You want to incubate your eggs from A to Z with ease, Ducatillon incubators are selected to meet your needs. There are 3 types of incubators: manual, semi-automatic and automatic.

What is the purpose of a chicken incubator?

First of all, in order to have optimal egg production and healthy hens, it is essential to have a hen house with adequate accessories and impeccable hygiene. In addition, to enable your hens to reproduce and produce chicks, incubators are the most important accessory in your hen house. The birth of chicks is the result of the fertilisation of a hen by a cock. The eggs are incubated for 21 days. The role of the incubator is to keep the eggs warm and allow the eggs to mature. In addition to maintaining warmth, the incubator will regulate the humidity and oxygen levels, and will ensure the eggs are turned to replace the role of the mother in a natural environment.

Manual incubators

The principle of the manual incubator is regulated by the breeder. Indeed, temperature and humidity must be managed by the farmer himself. Manual incubators need to take special care. Firstly, the incubator must be placed in a room that has neither a heat source nor a cool source. The temperature of the room should ideally be between 18 and 20 degrees. Once all these factors are in order, the eggs can be placed in the incubator. In a manual incubator, the humidity should be 45% for the first 18 days and 65% for the last three days. This rate is guided by the addition of moist object in the tray. Manual incubators should never be opened once the eggs have been added to the incubator, with the exception of turning the eggs.

Automatic incubators

Automatic incubators are managed automatically. The farmer does not have to monitor the temperature and humidity. The farmer only has to place the eggs in the incubator and wait for the 21 days of incubation. The automatic incubator therefore regulates the temperature, humidity, pressure and turning of the eggs, to allow optimal hatching. Just like the manual incubator, it is important to lay the eggs all at the same time, but also to check that all conditions for optimal incubation are met.

Semi-automatic incubators

Semi-automatic incubators have a fan to regulate the air inside the incubator and a heater to control the temperature. The incubator must be placed in a room sheltered from light and sunlight, with a temperature of between 18 and 20°C. Whether it is a manual, automatic or semi-automatic incubator, the eggs must be turned twice a day. In addition, the eggs must be brushed and clean. Finally, there should be no cracked or damaged eggs.