Do more features make for a better incubator?

When first starting out, the range of features on offer for poultry incubators can be bewildering. Hugh & Fiona Osborne are chicken breeders and have used and sold poultry incubators for many years. They firmly believe that incubation doesn't have to be complicated, but that some features will certainly save time and others will improve hatch rates.

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I CAN'T FIND THE TEMPERATURE SETTING ON A CHICKEN!

I (Hugh) am frankly a bit of a nerd! I like to understand things at a technical level and try to do things right. I care about the correct temperature at which to incubate eggs, the optimal level of humidity and how often an egg needs to be turned (and by how much). Getting a good hatch rate matters to me and if things go wrong I really, really want to know why?

It’s important to remind myself occasionally that chickens have been successfully hatching eggs for millennia by plucking their breast and warming them with body heat. They turn eggs with their beak by rolling them, leave the eggs to cool while they nip out for a bite to eat and a comfort break and pretty much leave humidity to take care of itself! You know what? Those eggs still hatch. Life is resilient and evolution ensures that eggs can go through a lot and still hatch.

Having used incubators over the years, we’ve seen manufacturers learn from the broody hen. The advancements in technology have ensured both that hatch rates have improved, and that the incubation process has become easier and less time consuming for the chicken keeper.

THE BASICS

Temperature Control.

For an egg to develop and hatch a few things have to be put in place. The egg has to be kept warm. For most poultry the ideal temperature is 37.5C. It’s quite clever that eggs can be left at room temperature for quite a period before incubation (at least a couple of weeks) whilst a hen or flock build a clutch. Only when the hen sits on a clutch full time will those eggs start to develop, meaning that they will all hatch together. Interestingly, modern scientific studies have shown an increase in hatch rates if eggs are allowed short cooling periods during incubation (which mimics a hen leaving the nest to feed etc.).

Turning the eggs