There are many types of incubators, although the degree of automation and capacity are different, but its structural principle is the same, which is mainly composed of several parts, such as the body, the active temperature control device, the active humidity control device, the active egg turning device and the ventilation device. Box-type incubator (also known as electric incubator) is used more, this type of incubator can be divided into large, medium and small three specifications according to its capacity, and its capacity is 50,000 ~ 100,000 or larger, 10,000 ~ 50,000, 10,000 or less, in small and medium-sized incubators, incubation and hatching two parts are installed in the same body.

1. Requirements for incubators
(1) Active temperature control, uniform temperature generally requires temperature control accuracy of ±0.2oC, and the temperature difference between each point in the machine is not more than 0.4 degree .
(2) The ventilation is fair, and each embryo should have an air permeability of 0.002~0.010m³/h during timely ventilation and incubation, and a permeable air volume of 0.004~0.015m³/h during the hatching period, so as to make the air in the machine novel and the CO2 content should not exceed 0.5%.
(3) Regularly turn the egg, the angle should be enough, the action should be stable, generally every 1.0~2.5h to turn the egg once, the angle of turning the egg is ±45o, when the egg tray is turned to the maximum angle, the egg and the egg tray can not fall.
(4) Active humidity control and appropriate humidity. Generally, the relative humidity during incubation is 53%~57%, and during hatching is 65%~70%, and the error is not more than 3%.

2. Application and protection of incubators
(1) The incubator should be installed on the concrete floor, the ground should be kept flat, and the incubator should be slightly inclined forward (some models are backward) during installation, so as to facilitate the discharge of sewage during cleaning, and leave 2~3m of holding space in front of the machine door.
(2) The temperature of the incubation room should be kept at 20~27 degree , and when the temperature is higher than 27 degree or lower than 20 degree , the installation of air conditioning equipment or other measures should be considered. The humidity should be kept at around 50%. There should be good ventilation conditions indoors, and the exhaust gas from the incubator (especially the hatcher) should be piped to the outside. The hatchery room should be cleaned, washed, painted and disinfected frequently. Turning eggs at an angle of 80 degree is the key to improving hatchability. During hatching, the eggs can be turned once at an interval of 8~12 hours, and the eggs can be stopped after being moved into the hatcher tray 3 days before hatching.

(3) After the installation of the whole machine, it is necessary to power on the test machine, check whether the temperature and humidity control system are normal, and adjust the temperature according to the request. It is also necessary to check whether there is a fault in the over-temperature and low-temperature alarm system, whether the active timing egg turning system is normal, etc., and wait for 1~2 days of operation, and everything can be officially incubated after everything is normal.
(4) Pay attention to the temperature instigated by the thermometer on the door at any time in the application, and check the temperature control system in time if there is any abnormal phenomenon to eliminate the fault.
(5) With the increase of embryo age, the air inlet and exhaust port should be opened appropriately, and all should be opened in the later stage to ensure the normal development of the embryo for the need for oxygen, but it should not be opened too large in the early stage, so as not to heat slowly and waste electric energy.
(6) Pay attention to whether the egg turning angle meets the requirements and whether the timing is accurate, and it is best to make all incubators turn eggs in the same direction for easy management. Keep a record of every egg turn.
(7) Pay attention to the water tank (plate) of the humidity control device can not be cut off, the gauze of the sensing element and the water box should be changed frequently, and the gauze should be washed and reinstalled after being polluted by dirt. For incubators without active humidity control devices, warm water should be added to the water tray regularly and the number of water trays should be adjusted according to the humidity requirements of different incubation periods to ensure that the humidity requirements of embryonic development are met.
(8) After each hatching batch or hatching batch, the incubator or hatcher should be thoroughly washed and disinfected once. Then check whether the mechanical part is loose or stuck, check the lubricating oil in the reducer, and remove dust, fluff and other dirt on the electrical equipment. Power on for a period of trial operation, adjust the temperature and humidity and then incubate the next batch.