Tuesday, October 12, 2010

What About Egg Incubators?

When considering an egg incubator, there are a lot of things to think about. A beginner in the poultry raising business will require all the aid he can to be able to be successful in this venture. Because nowadays, the market for egg incubators is wide. This can confuse buyers on what are the essentials are in choosing a good egg incubator. Here are some tips that could help anyone who wants to buy an incubator:


In constant heat. A good egg incubator can keep a constant temperature of 99.5 degrees or with as little as half a degree in variation. This temperature is essential to hatch perfect eggs. Too much heat can cause an egg to be cooked, too less will give out premature hatchlings. Ensure that your chosen egg incubator can provide you this. An egg incubator compared to a hen for example can provide this to your egg with no reservation.



A wet bed. Another important thing that an incubator must have are humidifiers and hygrometers. Most egg incubators have built in reservoirs and fans to provide eggs moisture. Some also have hygrometers that allow hatchers to constantly monitor the eggs humidity level. Humidity and moisture is important on an eggs development because it aids in the moisture around the developing embryo. When the eggs are properly kept in this perfect condition, you will sure to have perfectly hatch eggs.


Rock and roll. Aside from the perfect conditions set, eggs must also be turned once in a while to allow even distribution of heat and moisture. Modern egg incubators offer devices called auto-turners to do this job for you. Although manual turning is okay, sometimes, human as we are we forget to do this, thus resulting to failure. Auto-turners since machine operated and automatic can ensure the eggs are turned consistently.


The more the merrier. Now if you want your business to really boom, then egg incubators are really for you. An incubator can hatch a lot more eggs compared to your regular chicken hen. A small incubator can hatch ten eggs, a medium one thirty and consider the profit you might get if you purchase the large one. Incubators can benefit hatchers in more ways than one, providing efficiency, accuracy and success. So enjoy hatching and enjoy becoming a happy and proud mother.

Monday, October 4, 2010

What You Need Know About Eggs

If you’re thinking of starting a business in poultry or you just want to raise your own livestock, then you should begin by learning about eggs and the process of hatching. Sure it’s much easier if you start buying full grown animals and go from there but the reality is, sooner or later these animals will lay eggs. Then what are you going to do?

Go Natural

Letting nature take its own course in all of this is a good idea. For example, when a hen has its first set of eggs, sooner or later they will hatch. Nature will take care of them and in no time you will have chicks. Chances are not all of the eggs will hatch. Just as nature intends it, survival of the fittest some may say. But think about this. What if you know the proper techniques and knowledge of taking care of these fragile gifts of nature? It might just up their survival rate by a few percent.

Not Egg-xactly!

If you think that all eggs are the same, then you are wrong. Although all eggs share the same properties and they all start from yolks, each kind is unique in many ways. For starters, some eggs hatch faster than others. If you are thinking of ways to make your chicken eggs hatch faster, then bad news for you. There is just no way to do that. The embryo slowly develops into a chick after 21 days. Hatching them earlier than that will result to a premature dead chick. For more information on what egg hatches when, see the list below.

Chicken………………………….21 Days
Duck……………………………..28 Days
Muscovy Duck…………………33-37 Days
Turkey…………………………..28 Days
Goose…………………………..30-32 Days
Ostrich…………………………..42 Days
Pigeon…………………………..16-20 Days
Japanese Quail……………….17 Days
Bobwhite Quail……………….23 Days
Peafowl…………………………28 Days

Aside from different sizes and variations in shape, eggs also need different temperature and humidity. Knowing how to manipulate these important factors will also help increase the chances of your eggs survival.

Helping Hand

Nowadays, poultry farmers use technology to ensure that their eggs hatch successfully. Using egg incubators as substitute to create the right environment for eggs, it is now more cost efficient and a lot more convenient for them. Letting the device do all the work, the poultry animals can concentrate in laying more eggs. It does not only increase production but it saves them lots of work. They no longer have to check the eggs every so often just to be sure they are in good condition, just pop them in the incubators and come back when the time is correct.

Learning about eggs and how they hatch is a great way to start a business or a hobby of raising poultry. And learning what you can do to increase your success with this is a greater way to follow up. Not only will you have a healthy business in your hand, you will also have healthy understanding on how nature works.