The adjustment of the settling time for hatching eggs needs to be determined comprehensively based on transportation time, environmental conditions, and breed characteristics. The following are specific guidelines:
Relationship between Transportation Time and Settling Time:
1. Short-distance transportation (1-2 days): 24-hour settling: Suitable for eggs with intact packaging and sufficient shockproof measures (such as rice husk filling). Key function: Restores yolk displacement caused by slight bumps, stabilizing the air cell at the blunt end. Experiments show that 24 hours of settling can clearly reposition the air cell in over 90% of hatching eggs (candling confirmation required).
2. Medium- to long-distance transportation (3-4 days): 48-hour settling: Suitable for situations with longer logistics times or large temperature and humidity fluctuations (such as high temperatures in summer or low temperatures in winter). Special handling: If the temperature exceeds 30℃ during transportation, an additional 12 hours of settling is required to prevent protein denaturation. For large hatching eggs such as geese and swans, where the yolk membrane is more fragile, the settling time needs to be extended to 48-56 hours. 3. Extreme Transportation (More than 4 days or severe jolting)
Let the eggs rest for 48-72 hours: Candling is necessary to ensure the air cell edge is clear and the yolk is not broken before incubation. If blood streaks or a blurred air cell are found, discard the problematic eggs.
Environmental Factor Adjustment Strategies:
1. Temperature Influence
High Temperature Environment (>25℃): Shorten the resting time to 12-24 hours to prevent premature embryonic development or death. Use air conditioning or ventilation to maintain the resting environment temperature at 20-25℃.
Low Temperature Environment (<10℃): Extend the resting time to 36-48 hours to allow the eggs to slowly warm up and avoid temperature stress.
2. Humidity Control
- During the resting period, humidity should be maintained at 50%-65%. Excessive humidity (>70%) can easily cause mold growth, requiring increased ventilation; excessively low humidity (<40%) may accelerate moisture evaporation from the eggs, which can be regulated by placing a water basin.
Breed Differences and Operational Details:
1. Poultry Breed Differences:
* Chicken/Quail Hatching Eggs: 6-12 hours of rest is sufficient (for short-distance transport).
* Goose/Wild Goose Hatching Eggs: Due to higher viscosity, at least 24 hours of rest is required, and 48 hours after long-distance transport.
* Rare Birds (e.g., Peacock): 72 hours of rest is recommended, with eggs turned once daily to prevent sticking.
2. Resting Operation Standards*
* Placement Direction: Larger end upwards, tilt angle not exceeding 15°. Hatching eggs stored for more than 5 days should be changed to smaller end upwards and turned daily.
* Disinfection Timing: Disinfect after resting and before incubation. Alcohol is prohibited (it damages the eggshell membrane).
General Recommendations:
* Optimal Window: Incubate within 5-7 days after resting; peak hatchability can be achieved (over 95% for chicken hatching eggs).
* Acceptance Criteria: After resting, candling checks the air cell position and yolk integrity; discard eggs with broken yolks or cracks. By dynamically adjusting the settling time, damage from transportation can be repaired to the greatest extent possible, thus improving hatching quality. In practice, it is necessary to handle the situation flexibly based on observation data, and a fixed time should not be mechanically applied.
Post time: Nov-05-2025
