Whether you are a professional chicken breeder or a beginner looking to raise their own chicks, an egg incubator will make your job a lot easier
Egg incubators are not only intended for hatching chicken or hen eggs, but can be used for:
- ducks
- doves
- rock partridges
- pheasants
- geese
- peacocks
- partridges
- pigeons
- quail
- turkeys
- turtledoves
- exotic birds
Watching your own eggs hatch is an extraordinary experience that everyone should go through at least once in their life.
But what’s the difference between a manual and an automatic egg incubator? How do automatic incubators work and what are their advantages?
Manual or automatic egg incubator
The main difference between manual, semi-automatic and automatic egg incubators is the way the eggs are turned. The eggs must be turned two or three times a day to hatch and give birth to healthy chicks. It is a vital part of the incubation process as it prevents the embryo from attaching to the sides of the egg shell.
When using a manual incubator, it is necessary to manually turn each egg several times a day. It might not seem like a lot of work, but doing it three times a day can take a long time, especially if you’re managing several broods at the same time.
If you choose to use a manual incubator, it is important to make sure you turn the eggs correctly by flipping them gently. A little trick is to mark one side of the egg with the number 1 and the other side with the number 2 so that you can check at any time whether an egg has been turned or not during the day.
Automatic egg incubators, unlike manual ones, make the job much easier. However, there are two types of automatic incubators:
- semiautomatic
- fully automatic
With semi-automatic egg incubators, you still need to turn the eggs manually, but you can turn them all at the same time. The semi-automatic incubators are in fact equipped with a traction rod that allows you to rotate the base (or floor) of the incubator and turn all the eggs at the same time.
It is also possible to separately purchase an automatic egg turner for incubators and make your incubator semi-automatic, fully automatic at a later time.
The automatic egg incubators, on the other hand, turn the eggs autonomously without requiring any supervision. Furthermore, by downloading our dedicated application, River CovApp, it is possible to monitor the progress of the hatching directly from your smartphone at any time.
Advantages of using an automatic egg incubator
Besides making your life easier, automatic egg incubators have a number of other benefits as well.
- They guarantee a higher hatching rate
- They limit the breaking or falling of the eggs
- They ensure that the eggs are turned correctly every time
- They maintain constant temperature and humidity 24 hours a day
Why buy an egg incubator?
If you already have chickens that hatch their own eggs, why should you choose to use an incubator? The reason is very simple: convenience.The hatching period of the hens, for example, lasts about 3 weeks and during this time the hens take care of the hatching and do not lay other eggs. Incubators, on the other hand, save time and money, ensuring continuous egg production. In addition to this, egg incubators are always reliable. In fact, it can happen that the hens do not hatch the eggs correctly or long enough, thus lowering the hatching rate.
Using an egg incubator could also be fun because you can observe the whole process and make a fun project with your children. Finally, egg incubators are the perfect solution if you want to hatch eggs, but don’t have the option of keeping chickens in the house. You can purchase eggs from a local breeder or farmer and then hatch them yourself at home.
How do egg incubators work?
Egg incubators work by simulating the natural environment created when a hen starts brooding. When a mother does her job properly, the rooster provides the right temperature, humidity levels and rotation needed for the chicks to hatch.
An ideal egg incubator also maintains the ideal temperature and humidity level for the bird species you are hatching and rotates for you. River Systems’ egg incubators also feature a bright display to give you the ability to monitor the temperature and humidity without having to open the lid.
River Systems’ egg incubators also have the following features:
- Inspection window
- Tilting tray
- Honeycomb’ system that adapts to various egg sizes
- Grid for hatching
- An easy-to-use digital display
- External outlets for filling water without opening the incubator
Our incubators are perfect for beginners who have just started to experience this fascinating world for the first time, and for professionals looking for high-tech support that ensures optimal results every time.
Buy an egg incubator online today
Are you ready to dive into the world of hatching eggs or are you finally ready to change your old manual incubator for an automatic one? Then take a look at our complete range of products. If you also want to simplify the collection of eggs laid in your chicken coop, take a look at our chicken nests.
For more resources or information about our incubators or our other products please contact us directly.
