Brinsea Octagon 10 Instructions

The Octagon 10 incubator from specialty manufacturer Brinsea is used by beginning breeders to keep chicken, quail, hen, duck or small goose eggs, as well as reptile eggs, warm so they can hatch without a mother bird or reptile present. Because the unit uses adjustable dividers, you can use it for eggs of different species at the same time. After the initial setup, you must monitor humidity and make adjustments as necessary. You can turn the eggs either by turning the incubator or by using an optional automatic cradle.

Things You'll Need

  • Small screwdriver
  • High-intensity light source or egg candling device
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Instructions

    • 1

      Plug your Octagon 10 into a wall outlet in a room that is kept at a steady temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, or standard room temperature. Do not place the unit in direct sunlight. Use an electric heater or fan if necessary to maintain temperature.

    • 2

      Insert the back end of the thermometer supplied with your incubator into the socket on the incubator door. Adjust the temperature to 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit for hens, pheasant or quail, 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit for ducks or geese, or whatever is recommended for other species. Turn the screw on top of the control cover counterclockwise with a small screwdriver to increase the temperature or clockwise to decrease it.

    • 3

      Allow the temperature to stabilize for two hours. The light will start flashing every second when the temperature you selected has been reached.

    • 4

      Place the eggs in rows between the dividers so that the load is balanced and the tray remains straight. You can set them sideways or rest each egg on its small end.

    • 5

      Block one of the two vents at the control end of the incubator. Add water to one of the two pans in the egg tray to within a half-inch from the top of the pan.

    • 6

      Tip the incubator 45 degrees to each side three times a day beginning from the second day unless you have placed it in the auto-turn cradle, which will handle the turning process for you.

    • 7

      Candle the eggs by examining them against a high-intensity light source beginning at eight days after placement to make sure they are fertile and developing. Discard any eggs that are clear, show a blood ring, or red or black staining after eight days, or a dark outline at 10 days. Make sure the air pocket takes up no more than about 10 percent of the egg's volume at 10 days; lower humidity by reducing the amount of water in the water trays if the pocket is too large.

    • 8

      Stop turning the incubator once you see bills in the air pockets while candling toward the end of the incubation period. Remove the egg dividers and make sure the incubator is in flat position.

    • 9

      Fill the second water pan as soon as the first egg breaks open, or pips. Close the incubator and allow the eggs to hatch without further interference.

    • 10

      Move your hatchlings to their brooder cage as soon as most of your eggs have hatched.

    • 11

      Unplug the incubator, remove all shells and unhatched eggs and wash the egg tray with warm water (less than 120 degrees Fahrenheit). Dry thoroughly and use a moist cloth to remove dust inside the incubator.