Egg incubation temperature and hatchability of two mutual brooding hens at different locations in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Single-hen incubation is often the common practice but, in rare cases, two hens may mutually lay eggs in the same nest and incubate them together. This phenomenon may boost hatchability in natural incubation. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of knowledge on the incubation temperature and hatchability hence, this study was conducted. Mutual brooding hens were sought within Lafia and Karu Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State. Within a spate of 4 months, six sets of two hens' incubating eggs in the same nest were found. Data on incubation temperature, number of eggs incubated, incubation period and chicks hatched were recorded. It was shown that minimum incubation temperature varied from 34.9 – 36.6oC while maximum incubation temperature ranged from 37.3 – 38.8oC. In a total of 8, 9, 12, 14, 15 and 15 eggs incubated by two hens in Uke (Karu), Gitata (Karu), Ombi II (Lafia), COAST staff quarters (Lafia), Angwan Chindo (Karu), and COAST students' village (Lafia), respectively, the hatched chicks were 1 (12.5%), 7 (77.8%), 10 (83.3%), 7 (50.0%), 6 ( 40.0%) and 7 (46.7%) in that arrangement. These observations seemingly proved that two hens could mutually lay eggs together and incubate them thus, where possible, double-hen incubation may be simulated to increase chicken production.