1、 Selection

　　Incubators and professionals should consider the following aspects when purchasing incubators.

　　(1) Incubation rate. The level of incubation rate is the most important indicator to measure the quality of the equipment, and it is also the main reason why many incubators and professional households are willing to replace advanced incubation equipment at great expense. The temperature field inside the machine should be uniform without temperature dead angle, otherwise the hatching rate will be reduced.

　　(2) The cost of using the machine. Such as electricity and maintenance costs.

　　(3) The circuit design should be reasonable, with complete aging detection equipment. In addition, the complete machine shall be subject to aging test for a period of time after installation, and can only be used after passing the test.

　　(4) Good after-sales service. First, the service is fast, and second, the service time is long. Manufacturers with large scale, good reputation and long after-sales service time should be selected as far as possible.

　　(5) Long service life. The service life of the incubator mainly depends on the material quality, the thickness of the material and the quality of the electrical components. Users should make a detailed comparison when purchasing. In addition, product type is also an aspect that should be paid special attention to when selecting incubators.

　　2、 Use

　　(1) Preparation before incubation. 1. Before installation, the cement floor shall be kept flat. The incubator tilts slightly forward (some models tilt backward) to discharge sewage during cleaning. There should be 2-3 meters of operating space in front of the door. 2. Disinfection of incubation room should be carried out one week before incubation. All corners of the incubator should be cleaned and fumigated with potassium permanganate and formaldehyde. 3. Check whether the egg tray frame is firm and whether the iron wire is dislocated, broken and bent, and check one by one. 4. Check whether the incubator is tight after being closed, and whether the four walls, top and bottom of the incubator are deformed, and repair the problems found in time. 5. One week before incubation, systematically check whether the installation is firm and whether the wiring of each electrical system is accurate and reliable. 6. Inspection during commissioning. During the test run, the temperature supply, humidity supply, alarm bell, fan and other systems as well as the rotation of the motor should be checked. All are normal, and the test run can be formally incubated for 1-2 days. For the preparation of seed eggs before hatching, the selection of seed eggs before hatching should be done first, that is, external observation, egg exposure and dissection. Secondly, preheat and disinfect the seed eggs before they are hatched.

　　(2) Management during incubation. 1. Seed eggs are incubated. The seed eggs after hanging are preheated and sterilized before being hatched. When hatching, insert the egg tray into the egg rack in the incubator. But pay attention to the balance of the egg rack to prevent the egg from turning over. 2. Temperature regulation and ventilation. After the temperature is adjusted and fixed, generally do not move again. At the beginning of incubation, because the door is opened to release eggs, some heat is lost, and at the same time, the eggs and egg trays absorb heat, the temperature in the incubator drops sharply, which is a normal phenomenon, and will gradually return to normal after a period of time. Under normal conditions, when the temperature in the machine is higher or lower than 0.5 ℃, the cause shall be checked and adjusted. Therefore, the temperature indicated by the thermometer on the machine door shall be observed at any time. If there is any abnormality, the temperature control system shall be checked in time to eliminate the fault. With the increase of embryo age, the vent should be properly opened, and all should be opened at the later stage to maintain the oxygen demand for normal embryo development. However, it should not be turned on too large in the early stage to avoid slow heating and waste of electricity. Generally, the temperature in the incubator is required to be about 38 ℃ when incubating for 1 to 19 days. When the embryo eggs are transferred into the incubator, the temperature of the incubator shall not exceed 37.5 ℃. When using the incubator, pay attention to the temperature recommended by the incubator manufacturer's operating instructions, and also consider the environmental conditions.

　　(3) Humidity regulation. The most suitable relative humidity in the incubator is 53%~57%. During incubation, observe the dry-wet bulb thermometer in the glass window of the incubator door regularly. In addition, the water in the basin of dry-wet bulb thermometer should be changed frequently.

　　(4) Turn the egg. It is required to turn the eggs once every 2-3 hours, and the angle of turning is ± 45 °. If multiple incubators are controlled at the same time, it is better to make all incubators turn eggs in the same direction. Make records every time you turn an egg.

　　3、 Management in the later stage of incubation

　　The embryo eggs should be transferred into the hatching device to continue hatching until hatching after 18~19 days of hatching. The room temperature should be raised and the action should be light, stable and fast. When the embryo eggs are hatched to 20.5 days, they begin to peck out a large number of chicks. When more than 30% of the eggs are hatched, they begin to pick out the chicks whose feathers are basically dry, and pick out the eggshells. When the chicks' feathers are not dry, they will be inspected or the chicks will be kept in the incubator for a long time, which will affect the health of the chicks. After hatching, the hatching device and incubator must be cleaned and disinfected. After washing the hatching tray and water tray, put them into the hatching device for fumigation and disinfection.