Temperature of eggs.

The temperature is measured by a usual medical thermometer that is permanently in the incubator and is positioned on the level of the middle of eggs.

The humidity is defined with the help of the wet thermometer, it is in the same place and on the same level where the medical thermometer is. In the first and in the last days the air humidity in the chamber should be about 80% (35° according to the wet thermometer reading); during the 2-7th days – 70-75% (34°); from the 8th and to the last two days – 50% (29-30°) for hen eggs and 65% (32°) – for duck eggs. The temperature of the incubation of the eggs – 37,5-38,5oC.

An important aspect is cooling of eggs at the room temperature 15-30 minutes two times a day. In the premises there must be no draughts. Hen eggs are cooled beginning from the 4-5th day and duck eggs are cooled beginning from the 6-7th day.

From the 8th day to the 14th day during one of coolings eggs are to be sprinkled with boiled water. From the 15th day the procedure is made twice a day after cooling.

Hen eggs are to be turned every hour or two with a 10-hour break for the night during 11 days and duck eggs are to be turned during 13 days. Later it is enough to do it every 4-6 hours. Beginning from the 2nd day eggs are every day traded places once.

Chickens hatch out 20-21 days after the day of putting the eggs into the incubator, ducklings do after 27-28 days. Two days before the nestlings hatch out cooling, sprinkling and any kind of moving is stopped.

It is convenient to make up a table in which we advise you to include all the data and procedures given here: the number of days from the beginning of the incubation, humidity and temperature, cooling, sprinkling, turning and moving the eggs. By the hour schedule of works for every day will help you to reach accuracy in all the operations.