Your shopping cart is currently empty.
Periodic Cooling in Incubation
For most species in nature, mother birds must occasionally get off the nest in order to find something to eat and drink. This immediately removes the heat source from the eggs, which causes them to cool. The question for electric incubators is: Should we try to replicate this periodic cooling or will the eggs hatch just fine without it? Recent studies show that not only is cooling safe, it can actually be beneficial.
Key Takeaways
- Cooling Can Increase Hatch Rates: Research shows that mimicking the natural cooling process can improve a chick’s development and increase hatchability.
- Follow a Schedule: For poultry, waterfowl, and game birds, cool eggs for 30 minutes daily, starting on Day 7 of incubation.
- Stop Cooling Before Hatch: The cooling feature should be turned off two days before the eggs are due to hatch, at the same time as the automatic turning.
-
The Science of Periodic Cooling
It is common knowledge among most bird breeders that eggs can be periodically cooled throughout incubation without any harmful side effects. More recent studies, however, have shown that periodic cooling may actually be beneficial for a chick’s development. Hatch rates may even increase as a result. A full research paper from 2011 is available if you are interested in more scientific information regarding cooling eggs during incubation.
Mimicking this natural process can be done easily with Brinsea’s Advance and EX models, which have a built-in cooling feature. If your incubator does not have this, the same effect can be achieved by removing the lid and candling the eggs each day.
How Brinsea's Cooling Feature Works
The cooling function turns the heater and low-temperature alarm off for a set period. The fan continues to run, circulating ambient air. Once the cycle ends, the heater turns back on and the alarm is reset. This setting can be adjusted in the menu, and the default setting is OFF.
-
Recommended Cooling Protocol
Through research conducted by Brinsea, the recommended cooling period varies by egg size and species.
For Poultry, Waterfowl, and Game Birds
We recommend that eggs be cooled for 30 minutes each day, starting at Day 7 of the incubation period. Two days before the eggs are due to hatch, the cooling should be turned off, along with the automatic turning feature.
For Parrots and Birds of Prey
Not enough research has been done regarding the eggs of parrots and birds of prey to give a good estimate of the recommended cooling period. However, your own research and experimentation can be done if you are interested in learning more about the effects of cooling on certain eggs.
-
Research Supporting the Benefits
Different research has been done over the years that can be used to support the idea that periodic cooling is beneficial for avian species during incubation.
Key Findings from Research
- Increased Hatchability: A 2019 study found that a developed cooling scheme for meat and egg-laying crosses increased the hatchability rate by reducing incubation waste.
- Improved Adaptation: Research on the lifelong effects of thermal challenges suggests that poultry may be better suited for significant weather changes in adulthood due to thermal acclimation during early development.
- Managing Metabolic Heat: A review on goose eggs notes that cooling is particularly important from day 15 onward, when the embryo starts producing its own metabolic heat, raising the egg's temperature above that of the incubator.