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Story: Poultry industry

Egg incubator

Image
Egg incubator

These eggs are being warmed in an early incubator. The development of incubators to artificially hatch eggs under controlled temperatures allowed the mass production of chickens. Hens did not have to be taken out of egg-laying for the three weeks needed to incubate the eggs.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: AANR 6329 60 A46715

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

Vanessa Wintle and Stacey Lepper, Poultry industry – History and early developments, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/17283/egg-incubator (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Vanessa Wintle and Stacey Lepper, published 1 March 2009.