What incubator to choose?

The decision to buy the right hatching apparatus is influenced by many different factors. The most important of them is the type of breeding carried out. Depending on its focus, there are both professional and hobby incubators available on the market. The difference between these two types of nesting devices is associated with their equipping with various types of additional functions such as automatic temperature or humidity control. Professional cameras are most often fully automated, and the role of the breeder is limited to modifying the settings.

Therefore, another determinant that prompts you to buy a given model is its cost. There is a fairly large price range on the market, which in our offer ranges from approx. 300 to 5000 PLN. For this reason, we should also pay attention to the manufacturer of the device. For many years, the world leader in the sale of high-quality nesting apparatus has been the British company Brinsea. When looking for the right equipment, we should take into account the intended amount of incubated eggs. Various models are available, the maximum capacity of which varies from 7 to even 312 pieces of chicken eggs.

Thus, we proceed to the next point where we will consider equipping incubators with various functions and components. Let's start with the possibility of regulating temperature and humidity, which are essential in the successive hatching of birds. The simplest household models have a pre-programmed temperature (approx. 38 o C)^ofincubation and we do not have the ability to change its value. Some cameras are equipped with a thermoregulator, allowing you to modify the settings, while others have an analog thermometer that only allows you to read the temperature.

Most models on the market have humidity control, which consists in dosing the right amount of water into special tanks. More advanced models include a professional pump to adjust the degree of moisture inside the incubator. However, this additional piece of equipment can be purchased and installed in virtually any device at any time. In order to fully automate the work of hatching apparatus, it is necessary to acquire a module that controls the moisture level - the so-called hygrocontroller.

Another important component is the tray on which we store eggs and which is used to rotate them. In its absence, eggs should be turned by hand even several times a day. Turning eggs is a rather cumbersome and monotonous activity that consumes a lot of valuable time. Thus, having a tray increases the comfort and safety of work. In addition, it reduces the degree of interference with the incubation process associated with opening the lid for manual rotation. There are two types of egg-rotating trays - semi-automatically and automatically. Depending on our choice, the eggs are rotated tilting or sliding.

Despite the above tips, when buying an incubator, it is crucial to compare the price, equipment of this device and check the usefulness of its functions in combination with other models. In the event that no specific apparatus suits you, it is always possible to construct your own apparatus for hatching eggs.