Why is there a large air chamber at the time of withdrawal. Egg air chamber

The mass of eggs is always determined with an accuracy of 1 gram on a sensitive scale. It is advisable to select the largest specimens, as they contain sufficient nutrients for the survival of the embryo. However, for meat chicken eggs, the requirements for this indicator are somewhat relaxed, since the egg production of these chicken breeds is greatly reduced. Because of this, many breeders claim that meat chicken eggs are worth their weight in gold.

Shell quality

The shell is the most reliable barrier that protects the embryo from any external influences. It actively participates in heat exchange and gas exchange processes, so it is very important that it has an integral structure.

In no case should you select broken or cracked eggs for incubation.. They tend to spoil quickly and can also be an ideal habitat for pathogens. It is also not recommended to use irregularly shaped eggs. Such specimens usually contain less air, so the embryo may not survive in such conditions.

The shell of a chicken egg should not have scratches, growths or depressions. To identify all the flaws, experts examine each egg in detail under a magnifying glass. Bright lamps and an ovoscope are often used to illuminate the contents of the eggs.

Using an ovoscope

One of the most reliable ways to detect defects on eggs is to use them. It allows you to notice the thinnest notches on the surface of the egg, which are difficult to notice with the naked eye. Usually such eggs are immediately discarded, since the young cannot be hatched from them due to the rapid evaporation of moisture through the crack.

If the egg is of great value to the breeder, then a small notch or crack can be smeared with glue prepared with starch.

Sometimes, when checking eggs with an ovoscope, the breeder may notice some marbling of the shell. It is characterized by small dark and light spots on the eggshell. This phenomenon was studied in detail by L.V. Kulikov, who claims that such eggs rarely hatch into viable chickens.

They exhibit slow development of the embryo, therefore in 21 days it does not have time to fully form into a chicken. This defect can be neglected if the poultry farmer breeds rare breeds of chickens with low egg production.

Also, when examining eggs using an ovoscope, the presence of an air chamber is carefully checked. It is she who is responsible for the freshness of the egg. The camera is located in the area of ​​the blunt end and is visible on the ovoscope as a dark spot. If the air chamber has too large a height and diameter, then such an egg will be stored for a long time, but a chicken will not hatch from it.

In addition to the air chamber, the condition of the yolk is examined using an ovoscope. If it moves easily inside the egg, it may mean that one or two of the egg's hailstones are torn. Under no circumstances should such an egg be sent for incubation.

Egg disinfection

Various pathogenic microflora can live on the surface of chicken eggs, so they must undergo mandatory disinfection. If they do not undergo timely processing, microorganisms will be able to penetrate the egg and damage the embryo.

On an industrial scale, chicken eggs are disinfected using formaldehyde vapor. 30 ml of formalin and 30 ml of water are poured into an enamel bowl, and then 30 mg of potassium permanganate is poured. Immediately after preparing the solution, it is moved to a chamber where eggs prepared for incubation are already standing. After this, a violent chemical reaction occurs, which results in the release of vapors that kill all pathogens.

This amount of substance is enough to process 1 cubic meter. m cameras. The process lasts approximately half an hour at a temperature of +37°C. At home, you can use an ordinary box with a tight lid as a camera.

Instead of gas disinfection, poultry farms often carry out wet treatment of hatching eggs. They are placed in a plastic mesh immersed in a special solution. This allows the entire surface of the shell to be disinfected. This method is well suited for household plots, as it does not require special skills or a reliable camera.

B-chloramine, a fine white powder with the smell of chlorine, is often used for wet disinfection. A 5% aqueous solution is prepared from it, into which all eggs are immersed for 3 minutes. If chloramine is not available, then you can use a 1% iodine solution. For these purposes, take 10 g of crystalline iodine, as well as 15 g of potassium iodide.

They dissolve in a small amount of water, brought to a volume of 1 liter. Then the eggs are immersed for 1 minute. This solution must be used with extreme caution, as it may be hazardous to human health.

Storing hatching eggs

All eggs that will be used for incubation must be stored in air and humidity. If hatching eggs will not be stored for a long time, then the poultry breeder does not need to reduce the air temperature to 10°C. According to recent studies, the highest hatchability of chickens is recorded at high air temperature for incubating chicken eggs equal to 18°C. The relative humidity should be no more than 85%.

If there is a long break between the laying of an egg and its laying, then it begins to age. Irreversible processes occur inside it that negatively affect the hatchability of chickens. First of all, as the hatching egg ages, it loses weight. If all conditions are met correctly, then it may lose 0.2% of its total weight. This reduces the density of the egg as the white loses water.

In this regard, chicken eggs can be stored for no more than 6 days. After this period, the hatchability of chickens drops sharply, which can affect the productivity of the entire farm. Read more about storing eggs.

You will find information on how to properly store eggs for incubation, as well as features of their selection and testing.

Bookmark in the incubator

Laying chicken eggs in the incubator can occur at any convenient time of the day. However, many experts believe that it is better to do this in the evening, so that the sampling of dried chicks occurs the next morning.

It is also important to pay attention to how the eggs were stored. If they were lying in a cold room, then they must first be left in a warm room so that they warm up to room temperature. This will help prevent excessive evaporation of moisture from the eggs. As for the mass of eggs, it has long been known that the young hatch from larger specimens later than from medium and small ones. That is why, to ensure simultaneous output you need to select eggs of the same weight.

The actual laying always takes place in a vertical position. If the incubator tray is not completely filled, then all eggs must be additionally secured with a metal strip or a sheet of cardboard. This will help them stay in place while turning.

Factors affecting chick hatchability

A certain microclimate must be constantly maintained in the incubator so that all chickens can hatch normally from the eggs. First of all, it is important to monitor air humidity. When the humidity is too low, the eggs quickly lose moisture, and when the humidity is too high, on the contrary, they begin to accumulate it, which slows down the growth of the embryo. It is very convenient to monitor this parameter using special thermometers located on the incubator. For chicken eggs, an air humidity of 75% is ideal.

It is also important to monitor the supply of fresh air. Each egg can consume almost 4 liters of oxygen. At the same time, it emits 3.5 liters of carbon dioxide. Fresh air enters the incubator using the inlet, and carbon dioxide is removed using the exhaust. It is important to ensure that they are open, otherwise the embryos will suffocate.

Don't forget about proper maintenance. On a dry thermometer it should be at 37.5°C, and on a wet thermometer it should always be 29°C. In this case, it is necessary to monitor the development of embryos.

6 days after the start of incubation, a network of blood vessels is clearly visible in a chicken egg. They are well filled with blood, but the embryo itself is not yet noticeable. It can be noticed at the age of 11 days.

You will learn about the period of complete incubation of chicken eggs in.

Sampling of young animals

Immediately after pecking, the bird breeder must select the young. Ideally he should do this within 20-40 minutes, as fetching too long can have a negative impact on the health of the chicks.

For further development Only active chicks should be selected. They constantly move and react to sound. They have a nice shiny coat and strong legs. The eyes are clear, shiny and slightly protruding. The beak is always short, the keel is elastic, and the belly is soft with a tucked umbilical cord.

Any chicks that do not meet this description should be killed immediately as they are unlikely to grow into viable chicks.

Video

A short video about incubating chicken eggs will familiarize you with this matter even better:

Conclusion

Artificial incubation of young animals is an ideal way to breed chickens. However, with this method, many nuances must be taken into account to ensure maximum hatchability of chickens. The breeder must carefully monitor the readings of instruments that record humidity and air temperature. It is also important to select the correct eggs for incubation. This is the only way to breed healthy and viable young animals.

Air chamber, or scarecrow, is formed immediately after the egg leaves the oviduct.

The reason for its appearance is the difference between the chicken’s body temperature and the air temperature. The height of the chamber of a freshly laid egg is 0.10-0.35 mm. After 4-7 days of storage under normal conditions, it increases to 2-3 mm, and after a month it reaches 11-13 mm. As you noticed, the longer the egg is stored, the higher the height of the air chamber becomes. This parameter is used as an indicator of egg freshness. The height of the air chamber is measured using an ovoscope.

Ovoscope- (from Latin ovum, - “egg” and Greek skopein - “to examine, look”) - a device for candling eggs. It is used to determine their quality. An ovoscope is a plastic drum in which cells are made. There is a lamp inside the ovoscope. It illuminates the eggs from below, so that it becomes possible to see the contents of the egg, as well as the structure of the shell.

The battle- These are eggs with damaged shells. It is divided into eggs without signs of leakage and leakage.

Eggs without signs of leaking include a notch and a wrinkled side. Notches, as already mentioned, are microscopic cracks, almost indistinguishable without an ovoscope. Another way to detect notches is to tap eggs on eggs. A crushed side is a more serious and noticeable damage to the shell. In both cases, the shell film remains intact, so the contents of the egg do not leak out. If the integrity of the film is broken, a leak appears. The fight is caused by careless handling of eggs during their collection, packaging, transportation, and sorting.

Pouring- This is mixing the yolk and white. It is divided into small and large. With a small pour, the yolk and white are only partially mixed. In this case, there is slight damage to the yolk shell, it has an irregular shape, and there may be dark inclusions or stripes in the white; the protein itself is liquid, with an admixture of yolk mass. A large pour is the complete mixing of yolk and white. It appears as a result of rupture of the vitelline membrane. The contents of the egg become yellowish.

Small spot- this is the formation of mold of various colors on the subshell films. It is formed as a result of mold getting under the shell. Eating eggs with a small spot is acceptable, but only while they are still fresh. Such eggs cannot be stored: a small stain develops into a large one, and this flaw already transfers the eggs to the category of technical defects.

Drying- drying of the yolk to the white. Occurs due to the liquefaction of the protein and the weakening of the hailstones - a kind of “anchors” that hold the yolk in the center of the egg. The yolk weighs less than the white, therefore, devoid of hailstones, it “floats” and dries to the protein shell.

Pumping- movement of the air chamber depending on the position of the egg. The reason for pumping is the rupture of the protein film in the area of ​​the air chamber. Air gets under the film and the camera begins to “float”. Such eggs must either be eaten immediately or sent for processing: they cannot be stored.

Smelly, as the name suggests, are eggs with an off-odor. It appears, as a rule, as a result of storing eggs in the same room with odorous substances and materials. Eggs absorb any odors very quickly, which is why it is so important to store them only in clean, specially designed rooms.

Naturally, it is impossible to “ventilate” eggs, so smelly eggs cannot be stored.

Eggs with the following defects fall into the category of technical defects: paint, blood ring, cuff, large stain (mold cuff), mirages and eggs with a pungent, non-volatile odor.

Krasyuk- mixing white and yolk. Unlike pouring, it occurs due to prolonged or improper storage of eggs. Over time, they lose some of the water they contain. Its other part moves into the vitelline membrane. This becomes possible because as the egg ages, the yolk membrane becomes thinner and less elastic. The yolk enlarges and flattens. As a result, the shell breaks and the yolk mixes with the white. You can't eat these eggs.

Blood Ring- these are the remains of a dead embryo. This unpleasant defect occurs in a fertilized egg. If the embryo develops at elevated temperatures (21°C or more), blood vessels in the shape of a curved ring are visible on its surface when transilluminated. The embryo dies very soon, but such eggs cannot be eaten. They are sent for industrial processing.

Big spot, or cuff, which has already been mentioned in connection with a small spot, is the formation of large colonies of mold on the shell. Eggs with such a defect are destroyed.

Mirages- these are unfertilized eggs with embryos that died at later stages of development, as well as other incubation waste.

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Diagnostics of underheating. Low temperature delays the development of the embryo from the first days of incubation, but does not cause such deep and specific developmental disorders as high temperature. When candling eggs after 6 days of incubation, a general developmental delay is revealed: the embryos are small, lie close to the shell, due to which they are clearly distinguishable, the circulatory system on the yolk is poorly developed, the blood vessels are weakly filled with blood and have a transparent pink color, the embryos are little mobile.
The embryos die late. Blood rings are small and pale. Opening the eggs shows underdevelopment of the membranes and anemia of the embryos (G.K. Otryganyev and G.I. Krylov).
When underheated, the growth of the allantois is greatly delayed and the closure of its edges occurs with a great delay. Therefore, when candling eggs after 11 days of incubation, it is found that the allantois is closed in less than 50% of the eggs.
I. Ya. Pritsker points out that when underheated, chicken fluff develops worse than at normal incubation temperatures or when overheated. During candling before hatching, a general lag in the development of the embryo is also visible: it is small, does not fill the egg, which is visible both at the sharp end and at the air chamber; the latter is small in size; protrusion of the neck into the air chamber occurs with great delay.
Pecking of the shell begins uncomfortably and also with a great delay, but in the proper place, and the shell breaks off in large pieces.
The withdrawal is not amicable and lasts a very long time, sometimes several days. The hatched young are well pubescent. The umbilical ring is well healed and has no scars. The residual yolk is in most cases small. The hatched young are very little mobile, lethargic, stand poorly and unsteadily on their feet. The shell remaining after hatching has a pale pink or light cream color due to the weak filling of the allantois vessels with blood (I. Ya. Pritsker).
With very strong and prolonged underheating, hatched chickens have a large residual yolk sac, often suffer from diarrhea, the shells remaining after hatching are dirty, damp, with unused protein (G.K. Otryganyev).
At the end of hatching, many eggs remain with pecks and living embryos, which are weak and cannot break the shell to get rid of it. Attempts to assist them during hatching lead to hemorrhages from the vessels of the allantois and the death of the embryos.
When opening eggs with dead eggs, it turns out that there are many living embryos in eggs without pecking. Most of the embryos are fully formed, with retracted yolks and used protein; on the head and neck they have large swelling, often hyperemic and with hemorrhages.
Only with very strong underheating does the yolk remain uninvolved and the white unused. When underheated, the yolk sac is pale, the umbilical ring is not closed, and the protein is most often cloudy, with a liquid consistency. Very often the entire yolk or individual sections of it are bright green.
When opening the dead bodies, anemia of the internal integuments and organs can be observed. The intestines are full of yolk and feces, especially the rectum, the diameter of which sometimes reaches the thickness of a finger, the liver is enlarged (G.K. Otryganyev). The heart is enlarged (E. F. Lisitsky) and anemic (I. Ya. Pritsker) (Fig. 3, a).

Rice. 3. a - opened choke when underheated, b - pecking of the shell at high humidity, c - pecking of the shell at low humidity, d - opened choke at high humidity
Humidity disturbance. The relative humidity of the incubator air has a significant impact on metabolism and embryo development. It regulates the evaporation of water from the eggs during the longer incubation period and regulates heat transfer.
Humidity, unlike temperature, the effect of which is felt almost simultaneously with the onset of influence, has an effect more slowly and requires a certain time for its appearance. However, gradually accumulating, the adverse effects of humidity deviations from the norm are very great and are not always correctable.
Diagnosis of high humidity. In the first days of incubation, high humidity does not have a negative effect on the development of the embryo.
When dirty eggs are incubated at high humidity, both in the first days and throughout the entire incubation period, putrefactive processes may develop in the eggs and “cuffs” may appear.
High humidity after the 6th day of incubation begins to retard development, and therefore the closure of the edges of the allantois is delayed.
A slight increase in embryo mortality under the influence of high humidity on average days of incubation is not accompanied by any specific signs of disturbances. There is a general lag in the growth and development of embryos and their membranes. The air chamber is characterized by a small size due to insufficient weight loss by eggs (less than 0.7-0.6% per day).
The appearance of eggs when candling before hatching is very similar to the appearance of eggs incubated under subheating. The air chamber is very small; protrusion of the neck by the embryo does not begin. Large gaps at the sharp end of the egg and at the air chamber indicate significant amounts of amniotic fluid.
The onset of biting is delayed (up to 21 days) and proceeds unevenly. The undershell membrane turns brown after pipping, and often after this further pecking stops due to the death of the embryo.
According to E.E. Penionzhkevich and N.M. Shklyar, high humidity causes a characteristic form of “pecking with liquid release.” This liquid quickly dries and closes the hole in the shell and the embryo dies. The liquid can stick the beak of the embryo to the shell, which will lead to the cessation of the movement of the embryo and its death (G.K. Otryganyev). Attempts to assist with hatching usually cause bleeding and death of the embryo (Fig. 3, b). In hatched young animals, the down, especially around the umbilical cord and anus, is usually dirty. The pigmentation of the limbs and down is very weak. Chicks are lethargic, little active; Their belly is very large, but it can also be soft, due to the retraction of a large liquid yolk.
The death of most unhatched chicks occurs at the moment of pipping, from choking on amniotic fluid. When the asphyxiations are opened, there is an abundance of sticky mucus in the fruit shells, an overflow of fluid in the intestinal tract, the lungs are hyperemic and do not contain air.
In dead embryos, swelling of the neck and head and a large swollen goiter filled with fluid are observed.
Other damage to internal organs is the same as with underheating.
Diagnosis of low humidity. Very low air humidity in the first days of incubation causes a slight increase in embryo mortality, but does not lead to the appearance of any specific damage to them. Low humidity increases the manifestation of signs of overheating at elevated temperatures (G.K. Otryganyev and E.N. Kuchkovskaya).
The egg loses a lot of weight (more than 0.5-0.6%), and the air chamber quickly increases in volume. The allantois may close prematurely.
During candling of eggs before hatching, a slightly accelerated development of many embryos is revealed; there are few dead embryos.
Biting and hatching begin ahead of schedule. The shell shells are very dry and durable. The embryo, breaking through the shell, is not able to break the subshell membranes, from which pieces of the shell fall off. It can make a full circular motion and not be freed from the shell.
After pecking the shell, the fluff dries very quickly. Even a small area of ​​fluff dried in the shell on the body of the embryo interferes with its movements, and sometimes the movements stop and the embryo dies.
Withdrawal is difficult and slow. Hatched chicks are small, poorly pubescent, but mobile. Their fluff is intensely pigmented. When opening eggs with dead eggs, you can find signs characteristic of overheating, but in a weakened form.
According to G.K. Otryganyev, suffocated animals, as a rule, have hemorrhages in the allantois due to injury by the beak to still functioning blood vessels; There is a large blood clot near the beak.
Diagnosis of insufficient ventilation. Incubator air pollution has a negative effect on the development of embryos, but specific diagnostic signs of poor ventilation have not yet been found.
According to G.K. Otryganyev, the gas exchange of an egg can be disrupted due to insufficient ventilation, when the pores of the shell are clogged with dirt and the contents of neighboring broken eggs. If gas exchange is disrupted, growth and development are delayed. During the middle days of incubation, sudden suffocation (asphyxia) causes the same developmental abnormalities as acute overheating: overflow of the allantois vessels with blood, hyperemia, hemorrhages in the skin. A characteristic sign is the presence of blood in the amniotic fluid (hematoamnion). Insufficient gas exchange during the incubation period causes incorrect positions of the embryo in the egg, so shell pecking occurs at the sharp end of the egg.
Disorders associated with the position and rotation of eggs. The lack of turning of eggs leads to a large number of sticking and drying of shells and embryos to the shell. Unlike dryings, which appear at high temperatures and low humidity, in the absence of turning the eggs, all dead and dried embryos lie on one side (top).
If the eggs are not turned, there is an increase in embryo mortality during hatching.
An insufficient number of turns or an insufficient angle of rotation of the eggs causes, first of all, weak and incorrect development of the allantois, which does not close at the sharp end of the egg or closes very late. At the same time, there are many eggs in which the allantois grows with its edges above the white and, closing itself, leaves the white outside of itself at the sharp end of the egg. In this case, the young animals are hatched small and weak.
Disturbances associated with air speed. The speed of air movement does not directly affect developing embryos, but enhances or weakens the influence of other external factors - temperature, humidity.
In cabinet incubators, the speed of air movement ensures uniformity of the regime at all points.
The uneven development of embryos in all places of the incubator and the non-simultaneous start of hatching indirectly indicate the presence of zones, in particular temperature ones, due to insufficient air movement speed.

To successfully breed various breeds of chickens, many farmers use incubators. With their help, you can get the required number of chickens within the planned time frame. But to obtain healthy offspring and maximum hatchability, you need to understand how chicken eggs are incubated.

The ideal situation is when the chicken hatches her eggs on her own. But you can only get up to 15 chicks from one hen. This amount is not enough even for household farming. Therefore, incubators come to the rescue of poultry farmers.

In ordinary home units, the temperature is not the same, so experts advise mixing the eggs daily, moving the outer ones to the center and vice versa. Humidity is regulated by pouring water into special gutters or placing containers with water inside.

The hatching process requires constant monitoring: the farmer has to monitor temperature, humidity, provide air access and periodically cool the testicles. Otherwise, problems cannot be avoided.

Possible problems

Even before laying, poultry farmers should become familiar with the consequences of non-compliance with incubation rules.

But the reasons for poor hatchability lie not only in non-compliance with the recommended regimens. It is important to use only high quality eggs.

Selection of raw materials for incubation

For laying, experts advise taking fresh eggs that have lain for no more than 7 days from the moment of laying to the planned laying date. The hatchability and survival rate of chickens depends on their storage conditions. After all, if they are in an unfavorable environment, then the rate of their aging increases. The temperature and humidity of the surrounding air are important.

Only those specimens that have passed a special selection are taken for bookmarking. What matters is their mass, type and shape of the shell.

Egg selection rules

Poultry farmers select eggs from laying hens with high productivity. This increases the likelihood of getting healthy offspring. Before incubation preparation, all additives that increase egg production are removed from the chickens’ diet. The food is made as natural as possible.

Knowledgeable people do not advise incubating specimens that are too large. This is due to the fact that they:

• reduced level of hatchability (this was established experimentally);
• thin shell.

Important! If a large number of large eggs are placed in the device, then there is little space between them, which means that the ventilation process worsens. It has been experimentally established that large testicles more often produce disabled chicks.

Small specimens weighing less than 52 g are also rejected. The mortality rate of already hatched chicks reaches 38%.

Storage of raw materials

If short-term storage is planned, then storing raw materials in a room with a temperature of up to 20°C is allowed. But it should be there for no more than 5 days. The optimal storage period is considered to be 2 days. Humidity is maintained at a fairly high level: 75% is considered optimal.

• when they are in a vertical position, a revolution is carried out from the sharp end to the blunt one;
• when horizontal, they are turned 180°.

This helps prevent the yolk from moving and drying out, and minimizes the likelihood of stretching and tearing off the dense protein strands that hold the yolk in the center.

Notice! If long-term storage is required, then the eggs are packaged in special moisture-resistant and gas-tight packaging. These can be lavsan or lavsan-polyethylene bags that close hermetically. They are placed in rooms with a temperature of about 10-12 °C. This way the shelf life can be increased to 2 weeks.

You can understand how much hatchability decreases when stored under standard conditions by looking at the table.

Chick hatchability

Selection using an ovoscope

One of the best methods for rejecting low-quality specimens is to examine them with an ovoscope. It allows:

• identify small cracks, depressions, growths and other shell defects;
• estimate the size of the air chamber: permissible thickness is 2-4 mm (the smaller it is, the younger the egg);
• understand the location of the yolk, check whether it has stuck to one edge and does not move during sharp turns;
• see a “marbled” shell (this defect indicates a lack of calcium);
• identify dark spots indicating mold damage;
• see blood clots and foreign objects (grains of sand, feathers);
• specify the number of yolks (double-yolk specimens are not suitable).

For successful hatching, it is not enough to choose the right material for incubation; it is important to familiarize yourself with the main nuances of the laying.

Rules for laying eggs

Having selected the best eggs, the farmer begins incubation. Initially, you should bring the prepared raw materials into a warm room for preheating. It is necessary to ensure that the temperature of the eggs reaches 25°C.

Some say that washing eggs is prohibited. But experienced poultry farmers insist that cleaning and disinfection are mandatory. For these purposes, use a pale solution of potassium permanganate or 1.5% hydrogen peroxide. Use a soft cloth soaked in disinfectant liquid to wipe the shell. Some people advise simply soaking them in a container with a solution for a few minutes, placing them on a dry, clean cloth and waiting for them to dry completely. The optimal temperature value for the solution is 30°C.

Depending on the incubator model, horizontal or vertical laying is carried out. This will determine how the testicles will have to be turned over in the future:

• in a horizontal position they are rotated 180°;
• in the vertical – tilted 45° in different directions.

Important! Experts say that horizontal laying is preferable. It is in this position that the hen incubates them. The embryo rises as high as possible, approaching the heat source.

In ordinary home units, a horizontal placement method is provided. In industrial machines with automatic inversion, the testicles are placed vertically so that the blunt end points upward.

When laying, keep in mind that each additional gram of weight increases the time until hatching by 40 minutes. Therefore, experts advise choosing eggs with approximately the same mass. But you can do it differently.

1. The largest specimens are stacked first.
2. After 4 hours, medium eggs are placed in the incubator.
3. 8 hours after the first, the laying of the smallest eggs begins.

Attention! Experienced poultry farmers say that the optimal period for starting incubation is the evening (about 18 hours). In this case, the peeling begins in the morning of the 21st day. Until the evening, the bulk of the chicks are born.

The incubator itself is also pre-washed, disinfected and warmed up to operating temperature.

Bookmarking begins when the thermometer shows more than 36°C. Proper organization of the process of laying raw materials is only one of the components of success. It is important to understand how to incubate the raw material and what conditions should be followed.

Chick incubation process

Even before placing the selected eggs in the incubator, it is necessary to understand the process. Incubation lasts 21 days, but hatching can begin on days 20-22. If hatching has not started before day 24, then there is no point in waiting any longer.

Conventionally, the entire process is divided into several periods: in each of them, humidity and temperature should be adjusted. Compliance with the required conditions is the key to the maximum percentage of hatching and production of healthy chickens. After all, the success of the process depends on the microclimate in the hatchery chamber.

Video - Instructions for incubating chicken eggs

Instructions for keeping future chickens

You can get full-fledged offspring if you figure out at what level the temperature and humidity should be maintained. Separately, poultry farmers will have to figure out how to organize the process of ventilation and cooling of the future brood of chicks. Step-by-step instructions will help you understand the nuances of the process.

Step 1. After laying the raw materials, the first period begins. It lasts 6 days. At this time, humidity is maintained at around 65%, temperatures at 37.5–37.8°C. Turn the testicles up to 6-8 times a day. In exceptional cases, it is allowed to increase the intervals between coups, but they should not exceed 12 hours. Please note that under natural conditions in the nest the hen moves them almost hourly.

Step 2. The second incubation period lasts from 7 to 11 days. Humidity during this period decreases to 50%, the temperature remains 37.5 – 37.7°C. The periodicity of testicular rotation is maintained.

Step 3. From 12 to 20 days there is a 3rd incubation period. Temperatures drop to 37.5°C. At the same time, the humidity rises to 75%; for these purposes it is recommended to regularly spray the testicles. Starting from day 18, it is necessary to ensure air flow and periodic cooling. Twice a day the incubator is opened for 15 minutes to cool the future chicks. From the 19th day, the upheavals stop, and there is no longer any need to disturb the mature chicks.

Step 4. The final stage begins on days 20-21. The chicks begin to hatch. The humidity inside the incubation chamber should be high and the temperature should be kept at 37.2°C. Experts advise taking the hatchlings out of the incubator after drying.

You can quickly figure out what conditions should be created for the future brood using a table.

Temperature and humidity by period

Video - Features of incubation temperature conditions

Knowledge of the technology and features of hatching offspring using special devices allows you to obtain the maximum percentage of healthy chicks hatched.

Secrets of the incubation process

1. To hatch chicks, only high-quality raw materials are selected: any cracks or chips will cause loss of moisture and stop the development of the embryo. Irregularities on the shell, growths, and defects indicate a lack of nutrients.
2. Before laying the apparatus, in which the revolution is carried out manually, you should make marks on the shell: draw a stripe or a cross on one side, and a circle on the other. They will help you understand whether the poultry farmer turned over all the testicles.
3. Turning of eggs up to the 19th day is carried out more than 4 times a day - this minimizes the likelihood of the embryo growing to the wall. Experts advise doing revolutions at regular intervals.
4. Particular importance is paid to controlling humidity and temperature indicators. Failure to comply with the established regimes is the main cause of death of formed embryos.

Timely rejection of eggs allows you to ensure the production of healthy offspring. Problematic specimens can be detected using periodic ovoscoping.

1. The first candling is carried out before setting up the incubator.
2. On the 4th day you can see the air chamber located at the blunt end, the beginning of the development of the circulatory system: the vessels are already visible.
3. On days 6-7, it is clear that the vessels filled almost the entire internal surface; upon closer examination, movements of the embryo can be seen. Many people recommend candling eggs at this time.
4. On the 11th day, the contents under the shell are poorly visible and are darker. In the part that is visualized, vessels are visible.
5. On the 19th day there is practically no clearance, only the air chamber is visible. The embryo is already fully developed, but not yet ready to hatch.

Notice! It is not necessary to wait 6-7 days for ovoscopy. 24 hours after laying, the active development of the blastoderm is already visible. The ovoscope will show a darkening that moves when the egg is turned over. Its diameter is about 5 mm.

But not all eggs, when candled, look as described. Those specimens should be rejected if, when scanned, it was revealed that:

• the subshell membrane is exfoliated;
• the air chamber is located not at the blunt end, but on the side;
• instead of blood vessels, bloody spots are visualized or only the yolk and air chamber are visible;
• a blood ring appeared (the embryo died from days 1 to 6 of incubation);
• the fetus is frozen (detected on days 7-14), it looks like a dark spot, blood vessels are not visualized.

Experienced poultry farmers advise getting rid of such eggs in a timely manner. If you follow all these recommendations, you will be able to achieve almost 100% hatching of offspring.

Stages of Chick Development

All chickens begin to develop from the blastodisc - this is the cytoplasm located on the yolk. Fertilized blastodiscs begin to divide during the process of egg formation in the laying hen's body. By the time of laying, it is completely surrounded by blastoderm. If you break such an egg, you will see a whitish spot on the surface of the yolk with a diameter of up to 2 mm.

If after laying the egg finds favorable conditions, the cells continue to divide. The development of the embryo goes through the following stages.

The order of embryo development

Video - The process of development and emergence of a chicken

The appearance of chicks

Pecking of the shell begins from the center. The chickens make a hole for themselves in a circle, breaking off pieces. Then the chick presses on the shell and it breaks. The weight of newborn egg breeds is about 35 g, meat breeds - up to 42 g.

After the hatching process is completed, farmers evaluate the offspring. In healthy chickens:

• closed umbilical cord, traces of blood are not visualized;
• the fluff is bright, soft to the touch and shiny;
• eyes shine;
• the wings are pressed tightly to the body.

After drying, the chicks become active, mobile, and react to any noise.

Common Incubation Errors

To minimize the amount of incubation waste, you can deal with the main mistakes in advance. They are allowed mainly by novice poultry farmers.

1. Laying too large or small eggs.
2. Incubation of stale raw materials, storage of eggs in unsuitable conditions (in rooms where the temperature is above 20°C, in the refrigerator).
3. Placing eggs in an incubator whose shells are contaminated with droppings.
4. Use of copies with obvious defects.
5. Incorrect setting of incubation modes.

If you select the raw materials correctly, constantly monitor the temperature in the incubator, check the humidity and promptly reject the eggs, then at the end you can get a hatchability close to 100%.

Egg air chamber ANIMAL EMBRYOLOGY

AIR CHAMBER OF AN EGG - a space located at the blunt end of the egg between the inner and outer shell membranes and filled with air.

General embryology: Terminological dictionary - Stavropol. O.V. Dilekova, T.I. Lapina. 2010 .

See what “egg air chamber” is in other dictionaries:

egg air chamber- NDP. egg meadows A cavity at the blunt end of the egg between the inner and outer shell membranes, filled with air. [GOST 18473-88 (CT SEV 6095-87)] Inadmissible, non-recommended meadows eggs Subjects poultry farming ... Technical Translator's Guide

ANIMAL EMBRYOLOGY AIR CHAMBER - an air cavity at the blunt end of a bird egg, which contains reserve air necessary for the development of the chick... General embryology: Terminological dictionary

EGGS- birds are a formed fertilized embryonic cell, equipped with a large supply of nutrients and enclosed in a hard calcareous shell. In the eggs of birds, a distinction is made between the white, the yolk and the shell. Layers of protein in one place... ... Great Medical Encyclopedia

EGG- a female reproductive cell formed in the ovaries of a female. For a layman, the word egg usually means a chicken egg covered with a hard shell and eaten. However, for a biologist, an egg is a specialized cell from which... ... Collier's Encyclopedia

Egg- This term has other meanings, see Egg (meanings). Eggs of various species of birds and other animals An egg, or oocyte, most often, an ovum or embryonic form of an animal ... Wikipedia

Egg female reproductive cell*- (ovum) or female reproductive cell in its finally formed form. When the egg matures in most Metazoa, it is surrounded by a layer of cells that form a shell or follicle around it and are called follicular. But such a layer may not exist.... ...

Egg- (ovum) or female reproductive cell in its finally formed form. When the egg matures in most Metazoa, it is surrounded by a layer of cells that form a shell or follicle around it and are called follicular. But such a layer may not exist.... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron

Ovoscope- (from Latin ovum (ovum) “egg” and Greek σκοπεῖν (scopeine) “to examine, look”) a device for determining the quality of eggs by candling them. The illumination source (lamp) is located inside the housing with oval holes in the shape ... Wikipedia

Egg dishes- The most elementary, the most ancient of all egg dishes is a raw egg, drunk in one fell swoop, and later beaten with honey or sugar and a teaspoon of cognac or vodka (modern eggnog). Raw eggs are used as a dish... ... Great Encyclopedia of Culinary Arts

Siphonophores- (Siphonophora) order of the class polypomedusae (see), or Hydrozoa, type coelenterata (Coelenterata). S., which are free-swimming polymorphic colonies (see Colonies), are exclusively pelagic marine animals, distinguished by... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron