J. Appl. Poult. Res.
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J APPL POULT RES 2004. 13:77-84
© 2004 Poultry Science Association
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Field Reports

A Long-Term Study of the Environment Within a Tunnel Incubator for Turkey Eggs

N. A. French* and R. J. Houlbrooke{dagger}

* British United Turkeys Ltd. , Hockenhull Hall, Tarvin, Chester, CH3 8LE, United Kingdom
{dagger} British United Turkeys of America Inc. , PO Box 727, Lewisburg, West Virginia 24901

Correspondence: N. A. French, E-mail: nick.french{at}merial.com

A 6-mo study of the temperatures within a tunnel incubator in a commercial turkey hatchery was conducted to determine the extent that the incubation environment varied with the type of egg incubated. The tunnel incubator moves air through the mass of eggs from the oldest to the youngest embryos, and air temperature was found to increase by approximately 1°F as it passed through the eggs. The temperature of the air entering the eggs was maintained at a constant temperature by the incubator, but the temperature of the air leaving the eggs showed considerable day-to-day variation. The main cause of temperature variation within the incubator was the setting of fresh eggs into and the transferring of d-25 eggs out of the incubator. However, the temperature was also found to vary with the predicted total embryo metabolic heat production within the incubator estimated from the age of the embryo, egg mass, and breeder flock fertility. The temperature of air within the egg mass was also measured and shown to correspond more closely to the temperature of the air where it exits the eggs rather than where it enters the eggs or the machine-operating temperature.

Key Words: incubation • temperature • turkey • metabolic heat






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