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Egg incubation is the process by which an egg, of oviparous (egg-laying) animals, develops an embryo within the egg, after the egg's formation and ovipositional release. Egg incubation is done under favorable environmental conditions, possibly by brooding and hatching the egg.
Diagram of stages of embryo development to a larval and adult stage. In developmental biology, animal embryonic development, also known as animal embryogenesis, is the developmental stage of an animal embryo. Embryonic development starts with the fertilization of an egg cell (ovum) by a sperm cell (spermatozoon). [1]
Both parents incubate the egg using a single, centrally located brood patch for the 28 to 34 days to hatching in shifts of 1–38 hours. [39] Eggs can be lost due to predation or carelessness. Crows and gulls are opportunist egg thieves. Eggs are also knocked from ledges during fights. If the first egg is lost, the female may lay a second egg.
In the wild, eggs are typically laid at 3 to 5 day intervals, with records in captivity of intervals of up to 7 or 10 days. [54] [55] [56] The eggs vary from all white to white with cinnamon or brown spots and blotches. Scottish eggs averaged 75 by 59 mm (3.0 by 2.3 in) in size and weigh about 145 g (5.1 oz). [1]
The terms "intrinsic incubation period" and "extrinsic incubation period" are used in vector-borne diseases. The intrinsic incubation period is the time taken by an organism to complete its development in the definitive host. The extrinsic incubation period is the time taken by an organism to develop in the intermediate host. [citation needed]
Some reptiles use incubation temperatures to determine sex. In some species, this follows the pattern that eggs in extremely high or low temperatures become female and eggs in medium temperatures become male. [14] Within the mechanism, two distinct patterns have been discovered and named Pattern I and Pattern II.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now classifies eggs as a “healthy, nutrient-dense" food, according to a new proposed rule. Registered dietitians react to the change.
A modern egg incubator. An incubator is a device simulating avian incubation by keeping eggs warm at a particular temperature range and in the correct humidity with a turning mechanism to hatch them. The common names of the incubator in other terms include breeding / hatching machines or hatchers, setters, and egg breeding / equipment. [1]