Broiler incubation: process features

Broilers are one of the most popular chicken breeds. Mostly they are bred for the sake of obtaining tender meat, because broilers are 3-4 times larger than ordinary laying hens. This article will focus on the first stage of cultivation – the incubation of broiler eggs.

Prepare

The preparatory stage is very important for the whole incubation process. The first step is the selection of eggs for incubation. Eggs must be fresh, no more than 5-6 days old. The ideal option is 1-2 days. It is not advisable to use specimens that have been stored for more than a week – the percentage of hatching of chickens decreases, the incubation time increases, and the chickens may turn out to be weak and sickly. When buying the source material, check the storage conditions of the eggs, whether they have been subjected to temperature fluctuations – sudden overheating or cooling harms the embryo.

Carefully inspect the eggs for external damage. Any cracks, growths or other irregularities on the shell are a reason for rejection. Try to pick up copies identical in size and volume, adhering to the “golden mean” – a mass of about 55-60 g and medium dimensions. Too small eggs – the risk of obtaining non-viable or diseased offspring. Too large are often unfertilized (2 yolks).

Also pay attention to the shape of the eggs – it should be classic (oval slightly narrowed at one end).

Any deviations (pear shape, elongation or excessive roundness, etc.) are unacceptable, this is the first sign of infertility.

Broiler incubation: process features

The next procedure is optional, but highly desirable – this is a test of eggs for fertility. Naturally, for this you will need special tools, such as an ovoscopic lamp. You can assemble it yourself or purchase it in a store.

Consider the signs of a successfully fertilized egg (when illuminated by a lamp).

  • The presence in the middle of the yolk of a clearly visible dark spot of a small size (literally 2-3 mm).
  • Uniform shell thickness.
  • A small air chamber (about 1,5 cm in diameter) is clearly visible, located closer to the blunt end of the egg. The fuzziness of the image and a different location indicate that the eggs are stale, and, therefore, unsuitable for incubation.
  • The yolk should be one and located in the center, or it should be slightly shifted into the blunt part of the egg, while its borders should be fuzzy, blurry.
  • When trying to rotate quickly, the movement of the yolk should be slow.
  • In addition to the embryo, the egg should not have any dark spots: blood clots, parasites, and so on.

Broiler incubation: process features

Broiler incubation: process features

Then you should carefully clean the surface of the shell from various contaminants – they clog the pores, thereby depriving the embryo of the flow of oxygen. To do this, you can use a strong solution of potassium permanganate with a temperature of 25-35 degrees. Gently lower the eggs into a container with a solution of potassium permanganate and leave for 4-5 minutes. This treatment will also allow you to disinfect the eggs, in addition to cleaning them from dirt and debris. Of course, for washing, you can do with just warm water.

After this procedure, carefully lay the eggs on the cloth (do not wipe) and let dry. Then they can be loaded into the incubator. Broiler eggs should be laid horizontally or at an angle of up to 45 degrees. The choice of this position is determined by the size and weight of the eggs, because the vertical position will inevitably lead to the embryo sinking to the bottom and its subsequent deformation and sticking to the inner surface of the shell.

Broiler incubation: process features

Broiler incubation: process features

Incubation mode

Currently accepted use 2 methods of incubation of bird eggs.

  • Classic. Egg laying is carried out at a time and once, after which the mode is adjusted and incubation starts. The chicks hatch on the same day at short intervals.
  • Universal. Its difference from the classical scheme lies in the fact that every 4-7 days one or two more eggs are placed in the incubator. After two weeks of being in the incubator, the specimens begin to actively heat up (in the case of the correct development of the embryo). The gradual addition of fresh eggs allows you to balance the temperature and prevent overheating.

Growing broiler chickens in an incubator is practically no different from incubating chickens of other breeds. Minor nuances are associated with the size of the eggs – they are about one and a half times larger than usual. Perhaps the main difference is only in the ventilation mode of the incubator: for broilers, the time and frequency of ventilation should be increased by about 2-3 times.

The frequency of egg turning also increases – this is done for the harmonious development of the embryo and the prevention of its sticking to any side of the egg.

Broiler incubation: process features

Broiler incubation: process features

Table 1. Mode of incubation of broiler eggs

Do not forget about the level of humidity in the incubator. If the air is too dry, spray the eggs with warm water, once every few days is sufficient. After the first week, check the eggs; if substandard (rotten) specimens are found, discard them immediately. The same procedure should be carried out after 17 days.

In recent days (20-21), some poultry farmers are advised to slightly increase the temperature in the device – to facilitate pecking and breaking the shell. If you have chosen the COBB-500 broiler breed for breeding, the mode can be slightly changed.

Table 2. Mode of hatching COBB-500 eggs

Tips for Beginners

If this is your first time trying to raise broiler chickens at home, Below are some simple recommendations from experts.

  • 2-3 days before putting the product into the device, do not forget to thoroughly rinse and disinfect the incubator. A bleach solution is often used for disinfection. After these procedures, the device must be rinsed and dried.
  • After flushing the incubator, be sure to set it up and check the operation of all systems. To do this, run it for 10-12 hours in operating mode and test it. If you find any problems, try to fix them yourself or invite a professional.
  • The ideal option is the evening laying of eggs in the incubator. In this case, the chicks begin to hatch in the morning of the 21st day, and by the evening almost everyone is already recovering, and can even eat. The evening laying has another advantage: it is more comfortable to carry out egg inspections with an ovoscope at the beginning of the 7th and 18th days after the start of the incubation process in the evening, without rushing anywhere.
  • Do not lay the eggs close to each other, the gap between them should be at least one and a half centimeters. A closer location is fraught with overheating and death (developmental disorders) of the embryos.
  • Carefully monitor the temperature and humidity conditions in the hatcher. Small short-term fluctuations, of course, can be, but it is still desirable not to allow such deviations. Prolonged temperature violations are strictly prohibited. At the same time, the location of the thermometer is very important – do not hang it near the ventilation hole, in which case its readings will be underestimated. If there is an uneven distribution of heat in different parts of the device, just regularly change the places of the eggs: shift from the center to the edge, and vice versa.
  • On days 19-20, install an additional container of water in the incubator – to increase the level of humidity and facilitate the release of chickens.

Summing up, we can say: growing broilers at home in an incubator is a task that is quite suitable even for a beginner.

Broiler incubation: process features

Broiler incubation: process features

For the features of the broiler incubation process, see the following video.

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Anna Evans

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