually become interested in artificial
incubation of their own chicks. The success of this type project depends on
proper care and incubation of the hatching eggs so healthy, vigorous
chicks are produced. The following topics discussed in this publication
will help improve the producer's success.
Selection of Hatching Eggs
Egg Care and Storage
Incubators
Incubating Conditions
Sanitation
Troubleshooting Failures
Incubation Troubleshooting Chart
Selection of Hatching Eggs
Most producers set as many eggs as their breeders produce. If incubator
space is the limiting factor, it is more profitable to select the better
quality eggs for incubating.
A few tips to follow when selecting hatching eggs are:
Select eggs from breeders that are (1) well developed, mature and
healthy; (2) compatible with their mates and produce a high percentage
of fertile eggs; (3) are not disturbed much during the mating season; (4)
fed a complete breeder diet; and (5) not directly related [brother,
sister, mother, father, etc.].
Avoid excessively large or small eggs. Large eggs hatch poorly and
small eggs produce small chicks.
Avoid eggs with cracked or thin shells. These eggs have difficulty
retaining moisture needed for proper chick development. Penetration of
disease organisms increase in cracked eggs.
Do not incubate eggs that are excessively misshapen.
DO NOT INCUBATE EGGS THAT HAVE DIFFERENT INCUBATION
PERIODS IN THE SAME INCUBATOR AT THE SAME TIME. This will result
in poor hatches of both types of eggs. When the incubator is opened to
remove chicks with the shorter incubation period, most of the humidity
is released from the incubator which is CRITICAL to the eggs that are
not yet due to hatch.
Keep only clean eggs for hatching. Do not wash dirty eggs or wipe eggs
clean with a damp cloth. This removes the egg's protective coating and
exposes it to entry of disease organisms. The washing and rubbing
action also serves to force disease organisms through the pores of the
shell.
Egg Care and Storage
Many times a producer carefully attends to the incubation process but
disregards the care of the eggs before they are placed in the incubator.
Even before incubation starts the embryo is developing and needs proper
care. Hatching eggs suffer from reduced hatchability if the eggs are not
cared for properly. Listed below are tips to help maintain hatching egg
quality.
1. Collect eggs at least three times daily. When daily high temperatures
exceed 85 degrees F. increase egg collection to five times daily. Collect
two or three times in the morning and one or two times in the
afternoon.
2. Slightly soiled eggs can be used for hatching purposes without causing
hatching problems, but dirty eggs should not be saved. Do not wash
dirty eggs.
3. Store eggs in a cool-humid storage area. Ideal storage conditions
include a 55 degree F. temperature and 75% relative humidity. Store
the eggs with the small end pointed downward.
4. Alter egg position periodically if not incubating within 4-6 days. Turn
the eggs to a new position once daily until placing in the incubator.
5. Hatchability holds reasonably well up to seven days, but declines
rapidly afterward. Therefore, do not store eggs more than 7 days before
incubating. After 3 weeks of storage, hatchability drops to almost zero.
Plan ahead and have a regular hatching schedule to avoid storage
problems and reduced hatches.
6. Allow cool eggs to warm slowly to room temperature before placing in
the incubator. Abrupt warming from 55 degrees to 100 degrees causes
moisture condensation on the egg shell that leads to disease and
reduced hatches.
Incubators
The size and type of incubator selected depends on the needs and future
plans of each producer. Many different models are available. For
continuous settings, separate incubator and hatcher units are
recommended. If all eggs in the unit are at the same stage of incubation, a
single unit can be used.
Locate the incubator and hatcher units indoors to protect them from
major weather changes. It is essential that the room has a good ventilation
system to supply plenty of fresh air. Keeping the units indoors makes it
easier to maintain uniform temperature and humidity.
There are basically two types of incubators available, forced-air and still-
air incubators. Forced-air incubators have fans that provide internal air
circulation. The capacity of these units may be very large. The still-air
incubators are usually small without fans for air circulation. Air exchange
is attained by the rise and escape of warm, stale air and the entry of
cooler fresh air near the base of the incubator. Recommended
temperatures vary between the two incubators, so follow the
manufacturer's recommendation that accompany the units.
Incubating Conditions
Poor results are most commonly produced with improper control of
temperature and/or humidity. Improper control means that the
temperature or humidity is too high or too low for a sufficient length of
time that it interferes with the normal growth and development of the
embryo. Poor results also occur from improper ventilation, egg turning and
sanitation of the machines or eggs.
Obtain the best hatch by keeping the temperature at 99.5 degrees F.
throughout the entire incubation period when using a forced-air incubator.
Minor fluctuations (less than ½ degree) above or below 100 degrees are
tolerated, but do not let the temperatures vary more than a total of 1
degree. Prolonged periods of high or low temperatures will alter hatching
success. High temperatures are especially serious. A forced-air incubator
that is too warm tends to produce early hatches. One that runs consistently
cooler tends to produce late hatches. In both cases the total chicks hatched
will be reduced.
Maintain a still-air incubator at 102 degrees F. to compensate for the
temperature layering within the incubator. Obtain the proper temperature
reading by elevating the bulb of the thermometer to the same height as the
top of the eggs when the eggs are laying horizontal. If the eggs are
positioned in a vertical position, elevate the thermometer bulb to a point
about ¼- to ½-inch below the top of the egg. The temperature is measured
at the level where the embryos develop (at the top of the egg). Do not
allow the thermometer's bulb to touch the eggs or incubator. Incorrect
readings will result.
Check the thermometer! Is it accurate? An error of one degree for 21 days
can seriously interfere with embryonic growth. Check the incubator
thermometer's accuracy by placing the bulb next to the bulb of a clinical
(the kind used to measure body temperature) or good laboratory
thermometer. Hold both under lukewarm tap water and compare the
readings. Compensate for any variation of the incubating thermometer by
increasing or decreasing by the amount of variation. A thermometer with a
split or gapped mercury column will not give an accurate reading, discard
it.
Humidity is carefully controlled to prevent unnecessary loss of egg
moisture. The relative humidity in the incubator between setting and three
days prior to hatching should remain at 58-60% or 84-86 degree F., wet-
bulb. When hatching, the humidity is increased to 65% relative humidity
or more.
An excellent method to determine correct humidity is to candle the eggs at
various stages of incubation. The normal size of the air cell after 7, 14,
and 18 days of incubation for a chicken egg is shown. Necessary humidity
adjustments can be made as a result of the candling inspection. The egg's
weight must decrease by 12% during incubation if good hatches are
expected.
Egg Aircells
Frequently there is confusion as to how the measurement of humidity is
expressed. Most persons in the incubator industry refer to the level of
humidity in terms of degrees F., (wet-bulb) rather than percent relative
humidity. The two terms are interconvertible and actual humidity depends
upon the temperature (F.) as measured with a dry-bulb thermometer.
Conversion of the two humidity measurements can be made using the
following table:
Wet-Bulb Values For Four (dry-bulb) Incubation
Temperatures
Relative
Humidity 99 o ¹ 100o 101o 102o
45 80.5 81.3 82.2 83.0
50 82.5 83.3 84.2 85.0
55 84.5 85.3 86.2 87.0
60 86.5 87.3 88.2 89.0
65 88.0 89.0 90.0 91.0
70 89.7 90.7 91.7 92.7
¹ Dry-bulb temperatures are shown horizontally for common incubation
values.
Rarely is the humidity too high in properly ventilated still-air incubators.
The water pan area should be equivalent to one-half the floor surface area
or more. Increased ventilation during the last few days of incubation and
hatching may necessitate the addition of another pan of water or a wet
sponge. Humidity is maintained by increasing the exposed water surface
area.
Ventilation is very important during the incubation process. While the
embryo is developing, oxygen enters the egg through the shell and carbon
dioxide escapes in the same manner. As the chicks hatch, they require an
increased supply of fresh oxygen. As embryos grow, the air vent openings
are gradually opened to satisfy increased embryonic oxygen demand. Care
must be taken to maintain humidity during the hatching period.
Unobstructed ventilation holes, both above and below the eggs, are
essential for proper air exchange.
What must be done if the power goes off during incubation? A proper
response depends on several factors, some of which include the
temperature of the room in which the incubator is located, the number of
eggs in the machine, and whether the eggs are in the early or late stage of
incubation.
The two most important considerations in this situation are to (1) keep
the eggs from overheating and (2) be sure they have an adequate oxygen
supply. The longer the eggs incubate and the greater the number of eggs in
the incubator, the greater the chance that you will experience overheating
and suffocation of the embryos.
If the room in which the incubator is located is hot and stuffy, you will
have to react more quickly to power outages than if the room is kept at 75
degrees and is well ventilated. The most effective guard against
overheating and suffocation is to open the door of the incubator or
hatcher. Whether the door is opened slightly or fully and the length of
time it is left open depends on the factors mentioned earlier.
Eggs must be turned at least 3-5 times daily during the incubation period.
Turn eggs an ODD number of times per day so they don't remain on the
same side overnight each night. Do not turn eggs during the last three
days before hatching. The embryos are moving into hatching position and
need no turning. Keep the incubator closed during hatching to maintain
proper temperature and humidity. The air vents should be almost fully
open during the latter stages of hatching to provide fresh air.
The eggs are initially set in the incubator with the large end up or
horizontally with the large end slightly elevated. This enables the embryo
to remain oriented in a proper position for hatching. Never set eggs with
the small end upward.
In a still-air incubator, where the eggs are turned by hand, it may be
helpful to place an "X" on one side of each egg and an "O" on the other
side, using a pencil. This serves as an aide to determine whether all eggs
are turned. When turning, be sure your hands are free of all greasy or
dusty substances. Eggs soiled with oils suffer from reduced hatchability.
Take extra precautions when turning eggs during the first week of
incubation. The developing embryos have delicate blood vessels that
rupture easily when severely jarred or shaken, thus killing the embryo.
The following table lists incubation requirements for various species of fowl.
Species
Incub.
Period
(days)
Temp
(F.)¹
Humidity
(F.)²
Do
not
turn
after
Humidity
Last
3 days ²
Open
vent
more
Chicken 21 99.5 85-87 18th
day 90 18th
day
Turkey 28 99 84-86 25th
day 90 25th
day
Duck 28 99.5 85-86 25th
day 90 25th
day
Muscovy
Duck 35-37 99.5 85-86 31st
day 90 30th
day
Goose 28-34 99 86-88 25th
day 90 25th
day
Guinea
Fowl 28 99.5 85-87 25th
day 90 24th
day
Pheasant 23-28 99.5 86-88 21st
day 92 20th
day
Peafowl 28-30 99 84-86 25th
day 90 25th
day
Bobwhite
Quail 23-24 99.5 84-87 20th
day 90 20th
day
Coturnix
Quail 17 99.5 85-86 15th
day 90 14th
day
Chukar 23-24 99.5 81-83 20th
day 90 20th
day
Grouse 25 99.5 83-87 22nd
day 90 21th
day
Pigeon 17 99.5 85-87 15th
day 90 14th
day
¹ Measured at degrees F. in a forced-air incubator. For still-air incubators,
add 2-3 degrees F.
² Measured as degrees F. using a wet-bulb thermometer. Use chart to
convert to relative humidity.
Sanitation
In large commercial incubators, eggs of different ages are often set and
each setting transferred to a separate unit prior to hatching. Separate
hatching units permit proper sanitation and disease control measures to
be practiced between batches of chicks. The chicks can be hatched without
disturbing the other incubating eggs.
Thoroughly clean and disinfect the incubator and hatcher before each
usage. Remove all egg shells, down, dust, and extra material with a broom
or vacuum. Wash the unit with a warm detergent solution and rinse with a
disinfectant solution. When dry, turn the units on and bring to proper
temperature and humidity conditions prior to filling with eggs.
A thorough cleaning job results in a 95-99% improvement in disease
control. When done properly, little or no disinfectant is needed. If a
disinfectant is used, quaternary ammonia is the most commonly used
disinfectant for equipment like incubators and hatching trays. "Quats" are
relatively non-irritating, non-corrosive, of low toxicity, and is reasonably
effective in the presence of organic matter. Since the incubator and its
components should be clean and free of organic matter before disinfectant
application, quats are a good choice.
Fumigation is another tool for disease control and is something good to
turn to when either the cleaning is poor, eggs are dirty, or machines are
filled with eggs and it is difficult to empty and clean properly. The
fumigation process can be hazardous to the producer if not conducted
carefully. Contact the Poultry Extension Department at Mississippi State
University or your local County Agent's office for additional information
on properly fumigating incubators and hatching eggs.
Trouble Shooting Failures
The novice poultry producer will usually encounter problems when
incubating the first batches of eggs. Fortunately, causes for most failures
can be diagnosed and corrected. A separate diagnosis chart has been
prepared to assist in solving incubation failures. Click HERE to refer to
this chart, or use the Poultry Help Line to ask a Poultry Related Question.
Additional information on poultry production can be obtained by
contacting the Poultry Extension Department, Box 9665, Mississippi State,
MS 39762 - (662) 325-2853.
Good Luck with your egg hatching project.

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