This can be used for all kinds of species as it provides the control and reliability to ensure top hatch rates

Available over our Secure Online Store – or order over the phone: 1-888-354-4666 x1

Octagon 20 ADVANCE digital egg incubator – the Latest Model! With Cooling Feature for greater hatchability …

This incubator offers all new ADVANCE design combines the latest digital and materials technology. This is a fool proof system, as you just need to add water and stop the turning 2 days before the eggs are due to hatch. Even if you forget the eggs and chicks won’t come to any harm since there are no moving parts inside the incubator.

A simple and highly accurate menu driven digital control system gives:

• • Digital display of temperature and humidity
  • Automatic temperature control in °F or °C fully factory calibrated. High and low temperature alarms.The temperature is factory preset at 99.5F.
  • Automatic egg turning
  • Fan assisted air circulation
  • Good visibility of the eggs
  • Robust hygienic ABS construction for easy cleaning
  • Insulated cabinet for low energy use and optimal temperature distribution
  • 24 hen eggs capacity but suitable for a wide range of egg sizes (adjustable dividers)
  • *NEW* Cooling Feature for Greater Hatchability!
  • Control panel
  • 2-year warranty

Available over our Secure Online Store – or order over the phone: 1-888-354-4666 x1

Please note: If you live in a very dry climate or one where the humidity fluctuates greatly, you may need a humidity pump to maintain appropriate humidity levels; particularly if you hatch delicate exotic parrot eggs. Poultry eggs, such chickens, ducks, quail, peacocks, pheasants, etc. generally do well without the pump. The below Octagon 20 Advance EX incubator comes with humidity pump.

Humidity and Ventilation (Information about humidity level requirements of the different bird species as well as during the different stages of embryo development – throughout the incubation process up to hatching) … Available in German language: Feuchtigkeit und Belüftung (Information ueber die notwendigen Luftfeuchtigkeit Bedingungen während der Brutphase.)

*Latest Feature* Cooling Feature

Control system

The specially designed control system is the heart of the Octagon 20 Advance. In normal mode it shows the incubation temperature and humidity to very high levels of accuracy. A simple menu allows the user to change the incubation settings. Features include high and low temperature alarm and choice of °C or °F. The menu also allows full control of humidity with the optional Advance Humidity Pump (see Octagon 20 Advance EX below).

Cabinet

The high quality incubator cabinet is entirely injection moulded from high grade ABS which makes it durable and easy to clean. The base is double skinned and foam filled to reduce heat loss meaning to lower electricity consumption and better temperature distribution. The top of the incubator is clear allowing good visibility of the eggs and chicks.

Available over our Secure Online Store – or order over the phone: 1-888-354-4666 x1

Octagon 20 ADVANCE EX digital egg incubator- the Latest Model! With Cooling Feature for greater hatchability …

Improved control for valuable and hard-to-incubate eggs.

Humidity is a crucial factor in the success (or otherwise) of eggs and the EX version of the Octagon 20 Advance puts accurate control of humidity in the hands of the user.

The Octagon 20 Advance EX is an Octagon 20 Advance incubator with the matching Humidity Pump module to maintain total control of the incubation humidity level and additional foam lined egg dividers to protect fragile or damaged eggs and eliminate effects of jolts. The standard Octagon 20 Advance provides a readout of incubation humidity but requires the user to alter humidity to achieve the ideal average level.

The EX version with the Humidity Pump effectively maintains the humidity level precisely at the level the user sets irrespective of changes in room humidity and so overcomes problems that can commonly lead to eggs failing to hatch – especially in the latest stages of incubation. The Humidity Pump includes an external water reservoir eliminating the chances of water in the incubator harboring bacteria.

*Latest Feature* Cooling Feature

Available over our Secure Online Store – or order over the phone: 1-888-354-4666 x1

Control Panel

Back to top

Available over our Secure Online Store – or order over the phone: 1-888-354-4666 x1

Egg Storing, Handling & Setting

Storing:

Up to the time you are able to start with the incubation, store eggs in cool, damp conditions. Most species may be safely stored for up to 14 days before serious reductions in hatch rates are likely. Daily turning of stored eggs also helps maintain hatchability.

Discard cracked, mis-shaped and heavily soiled eggs (if possible). Only wash soiled eggs using a brand egg wash solution. It is essential to wash eggs in solution which is significantly warmer than the egg. Bear in mind that all solutions will remove the outer cuticle from the egg as well as the dirt and may leave the egg at greater risk from bacterial contamination in the future.

Additional information about storing eggs.

Capacity / Handling

To accommodate eggs of different sizes the Octagon 20 Advance’s removable egg tray is supplied with dividers which the user can position to suit their eggs and so maximise the number of eggs that can be held. Eggs from as small as finches to as large as geese can be incubated and a guide to the numbers of a range of popular species which will fit is given in the specification table.

Egg capacity

Quail60

Pheasant40

Hen24

Duck20

Goose9/12

Eggs are turned during incubation as the whole incubator is rocked from side to side – hence the octagonal cabinet ends. The Autoturn Cradle turns the eggs hourly but this can be done manually twice daily.

The Octagon 20 Advance is designed to be as flexible as possible, accommodating eggs of different sizes up to (and including) goose eggs and in different orientations. Some experimentation may be necessary to maximise capacity.

Before setting eggs ensure that the incubator has been run for several hours and has stabilised at the correct temperature.

Set the eggs in rows between the wire loop dividers. The dividers must be positioned such that the eggs rest on the tray bottom and are not pressured by the bar. The dividers prevent the eggs rolling. Eggs may be set on end (or at an angle) provided the large end of the egg is upwards. Eggs rolling through a few degrees between the dividers as the incubator turns are not in danger.

Once the eggs have been set the temperature must not be adjusted for 24 hours to allow the eggs to warm.

Check the water level every 3 days or so and temperature daily. Candle eggs for fertility. Remove infertile or dead eggs to prevent contamination of viable eggs.

Back to top

Temperature Requirements throughout the incubation process and pertaining to the different bird species

• German: Fuer Information in Deutsch, gehen Sie bitte hier.

Causes of Infertility and Poor Hatching Rates … Glossary … Dead-in-Shell

Photo Series: From Egg to Parrot

Embryo Development and Internal Processes:

• Physical Development:
  • The first feature visible in an egg is a pointed, thickened layer of cells at the tail end of the embryo – from which the head and backbone form.The cardiovascular system, beak, limbs and respiratory system appear next.The claws and feathers are the last to develop.
• Internal Processes:
  • The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide gas occurs through the eggshell; the chorion lines the inside surface of the egg and is connected to the blood vessels of the embryo.The yolk is the primary food source for the growing embryo. This nutrient-dense fluid consists of 21 – 36% lipids and 16 – 22% proteins (with the rest being water). It also contains maternal antibodies (deposited during yolk formation) that strengthen the immune responsiveness of the chicks. The yolk is suspended in the center of the egg by twisted strands of protein fibers called chalazae.Waste products collect in a sack (allantois).
• Shortly before hatching:
  • The egg’s air cell expands to approximately 30% of the internal volume of the egg.After the chick pierces the air cell with its beak, pulmonary respiration commences. The inhaling of air from the air cell is known as ‘internal pipping’. The trigger for it is an increase in carbon dioxide in the blood. It usually takes 24 hours from internal pip to a completed hatch.

The fertility / hatchability of the eggs are affected by the following:

• Causes of Infertility and Clear Eggs
• Dead in shell

Glossary:

• Air Cell (AC): Empty space located at the large end of the egg; it is between the inner and outer shell membranes.
• Air Sac / Allantois Sac: Grows larger as embryo grows. Permits respiration (exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide) and excretion.
• Albumin:
  • Thick albumin: the stringy part of the egg white located nearest the yolk
  • Thin albumin: the watery part of the egg white located farthest from the yolk.Albumen consists of 90% water and 10% protein. It provides the embryo’s water supply, but also serves as “shock absorber” for the embryo and also buffers the embryo from sudden changes in temperature
• Amnion: Surrounds only the embryo inner layer of cells. It secretes amniotic fluid in which the embryo floats. The fluid protects the embryo and prevents it from drying out.
• Chalaza (pl. chalazae): A spiral, rope-like strand that anchors the yolk in the thick egg white. There are 2 chalazae anchoring each yolk – one on the top and one on the bottom.
• Chorion: Surrounds all embryonic structures. Serves as a protective membrane.
• CSM: Eggshell Compound Membrane
• Germinal Disc or Blastodisc: It’s a small, circular, white spot (2-3 mm across) on the surface of the yolk; it is where the sperm enters the egg. The nucleus of the egg is in the germinal disc.
• Shell Membranes: The shell’s inner and outer shell membranes protect the egg from bacterial invasion and help prevent rapid evaporation of moisture from the egg.
• Shell: The hard, protective coating of the egg. It is semi-permeable; it lets gas exchange occur, but keeps other substances from entering the egg. The shell is made of calcium carbonate.
• Shell Membranes:
  • Inner Shell Membrane: The thin membrane located between the outer shell membrane and the albumin.
  • Outer Shell Membrane: The thin membrane located just inside the shell.
• Vitelline Sac or Yolk Sac: The membranous sac that lies ventral (towards the abdomen) to the embryo. It probably assists in transporting nutrients to the early embryo and is one of the first sites where blood cells are formed.
• Yolk: The yellow fluid inside the egg where the embryo will form. The nutrient-dense yolkfeeds the embryo as it grows.
• YSM: Yolk Sac Membrane (YSM): An extraembryonic membrane that encloses the yolk of eggs and circulates nourishment from the yolk to the developing embryo.

Useful Information: Breeders’ Resources (covers everything from handfeeding to potential breeding / chick problems) … Incubation Information … Information on Housing Chicks, Temperature Requirements, etc.

Not all incubated eggs will hatch. It is estimated that only 90 percent or less of incubated eggs are fertile. Removing dead / infertile (spoiling) eggs will better chances of the other eggs for a successful hatch.

Shining a light through the egg to observe embryo development is called “candling.” White or pale eggs are more easily candled than dark or speckled eggs, which require a high-intensity candler.

• Embryo Development (explains what happens inside the developing egg) … Glossary
• Causes of Infertility and Poor Hatching Rates… Dead-in-Shell / Embryo Mortality
• Photo Series: From Egg to Parrot – Amazing series of photos of candled eggs – from Day 1 through Hatching

Candling Devices:

• Excellent candlers are available at a reasonable cost. Available egg candlers – including regular models as well as high-intensivity candling devices which work on all eggs, including darker / mottled eggs — and will provide you a clearer view of what is going on inside the egg.
• It is possible to make candling devices yourself (please see below instructions) and they suffice for the most part when you are candling pale / white eggs. Darker / mottled eggs require a high-intensity candler.
  • Casual breeders may use small flashlights with lenses the size of a nickel that can be focused to candle eggs; in the absence of such a flashlight
  • Simple Candling Eggs devices can be made by inserting a light into a container and cutting a small hole to emit light, or by taping a cone formed from several thicknesses of paper over the lens of a bright light projector. The hole that allows light to pass from the tip of the cone should be the size of a dime or quarter (depending upon the size of the egg).

Procedures to follow:

• Candling: In a dark room, hold the egg to the light of the candler to observe the contents of the egg. Cooling that occurs for short periods (less than 10 minutes) during careful examination of eggs does not harm the development of the embryo. (Please refer to the “cooling feature” included with some of the later incubator models.) However, limit the exposure of the egg to the hot light source. Even a brief period at 104 degrees F kills all embryos.

• The presence of embryos can be confirmed easily after 8 days to 12 days of incubation.
  • The embryo is located in the large end of the egg, where blood vessels radiate under the surface of the shell.
  • The embryo appears as a dark spot that becomes larger as incubation progresses. Eventually only a dark mass and the air cell are seen.
  • An infertile or unincubated egg brightly transmits light in comparison.
  • Dead embryos will sometimes appear as a ring or smear of blood in the egg or a dark spot dried to the inside of the shell.
  • The living embryo will appear as a dark spot in the large end of the egg surrounded by a faint outline of blood vessels. The blood vessels will appear firm and distinct.
  • After embryo death, the embryo no longer grows and the blood system fades.
• Remove infertile or nongrowing eggs from the incubator or from the nesting boxes.

Float Test / Water Candling

Another popular method is “Water Candling” aka the “Float Test” – please refer to the following video for instructions:

Of course, water candling won’t show you the detail that can be observed through “light candling” – but it will serve the purpose of identifying “live eggs.”

Egg Development:

1. The egg looks clear. Either too early for candling (has to be 8-days since the start of the incubation). If clear after 8 days of incubation, the eggs are probably infertile or the embryo died at an early stage.
2. Fertile egg with red blood veins – only visible after 8 days of incubation
3. Rote oder schwarze Färbung – early embryo death — if candled after 8 days of incubation or later.
4. Embryo with red “Blood” ring – early death
5. Dark outline with ill defined detail – late death (10-16 days)
6. Live embryo with bill in air sack – due to hatch in 24-48 hours
7. Normal development of the air pocket according to number of days Species Research by Sibylle Johnson

If you don’t find anyone near you, contact the closest one to your location and ask for a referral to trusted, reputable breeder, or locate a bird club and ask for a lead.

Bird Breeder by Species (sorted by bird species with breeders listed below each species)

Indiana:

Royal Wings Aviary, royalwingsaviary dot com. Contact Information: Allan or Pam at (574) 273-1767 or pam@royalwingsaviary.com

Breeder of: Eclectus Parrots, African Greys, Cockatiels, Conures, Peachface and Black-masked Lovebirds, Pacific Parrotlets (normals and mutations), Princess of Wales and Scarlet-chested Grass Parakeets, English Budgies. Lovingly raised chicks for pets as well as single adults or breeding pairs. Will ship.

K and M Breeding – Muncie, Indiana ,Tel.: 765-215-2797

Breeder of: Cockatiels (Normals and Fancy mutations, and occasionally Rare mutations), American and English Budgies, Fancy Mutations and occasionally have Normals; Lovebirds Fancy and rare Mutations. In the future, Mutation Indian Ringnecks, Blue Quaker parrots, and others will be available.

Liberty Port Avians, Russell Springs, KY, url: N/A

Breeder of: Budgies, Bourkes, Canaries, Cockatiels (many mutations), Green Cheek Conures (many mutations), Ring neck doves, Ducks (Magpie, Pekin and Muscovy), Finches (Shaft tail, Lady Gouldian, Zebra), Geese (African), Indian Ringneck (many mutations), Lineolated (many mutations), Lovebird (peachface, Many mutations), Moustached Senegals, Grass Parakeets (Red Rump and Scarlet Chested), Parrotlets (Many mutations), Peafowl

Virginia

Sissy Crawford – Sissy’s Bird Colony, Aylett, Virginia – url: Sissysbirdcolony dot com

Breeder of: 1. Cockatiels, 2. Lovebirds (peachface), 3. Macaws, 4. Congo African Grey, 5. Amazons, 6. Indian Ringnecks (Blue, lacewing, green, lutino, creamino and pallid), 7. Alexandrine, 8. Bourke (normals and rosy), 9. Quakers, 10. Sun Conures, 11. Green Cheek Conures (normals, yellowside and pineapple), 12. Blue headed Pionus, 13. Scarlet Chested Parakeets, 14. Parrotlets (Blue, green, turquoise and pied’s), 15. Parakeets, 16. English Budgies, 17. Red rump, 18. Ringneck Doves, 19. Diamond Doves – Shipping is available at buyers expense.

Washington State

Sarah’s Parakeet Playhouse – Owner: Sarah Cooley, Washington State – Yakima; Tel. (509)961-5712

Breeder of: American Budgies / Parakeets as well as Half English / Half American Budgies / Parakeets. Will not ship, but is willing to meet halfway for an additional charge, depending on distance.

Whidbey Birds – Coupeville, Washington – Tel. 360-929-2869, Fax: 360 6788484. Website: whidbeybirds dot com

Breeder of: 1. Indian ringnecks (all colors) , 2. Lovebirds, 3. Macaws, 4. Congo African Greys, 5. Amazons Parrots, 6. Caiques, 7. Alexandrines, 8. Bourkes Parakeets, 9. Quaker Parrot, 10. Sun Conures, 11. Green Cheek Conures (all colors and mutations), 12. Cockatiels, 13. Scarlet Chested Parakeets, 14. Parrotlets (all colors), 15. Kakarikis 16. English Budgies, 17. Red Rump Parakeets, 18. Eclectus Parrots, 19. Black Cap Conures, 20. Canary Wing Parakeets, as well as MANY OTHER BREEDS

Add your listing

Further Budgie Reading

• Budgie as Pets
• Budgie Diet
• Feeding Your Budgies
• Budgies Health Program
• Budgie Diseases
• Breeding Budgies