 Brinsea
Products, the incubation specialists, has launched the CONTAQ X8, the first
incubator to use Contact Incubation Technology (CIT). CIT uses academic
research on egg incubation and embryo development to create an environment
that is a combination of the best natural features of the bird and the nest.
It is ideal for the expert breeder of parrots, birds of prey, endangered
species or other situations where eggs are rare or expensive.
Contaq X8
 "Current artificial incubation was
originally developed for the poultry industry," explained Ian Pearce,
Managing Director of Brinsea Products Limited. "Many generations of poultry
have self selected for success in artificial incubation. But for other
species this is not the right environment."
Contaq X3
In the nest, heat is passed from the bird's brood patch to the top of the
egg, and there is a temperature differential between top and bottom that can
exceed ten degrees centigrade. During incubation the bird will move away
from the eggs, allowing them to cool, and rearranges the eggs in a
relatively random pattern. University research has established that the heat
flow through the egg, passed downward from the contact area, is quite
different from the near static thermal balance created by conventional
incubators, and is probably important in determining embryo growth and
successful incubation.
Trials of CIT equipment have shown that more eggs hatch with CIT than with
other artificial methods, and the resulting chicks appeared to be stronger
than those conventionally artificially incubated, with a higher survival
rate in the first few days. One test showed that CIT incubation produced 30%
more live chicks than conventional incubation.
The CONTAQ X8 is the first production incubator to incorporate CIT. It
reproduces the bird's brood area by inflating a plastic skin with warm air.
As it inflates, the skin presses gently but firmly on eggs sitting on
rollers or the moveable base. Air can flow through this base, creating an
environment that mimics the nest. Deflating the skin simulates the bird
standing while moving the base reproduces in a controlled manner the natural
egg movements. The CONTAQ X8 is the complete combination of bird and nest.
While the technology is new, its implementation is very conservative,
following Brinsea's tradition of producing robust and reliable equipment.
The electronic controls, based on well-proven technology, can be used to
define precisely the environment required, controlling temperature of the
skin, the time it spends sitting on the eggs and away from the eggs and the
amount of movement to take place for each change of egg position.
Although CIT aims at reproducing the environment of bird and nest, with
Contaq X8 the incubation environment can be seen as better than the real
nest. There are no predators and no egg damage from inexperienced brood
birds.
"The professional breeder or advanced amateur now has an incubator which can
be relied on to produce consistently higher yields of precious eggs, for
birds of prey, for parrots and for endangered species," said Ian Pearce.
"CIT provides incubation as nature intended, but without the risks of
predation, damage or disturbance of the natural nest."
Trials
Before designing the CONTAQ X8, Brinsea had prototype incubators under
evaluation with breeders in the UK and the USA. These have included the
specialist breeders, Hunting Falcons International in Wales, The National
Birds of Prey Centre in Gloucestershire, San Diego Zoo, Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center, Maryland, USA and the former ABRC, (Avicultural Breeding
and Research Center), Florida, USA.
The results of these trials showed convincingly that more eggs hatch with
CIT than with other artificial methods. A slightly more unexpected result
was that the resulting chicks appeared to be stronger than conventionally
artificially incubated chicks, with a higher survival rate in the first few
days. At The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, a
prototype CIT machine was used in a controlled experiment for breeding
Chilean flamingos. The results on this one test showed that CIT incubation
produced 30% more live chicks than conventional incubation.
#I-CX8-BP
$5,995.00
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CONTAQ X8
#I-CX3-BP
$4,595.00
CONTAQ X3
NEW
price does not include S/H |
