Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Too dry: Quick to hatch, smaller than average; yolk sac may not be fully internalized
Just right: Fluffy and ready to go
The best way to regulate the process is to maintain proper humidity at the end. This
may mean adding additional pans of water to the incubator and misting the eggs with a
sprayer. It also helps to not open the incubator constantly, which lowers the humidity by
releasing it to the outside world.
Turkey poults emerge healthiest if they have few struggles; the eggshell must be
moist enough for them to pip their way around quickly. If the humidity is too high, tur-
key poults peck out below the air sac and have little chance of survival. The moisture
from the egg plugs the peck hole like concrete and the beak gets stuck. If it successfully
pecks out, the poult is usually sticky and won't thrive, if it lives at all.
Guinea fowl
have humidity requirements very similar to turkeys. They do best with
lower humidity levels during the incubation period and higher levels in the hatching
phase. One requirement unique to the breed: guinea eggs must be crowded together in
the hatcher. Whenever the eggs are spread thin, the keets have leg problems such as
splayed legs. When they are bunched up snugly, they do much better.
