Continuous Incubation Explained

Continuous incubation presents an innovative approach to enhancing your incubator's productivity, allowing for weekly chick hatching instead of the typical three-week intervals.

While most mini incubators are optimized for batch incubation, wherein a set quantity of eggs undergo incubation and hatching within a 21-day period, continuous incubation introduces a different rhythm.

In continuous incubation, eggs are loaded into the machine every seven days, facilitating weekly hatches. Each week, one-third of the setting space is filled with eggs, which are subsequently transferred to the hatching area upon reaching the 18-day mark. The eggs remain in the hatcher for the standard three-day period until they hatch. This cycle repeats weekly to ensure a consistent output of chicks.

However, continuous incubation in poultry farming does come with its challenges:

1. Contamination Risk: Continuous loading and unloading increase the likelihood of introducing contaminants or diseases. Failing to clean the incubator after each hatch can result in bacterial proliferation.
2. Humidity Control: Managing humidity levels in continuous incubation proves challenging due to varying egg ages and evolving humidity requirements throughout development. Achieving optimal humidity becomes a compromise, as it inevitably fluctuates between stages if setting and hatching occur in the same machine.

To mitigate these issues, employing separate setters and hatchers in combination is advisable.

Delta Incubators offers two such combinations:

*Kindly note: Above table is based on 100% hatch rate - Only use as a guideline. E. &O.E.

Maintaining cleanliness and preventing diseases in the hatcher are paramount in continuous incubation. It's imperative to clean the incubator with Virukill each time eggs are moved into the hatching area (every seven days) and after every hatch.

Any questions regarding the continuous incubation process can be sent to info@deltaincubators.co.za