An egg incubator, also called an automatic incubator, is a device that hatches the eggs of chickens or other species of birds. Indeed, not all hens do this systematically, and some breeds do not brood at all. This material is therefore most often used in France to overcome these inconveniences. The incubator organizes optimal environmental conditions for hatching. Such a device is therefore of great help to breeders. That being said, how exactly does it work?

Preparing the automatic incubator

Any good guide to using a material starts with the preparation phase. The first step in using an automatic incubator is to set up the device for incubating eggs. First of all, it is very important to thoroughly clean the inside of the brooder. Use a damp cloth to wipe down the compartment, making sure to remove any egg or dust residue. Once this is done, observe how your incubator looks.

Automatic incubators from Farmitoo or any other manufacturer specializing in this type of equipment are equipped with egg trays specially designed for incubation. Install these trays inside the brooder, making sure they are securely in place. Finally, advise the water tank, whose usefulness is to maintain the humidity inside the system. Fill it with clean, cold water.

Placing eggs in the egg incubator

Before placing the eggs in the automatic incubator, make sure that the temperature inside is correct. Information gathering is necessary here, the user having to understand the precise temperature which will favor optimal hatching of the eggs he has. Set the thermostat to this recommended setting for the eggs you will be incubating and allow the incubator to heat for about an hour.

Once the automatic incubator is preheated, place the eggs in the trays provided. They should be positioned with the pointed side down. It is important not to overload the egg incubator, as this can affect the quality of incubation. If there are mistakes not to make with eggs when it comes to cooking, this is also the case when using this type of system.

The course of the incubation

The incubation period begins when the eggs are placed in the automatic incubator and lasts approximately 21 days for chicken eggs. During this period, you will maintain a constant temperature of around 37.5°C, and the humidity will also be maintained at around 50-60%. Eggs should be manually turned several times a day to prevent the yolk from sticking to the shell. After these three weeks, the temperature will be reduced slightly to around 37°C and the humidity will be increased to around 65-75%.

By Wanja Waweru

Pineapple growers in various areas of Gatundu North and South constituencies in Kiambu county lamented their inability to secure a market for their abundant crop,  after a cheaper supply of pineapples flooded the market.

Most pineapples, according to farmers, are left to rot in gardens because brokers and other buyers have ceased doing business with them as a result of dumping.

In Machakos and Kiambu Counties, where Gatundu farmers have been selling their produce, it is rumored that stolen pineapples from some of the large-scale producers are sold at throwaway rates, leaving them without markets to sell the fruits.

The farmers, led by Mwala Mara, bemoaned the sharp drop in pineapple prices that has harmed them and occasionally forced them to sell their produce below cost.

“The people who used to buy from us have stopped. The market is flooded with stolen pineapples which are giving us unfair competition. We are now selling locally at very low prices but most of the fruits are ending up rotting on the farm,” Mara said.

Out of desperation to find alternative markets, the farmers decried that unscrupulous businesspersons have taken advantage of the situation to buy the expensive fruits cheaply.

Another farmer, James Kavaiku, expressed regret that brokers who have been purchasing from them are quitting the industry because they too were unable to secure better markets for the produce.

The producers disclosed that they used to charge Ksh50 for one pineapple fruit, a price that has since dropped significantly.

Farmers urged the government to assist them in locating better domestic and international markets for their products through the trade and agriculture departments.

“We are not making any profits anymore. Our fruits are rotting in the farm and this unfair competition brought about by thieves is killing our business. It’s time the government helps us get a solution to this,” Kavaiku said.

By Wanja Waweru

A herder is tallying his loses in the midst of a devastating drought that has claimed the lives of countless animals in Kajiado County.

This is after losing 28 cows to armyworms in Murtot village in Kajiado South sub-county,

Mr. Samuel Topoika, 50, a retired police officer and the late Interior Minister George Saitoti’s trusted bodyguard for ten years observed helplessly as his animals passed away one by one.

Devastated, Mr Topoika told said he was shocked when his herdsman raised the alarm from the grazing fields.

Most herders are feeding their animals green maize stovers from the Loitoktok agricultural belt common for irrigation farming.

“I was alerted by my herder when the first three animals died. I rushed there but we could do nothing to save the animals,” he said.

Mr Topoika suspected the animals had eaten green maize stovers infested with armyworms.