The Origins and Development of Artificial Incubation

One of the fundamental foundations of poultry farming is the system of artificial incubation. This method makes it possible to hatch chicks from eggs at any time of the year and to steadily increase their numbers.

The history of artificial incubation dates back more than 2,500 years to Ancient Egypt. At that time, the secrets of this craft were closely guarded by priests, and the methods they developed were not shared with outsiders.

Between 247 and 207 BC, simple incubators also began to be used in China.

European countries struggled for a long time to achieve success in this field. Between 1212 and 1250, Frederick II invited specialists from Egypt to study Eastern practices, but experiments using bread ovens failed to produce the expected results. The main reason was that stable conditions inside the device could not yet be accurately measured or controlled.

Italian physicist Giovanni Porta developed a new design made of wooden boxes and metal pipes heated by lamps. Danish mechanic Cornelis Drebbel later created a water-heated incubator using an automatic temperature regulator.

Eventually, the design of the incubator and the conditions required for successful hatching were officially described and published for the general public for the first time.