Nests, Birds and Incubators

A great reference source for "... enthusiastic breeders who want to improve their results during artificial incubation."

Recent scientific research on egg incubation and the development of the embryo has been far reaching and exciting. However until now it has been locked away in professional journals and conference papers.

In this book, Dr Charles Deeming, a leader in transferring academic research on incubation into the wider world has pulled into one volume the leading results in research and set them out in an accessible form for the advanced hobbyist and the professional breeder. Anyone reading this book cannot fail to learn a great deal about incubation, and it will help breeders to achieve greater success in incubating species as diverse as parrots, raptors and waterfowl.

Drawing on research on both natural and artificial egg incubation, carried out on a wide range of species, Dr Deeming discusses, in nontechnical language the factors that make for success. Topics in natural ncubation, such as nest structure, egg formation, embryonic development, and behavior of adult birds during incubation, including egg turning, are discussed in detail.

This provides a context for reviewing artificial incubation, with a concentration on small-scale activities and tabletop devices. A detailed discussion of what to do when things go wrong will be valuable to any breeder, no matter how experienced.

Finally Dr Deeming looks at the emerging technology of Contact Incubation, where a conventional incubator is replaced by one more closely resembling a bird and nest, and he examines the advantages it has over conventional artificial incubation.

“The biology of birds has become the subject of intense scientific study,” said Dr Deeming. “In this book I have attempted to make these sometimes quite complex ideas accessible to enthusiastic breeders who want to improve their results during artificial incubation.”

Dr Charles Deeming

Dr Charles Deeming graduated from the University of Bath in 1984 with a degree in Applied Biology and did a doctorate on the physiological basis of egg turning during incubation in birds at the University of Reading.
After working on alligator embryos at the University of Manchester, and a 6-month spell in a bird zoo incubating a wide variety of species, Dr Deeming went on to work for a British poultry incubator manufacturer as Technical Advisor where he advised on incubation of poultry and ratite eggs. Between 1993- 1996 Dr Deeming worked on an ostrich farm managing the incubation unit and researching into incubation, chick rearing and behavior of ostriches. Since 1996 Dr Deeming has been working as an independent consultant for poultry and game hatcheries, as well as conservation projects.

This is Dr Deeming sixth book on the science and practice of incubation in birds.

Nests, Birds and Incubators - Dr D Charles Deeming $26.99