Egg incubators › Load-shedding
Egg Incubators & Load-Shedding
Power cuts are the biggest worry for South African hatchers. Here’s what really happens to the eggs, and how to keep your hatch on track.
What happens to eggs in a power cut?
When the power goes, the incubator slowly cools. Developing eggs handle cooling for a few hours much better than overheating, especially in the first two weeks. Normal load-shedding of 2 to 4 hours usually only delays the hatch by a few hours. Long or repeated outages in the last week are the most risky.
How long do our incubators keep the heat?
| Incubator | Heat retention without power |
|---|---|
| Plastic hobby incubators (15–256 eggs) | Short: thin plastic loses heat quickly. The 128 egg can run from a 12V battery |
| Industrial 180 egg | About 4–6 hours |
| Industrial 300–3000 egg | Up to about 5 hours |
| Commercial 5250 egg | About 3–6 hours |
Times depend on room temperature: a cold room in winter shortens them.
During a power cut
- Keep the door or lid closed. Every opening lets the warm air out.
- Cover the incubator with a blanket or duvet to slow heat loss, but leave the air vents uncovered.
- Don’t add heat sources such as hot water bottles or gas heaters right next to the eggs; overheating does more harm than cooling.
- Keep the room warm if you can, and away from draughts.
- When power returns, let the incubator come back up to temperature on its own. Don’t turn the setting up to “catch up”.
Backup power options
- Inverter with battery or UPS: the simplest option. Check the power rating (watts) on your incubator’s label; the heater uses the most power while it is warming up.
- Size the battery for your load-shedding stage: watts × hours you need to cover, plus a margin. Ask us and we’ll tell you the power draw of your model.
- 12V battery: our 128 egg hobby incubator runs on AC 220V or DC 12V and uses only 80W, so it can run from a 12V battery.
- AC/DC incubators: our 880 egg incubator has an AC/DC option for running from a battery. Ask us how to connect it.
- Generator: fine for big machines; use a good-quality one with stable voltage and keep it outside.
Plan around the schedule
- Check your area’s schedule before setting eggs, and try to avoid long outages during lockdown (the last 3 days).
- In the brooder, chicks also need heat. A gas brooder heater keeps chicks warm without electricity.
Questions
Will my eggs die during load-shedding?
Usually not. Eggs tolerate a few hours of slow cooling, especially early in incubation. Keep the lid closed and cover the incubator. Long outages in the last week are the biggest risk.
Which incubator is best for load-shedding?
An insulated industrial incubator. Our 180 egg machine keeps heat for about 4 to 6 hours. Plastic hobby incubators cool quickly.
Can I run an incubator on an inverter?
Yes. Check the watts on the label and size the battery for the hours you need. Ask us for the power draw of your model.
Need an incubator or advice?
We keep hobby and industrial incubators, spares, egg testers and brooders in stock in Midrand. Call, WhatsApp or send an enquiry, and we’ll help you pick the right size.