Location:

The location of your incubator is important to have a successful hatch. An area with plenty of fresh air and a stable room temperature some where between 70º and 80º is ideal. A well-ventilated basement could be perfect.

The location of your incubator is important to have a successful hatch. An area with plenty of fresh air and a stable room temperature some where between 70º and 80º is ideal. A well-ventilated basement could be perfect.

Eggs being used of hatching should be fresh and fertile. Do not use eggs over 12 days old. Eggs being held for hatching purposes should be turned every day and should not be chilled. When selecting eggs for hatching, do not use small or poorly shaped eggs. Avoid eggs with cracked or thin shells. You should not use pullet eggs or eggs that have been washed.

It is highly recommended that the thermometer be checked with another thermometer for accuracy.

To Regulate Incubator:

Important - Read instructions on regulating carefully.

Turn control knob fully clockwise. The red indicator light will come on and the element begins to heat.

Watch the thermometer as the incubator heats up. As soon as it registers 101º turn the control knob slowly counter clockwise until the red indicator light goes out.

Adjust the control knob, clockwise for more heat, counter-counter-clockwise for less heat until you have it regulated to hold at 101º F.

When the desired temperature is reached the indicator light will flicker, this means that a set point is reached and the unit is turning on and off very rapidly to maintain the current set point.

Run incubator several hours to be sure you have it properly regulated before placing eggs in it. Allow plenty of time for the eggs and incubator to heat up again after placing eggs in it.

Do not let thermometer bulb rest on an egg.

If chicks hatch out a day early, it indicates temperature was a little too high, so on next setting lower temperature by 1/2º F. for entire incubation period.

You may notice that about halfway through the incubation process the temperature increasing and you will have to adjust the thermostat accordingly. This is normal and is caused by the forming embryo generating heat.

Make sure that any time you have opened the incubator that you allow plenty of time for temperature to stabilize before making thermostat adjustments.

Setting and Turning eggs:

Eggs should be placed on their sides with small end pointed down. Do not crowd the eggs. Your thermometer bulb should be adjusted so that it is level with the top of the eggs. I also place a second one on the wire mess for the bottom temperature. It helps keep the temperature even both top and bottom.

Allow at least two to three hours for eggs to warm up to temperature of machine. Do not change regulator while eggs are warming up, and the incubator should not be opened the first day after the eggs are set. Eggs should be turned two or three times a day, at the same time. Rotating eggs can be done by removing a few from the center of the incubator and rolling the rest towards the center. Avoid shocks and jars when turning eggs. To help you know when eggs heave been totally turned, place a small "X" on one side, and an "O" on the other with a soft lad pencil.

Humidity control:

To avoid excessive drying out of the natural moisture in your eggs, water may have to be added to the water rings in the bottom of your incubator. If the room environment where your incubator is placed has good natural moisture content then it may not be necessary to add water. If your climate is dry or room conditions are dry then moisture will be needed.

It is important that your watch the air space in the egg. When testing eggs for fertility, and air space appears too large, provide moisture to incubator. The size of the air cell is the best guide to proper humidity. I like to place two sponges in my incubator one on each side under the mesh for added moisture (Chicken eggs) and four sponges one on each side under the mesh (waterfowl eggs).

Fertility Testing:

I like to test eggs on the seventh or eighth day.

Testing is done to make sure the embryo is developing properly and at the same time you can check moisture content. Testing is done by candling the egg. A candler can be made by placing a light bulb under a box or can with a hole that is slightly smaller in diameter than the egg. Light will pass through the hole and into the egg. If a cloudy spot or mass is observed then a live growing embryo is present. If the contents of the eggs allows light to pass uniformly throughout it, then it can be assumed the egg is not fertile, and it should be removed from the incubator. Your second fertility test can be done around the fourteenth day of incubation. Some of the embryos that looked healthy during your first test may have weakened and died. These along with any eggs that show sign of blood spots should be removed from incubator.

Hatching:

Discontinue turning eggs and do not open incubator except to remove chicks three days before total incubation and hatching time. Chicks can be removed from the incubator when they are completely dry, but may be left in the incubator for up to 24 hours. Remove chicks from the incubator only once a day, because every time you open the incubator you permit the warm moist air to escape. Some eggs may hatch late so you may want to allow a couple of extra days beyond the normal 21-day period.

Plastic vent plugs:

A plastic Vent plug is located between the windows toward the front of the incubator top. The vent plug should remain in place at all times except during hatch under the following conditions:

If the incubator is at 75% capacity, remove the vent plug 1 week prior to hatch date. (More oxygen may be needed)/

Of the incubator is more than 25% full of eggs, remove the vent plug the day the chicks start to hatch.,

When there is moisture condensed on the windows.

When the incubator is more than 75% full, there will be excessive moisture from the newly hatched chicks and with the large number of chicks, more fresh air is required. Prop one side of top up 1/8" making sure incubator is holding temperature.

A second vent plug is located on opposite end of incubator and is to be removed only when using a turbo fan.

Brooding:

When chicks are removed from the incubator they must have a place that is warm and dry. A brooder should have one section that is heated, with a temperature of 101º degrees (for the first week) and an unheated section for exercise. Feed and water should be partially in heated area.

Total Incubation and Hatching Time: