Many ask us how to achieve a good hatch.

Our first advice is to follow the instructions supplied with the incubator “the result of our experience of over 70 years”, while the second advice is to give little consideration to what you can find on the web because they are often personal experiences full of information that are not so reliable.

To better help those who want to achieve good results we have prepared this special vademecum:

Eggs quality:
For best hatching results you should insert only hatching eggs of the same size and breed; by incubating different types of breeds at the same time, a reduction in hatching result is expected.

Do not introduce eggs that are too big but not too small, not too pointed or too round as these alterations can lead to weak chicks.

The eggs to be incubated must be clean but not washed with water, a not too rough brush is fine to remove excrement residues and other dirt that may be present. Rough-shelled eggs should also be discarded as they contain too much calcium which prevents the embryos from developing evenly causing their premature death.

The diet of the reproducers is to be considered peremptory and not questionable in order to obtain eggs loaded with trace elements, proteins and vitamins that allow a correct development of the embryo; moreover, in the winter period, attention must be paid to frost and any eggs exposed and not collected in time must be discarted.

Eggs preparation:
Basically, the correct eggs for an artificial incubation must be no less than 24 hours after their laying, BUT they must not even be older than 7 days after laying. If they are older the percentage of the hatching result is significantly reduced, this happens due to the stress to which the embryos have been exposed and will have less vitality, a context that will negatively emphasize the stages of development, leading to the premature death of the embryo in the egg.

Therefore, the eggs that can achieve the best hatching rate should not be stored longer than 7 days after laying.

The ideal Celsius temperature of the storage environment is 12 to 18 degrees, with a relative humidity of 45 to 75 percent.

Before inserting the eggs in the incubator they must be acclimatized, keeping them for at least 12 hours in an environment between 22 and 28 degrees, exactly the same environment where the incubator should be installed. By introducing the eggs without prior acclimatization, condensation of humidity could form on the egg shell, a problem that should not be underestimated, as it can lead to diseases and a drastic reduction in the percentage of hatching.

Humidity control:
During the incubation period, the egg* must lose 15% of its initial weight, humidity management serves to prevent the egg from losing too much or too little weight. During incubation, the humidity is fairly defined and is between 40% and 50%.

The last days dedicated to hatching * the embryos that are about to come out of the egg need a more humid environment “but not too much”, to avoid getting stuck inside the shell; therefore the humidity level of the machine must be adequate and increased from 60% to 65% but not beyond. A level of humidity other than that indicated above can negatively affect the hatching of the eggs.

Maintaining an adequate humidity rate inside the incubator is quite simple, even more by choosing to associate the machine with the special automatic humidifier MAINO R1469B.

Carefully follow the instructions provided and consider the climatic characteristics of the place where you are as these will directly affect the overall operation of the machine, practical example: The humidity of the environment has a direct impact on the humidity necessary to incubate and modifies the internal parameters of the machine. If it is high, the value inside the machine increases, which could exceed the correct data, while if it is low, the value inside the machine decreases, which could go below the correct data.

Periodically check the water level in the water trays, make sure there is always water otherwise the eggs may be adversely affected.
Please note: With humid climates, consequently also inside the machine it may be necessary to remove all the water in order to maintain a suitable value – sometimes even this option is not enough – in that case in the absence of a dehumidifier nothing can be done.
On the other hand, with dry climates you may find it difficult to maintain humidity, in that case you can help evaporation by housing sponges inside the water, the sponges will increase the evaporation surface and at the same time the humidity of the machine.

In the absence of a pre-installed humidity probe, if you want to use a meter, use only one specially designed for incubators, as any other one could prove unsuitable and lead to poor management of the incubation and hatching cycle.

* the incubation and hatching period changes according to the type of egg.

Eggs insertion:
If the incubator is equipped with a tilting tray, the eggs must be inserted respecting the rule of the tip pointing downwards, because in the rounder part opposite the tip there is the air chamber that allows the embryo to breathe; by inserting the eggs with the tip upwards the results could also be catastrophic.

If the incubator is equipped with a translating tray, the eggs must be inserted horizontally.

If the incubator does not have an automatic egg turning system, before inserting the eggs, mark them with the X mark on one side of the shell (use a graphite pencil) then place them horizontally in the dedicated space with the X mark on the right.

Eggs turning:
The eggs must be turned at least 4 times a day during the incubation period only (during hatching they should not be turned anymore). The turning of the eggs serves to keep the various nourishing liquids well amalgamated and to prevent the embryo developing always in the same position from growing without a part of skin and feathers. Rotation also serves for better climate equity around the egg.

If the machine has an automatic egg turning system you just have to make sure that you have hooked the tray to the appropriate servomechanism, while if it does not have an automatic system you will have to mark them with the X sign and after 4 hours from insertion turn them to the left, after another 4 hours turn them to the right again and so on every 4 hours (night can be avoided).

Experience tells us that if the eggs are rotated many more times and even at night, better results are achieved. Since 1980, all our machines have been equipped with an automatic egg turning system that rotates them non-stop at very low speed, guaranteeing what is described above.

Hatching:
During the hatching period* the eggs must no longer be touched or turned, because the embryos are autonomously moving in the correct position of the egg drilling and if turned, unfortunately they will never reach it, dying inside the eggs.

The incubator must remain closed during the entire hatching period, to maintain both temperature and humidity (by opening it, the suitable climate disperses and the hatching stops). If the incubator is not equipped with a suitable hatching basket and the egg turning system is always active, simply remove the egg turning grid completely, leaving the eggs on the bottom mesh grid.

Do not remove the hatched chicks from the incubator until they are completely dry and the total period has elapsed; do not worry, the chicks have absorbed the nutrients necessary for their sustenance from the yolk sac and can wait for the completion of the time, we repeat leave the chicks already born inside the machine!
The chicks can survive without drinking or eating for three days, on the contrary they better reabsorb the yolk sac which will make them stronger and more resistant and also because it is scientifically established that the presence of already born chicks that move, breathe and chirp “inside the machine between the other eggs” stimulates those still inside the shell to come out.

Temperature and humidity of incubation/hatching:
Each type of egg has different hatching periods and also different climatic parameters for incubation and hatching, the correct parameters can be found in the appropriate table in the user manual of your incubator.

Good Work.

Always keep in mind that the incubator is a machine. It is a machine, it has no functions of dialogue with the user nor of learning towards the various parameters entered by the user, towards the external climate and not even towards the incubated eggs. Therefore, the user’s personal experience is always fundamental for the success of births.

The temperature and humidity of the place where the incubator and/or hatching machine is installed must be stable and within the allowed limits: Temperature between 18 and 28 Celsius degrees and relative humidity between 40 and 65 percent. The incubators, to ensure proper oxygenation and the elimination of carbon dioxide, are provided with air exchange with the external environment, therefore different external values, lower or higher than those indicated above, will lead to malfunctions and hatch problems.

The incubation and hatching temperature and humidity can be found in the table in the machine user manual. The information included in the manual is the result of over 70 years of test and testing experience of MAINO company, but also of as many researches carried out by our breeders, veterinarians and scientists collaborators. By applying what we have described, good results are obtained and, as always, the personal experience is essential for the success of births.