Page 19 - poultry farming

Methods of Incubation

1. Natural Incubation

This is where the parent hen sits on its eggs until they hatch .

Advantages of natural incubation

 It is cheap to maintain and man-

ageable

 You don’t need to pay

much attention to the in-

cubating hen

 The chicks get natural

care from the mother.

Disadvantages of natural incubation

 Few chicks are hatched at a time.

 The parent hen may not be good at incubating.

 It’s ideal for a small poultry farm

Conditions necessary for natural incubation

 The egg should be fertilized

 A clean dry and warm nest

 Light should be dim

 Free form disturbance from other animals, e.g. snakes, rats

or people..

 The nest should be comfortable for the broody bird.