Brinsea launches first incubator to use Contact Incubation Technology ... incubation as nature intended" increases yields for precious eggs

Contact Incubation Technology improves the yield of incubating bird eggs. Brinsea has released the CONTAQ X8, the first incubator to exploit Contact Incubation Technology

May 8 2003 Titusville, Florida: Brinsea Products Inc., the incubation specialist, 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.

Current artificial incubation was originally developed for the poultry industry," explained Frank Pearce, President and CEO of Brinsea Products Inc. Many generations of poultry have self-selected for success in artificial incubation. But for other species this is not the right environment."

In the nest, heat is passed from the birds 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 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 appear 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 birds brood area by inflating a plastic skin with warm air. As it inflates, the skin presses gently but firmly on eggs sitting between rollers on a moveable base. Air can flow through this base, creating an environment that mimics the nest. Deflating the skin simulates the bird standing and moving the base reproduces 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 Brinseas 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 experienced 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 Frank Pearce. CIT provides incubation as nature intended, but without the risks of predation, damage or disturbance of the natural nest."

Ends

Notes for Editors

Photos and a product brochure are available, on the web at
www.brinsea.co.uk/products/cit1.html

or from

Frank Pearce:
Brinsea Products Inc, 704 N. Dixie Ave, Titusville, FL 32796
888 667 7009
e-mail sales@brinsea.com

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, England, San Diego Zoo, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Maryland, and the former ABRC, (Avicultural Breeding and Research Center), Florida.

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, UK, 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.

Brinsea Products Limited
Brinsea Products Limited is the specialist in incubation products. Founded over 25 years ago by an engineer with an interest in breeding birds, the company has been granted more patents than the rest of the small incubator industry combined.

Brinsea products are designed to be long lasting and energy efficient. They are manufactured in an in-house facility, with an unusually wide range of manufacturing procedures from electronic assembly, sheet metal working and numerous methods for molding and forming plastics. Every step of every process is subject to quality assurance procedures independently assessed under ISO 9002.
The products are sold worldwide through a network of distributors and sales agents.

For more information visit www.Brinsea.com