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To grow chicks requires high temperature and sufficient humidity. To take into account when choosing an incubator, there should also be a mechanism for turning the eggs. The incisor during incubation itself regularly turns all the eggs, so that they warm up evenly. By the principle of turning, there are incubators for chicken eggs automatic, mechanical and manual.
Manual incubators require human participation. It is difficult to turn eggs independently, if there are many of them, but for domestic incubators this is not so problematic. But it will have to be done several times a day, which is not very convenient.
Mechanical revolution eliminates the need to rotate each egg. Using the mechanism, the position of the whole tray changes. But it is necessary to control the turnover, temperature, humidity of eggs independently.
Incubators household automatic completely free the owner from the obligation to monitor the condition of the eggs. Automation also controls temperature and humidity.
Read also: incubation of chicken eggs and the correct temperature regime!
Criteria for any incubator
Regardless of the type of egg rotation, when choosing an incubator, rely on the parameters listed below.
Number of eggs
Industrial incubators can accommodate several hundred and even a thousand eggs. But for a home business, an incubator with an amount of 50-70 eggs is sufficient. They are compact enough to fit in the apartment. Remember that the producers put a quantity with an orientation to chicken eggs. Goose or quail eggs require a different space. Therefore, you will need to change their number in the incubator and possibly use trays.
Fan
To keep the eggs warm evenly, the fan causes the hot air to circulate through the chamber. The benefits are obvious, but the incubator will consume more energy. Also try to choose noiseless devices.
Ease of cleaning
After a period of incubation, hatched chicks leave a lot of small fluff and eggshells. All this mud clogs the ventilation holes, hard-to-reach places of the incubator. The camera needs to be cleaned and sterilized, so be careful that it's easy to do. Now all manufacturers plan incubators so that cleaning the camera is not difficult.
Service
Each device breaks down over time, so keep in mind that once an incubator for chicken eggs will have to be repaired automatically. Focus on, first of all, on Russian firms, the details in this case get much easier.
Choice of automatic incubator
The incubator for eggs automatically self-turns eggs 2-4 times a day. The number of revolutions per day can be adjusted, as well as the temperature and humidity. Management of incubators is usually intuitive, uncomplicated. They should be located in warm conditions, otherwise there will be errors in measuring the temperature. All domestic incubators are made from the calculation that they will be stored at room temperature and humidity.
Also, errors in the operation of the automation are inevitable when the tray is partially filled. If the eggs are small, put pieces of polystyrene oval in the empty cells in the tray. Some incubators are made from polystyrene foam. The material is porous and well passes air, but it quickly becomes contaminated, becomes a hotbed of pathogens. Such incubators need regular disinfection.
Incubators for chicken eggs are automatically divided by the method of turning. The first method is rolling with the grate moving. The second is the slope of the grate at 45 ° C. The third method is to rotate the rollers under the egg. Each method has no special advantages.
Since they do everything themselves and are completely dependent on automation, it is preferable to buy incubators with an emergency power source.
The price for incubators with automatic turning of eggs starts from 3000-4000 rubles. Such products are reliable, have built-in batteries (but not all). There are more expensive models - for 7000-12000 rubles. Such incubators can accommodate more eggs or have different upgrades. For example, an aeroionizer or bioacoustic stimulator.
Incubator
To make an automatic incubator with your own hands, you need a special tray with an automated rotation of eggs. Of course, you can do without it, but then you have to turn the eggs by hand. Since it needs to be done 3-4 times a day, the problem is obvious. Therefore, self-made automatic incubators are more common. But popular and self-made devices with a manual rotation of eggs.
For a self-made incubator it is required:
- incubator chamber;
- fan;
- incandescent light 25 watts;
- thermoregulator.
Thermoregulator
It is a device for controlling temperature and humidity. The owner adjusts the thermostat to the required parameters for the eggs, and the device sends an audible signal in case of violation.
We draw your attention to the fact that the temperature in the incubator must be calibrated with high accuracy to +/ ° C, which homemade thermoregulators can not give.
The usual thermometer is also not able to do this, since more control over humidity is required. At the same time, the cost of a simple hygrometer with a remote display will be only 600 rubles, and its accuracy meets the highest requirements. There are more expensive thermostats with many additional functions.
Incubator
The camera itself can be made from improvised means: a cardboard box, a TV set, a refrigerator. For any device, the same requirements are met:
- At the top and bottom of the structure, holes are made to allow fresh air to flow in;
- a deep bowl with water is placed on the bottom of the chamber, the evaporating liquid gives the desired moisture;
- Trays I can lay eggs in several rows
- for heating the air, lamps of at least 25 watts are used;
- the wiring to them passes through separate side openings;
- The minimum distance between lamps and eggs is 15 cm, but it is better in the area of 25 cm;
- the door is made small 40x40 cm, so that when opening, the temperature and humidity parameters are not changed;
- Trays are made from a metal mesh so that moisture vapor and air circulate freely around the eggs;
- All the cracks are carefully treated with a sealant.
Incubator from the refrigerator
Let's analyze a concrete example of creating an incubator with our own hands. As the camera will act an old refrigerator. The material is ideal, sealed, capacious, easy to clean after removing chickens. In addition, there are ideal grilles for trays. They need only to make skirts. Of course, it is desirable to equip the incubator with trays with automatic turning of eggs.
The freezing chamber is dismantled, it will not be needed. In the refrigerator door we make a window for observation. We close it with a strong glass, and we remove the slots with a sealant. At the top and bottom we make two holes with a diameter of 3 centimeters, this is for ventilation of the camera. At the bottom set the temperature regulator and a bowl of water.
Since the refrigerator is a vertical structure, the air can circulate without the aid of a fan. But it is better to put it. Below, there are a few more holes for the incandescent lamps. Take 4 lamps with a power of 100 watts each, as the camera will be warmed up sufficiently large. They should be installed below, so that cold air warms up immediately at the entrance.
