The Buddy

During the incubation of any egg (whether it be artificial or parent) if we get a chance to have a peek for fertility…. We will. The "Candle" method has been a tried and tested method to see those initial signs of life at around a week of incubation, and there will always be a use for candling to show vein growth etc. However, it is quite possible that in some cases when trying to get a clear picture of embryonic development that the breeder overstays his or her inspection time causing heat damage to the embryo. Thick or dark colored eggshells can also be very difficult or even impossible to candle. When all eggs reach the mid to latter stages in development a well-tried method for checking for egg viability is to float the egg in warm water, and wait to see if it moves! However, recent research has shown that this method maybe detrimental to the chick, as the egg may become saturated with water. Susceptibility to harmful bacteria, which are sucked in through the pores of the shell and pass through the membrane may also cause problems. How many times have we all thought "is it still alive?" Indeed there have been many bird and reptile breeders who have mistakenly thought that "it must be dead, because it should have hatched yesterday." So the egg is opened, only to find the chick was still alive and is now well and truly dead. Disaster!

During the last 4 years we have been working at taking the guesswork out of incubation. After an enormous amount of work and research we are pleased to announce the arrival of Buddy, the first digital egg monitor in the world. Using infrared transmitters and sensors Buddy is capable of amplifying the cardiovascular signal of an embryo with in the egg by as much as 20,000 times. This allows you to detect the actual heartbeat of the embryo as early as 5 days after incubation has started. Simply place the egg on the sensor pad at the bottom of the egg compartment, close the lid and press the "on" button. You will instantly be given information from the onboard screen via a flashing heart, Pulse readout, and three-digit heart rate. (You will be amazed how rapid a chick's heart beats)! The monitor will also indicate movement of the chick with in the egg. When the chick settles the readout reverts back to heart rate. If the chick is not alive Buddy will let you know, showing a black still heart, a flat Pulse line and zero heart rate readout. Buddy is mains or battery operated so can be taken out to your aviary to check any egg, or if your work is in the field of conservation, you can take Buddy anywhere you go, even up the tallest of the Rain-forest trees or the most remote island! You will wonder how you ever got by in the past without your Buddy!!

Step I Simply open the lid of your buddy and gently place the egg side ways onto the sensor pad and close the lid. . .

Step II Once the lid is closed press the "Red" button on your Buddy. After a few seconds the onboard screen will display the heart rate inside the egg.

It really is that easy.