Twin Cocks Egg Incubator — Installation, Operation and Maintenance
This guide covers the Twin Cocks incubator's two independent turning levels, upper and lower mechanisms, battery connection, digital thermostat, alarm system, multi-channel water reservoir, egg-level swapping and hatching baskets.
For general incubation information, egg preparation, candling, environmental conditions and incubation periods, refer to General Support.
Twin Incubator — Technical Specifications
Important Twin-specific instruction: On days 7 and 14, after candling, exchange the positions of the eggs between the upper and lower turning levels.
Twin — Two-Level Egg-Turning System
The Twin incubator has two separate automatic egg-turning levels and three types of egg cups for different bird species.
Upper and Lower Turning Mechanisms
The upper and lower turning mechanisms are different and must not be interchanged.
The original manual identifies the upper turning mechanism by protrusions at its four corners.
- Identify the upper mechanism by its four corner protrusions.
- Place the upper mechanism in its correct upper position.
- Install the lower mechanism in its designated lower position.
- Use suitable egg cups for the type of eggs being incubated.
- Make sure both mechanisms are correctly seated.
Checking the Turning Motors
Both turning motors move very slowly, so their movement may not be visible to the naked eye.
The manual instructs users to check for warmth and vibration at the motors to confirm that they are operating.
Special Twin Procedure — Exchanging Eggs on Days 7 and 14
This procedure is specifically required for the Twin incubator.
After candling on both day 7 and day 14, exchange the positions of the eggs between the two turning levels.
- On the seventh day, perform the scheduled egg candling.
- Move the eggs from the lower level to the upper level.
- Move the eggs from the upper level to the lower level.
- Complete the exchange carefully without shaking or damaging the eggs.
- On the fourteenth day, repeat the same procedure after the second candling.
Important distinction: The eggs are exchanged between the two levels. The upper and lower mechanical turning assemblies must remain in their correct positions.
General candling instructions are explained in General Support.
Twin — Main Components
1. PVC Body and Foam Insulation
The machine body is made of PVC with a 3 cm foam insulation layer, as specified in the manual.
2. Digital Thermostat
The thermostat has a temperature resolution of 0.1°C.
Factory calibration: Do not alter the thermostat settings. The original Twin manual states that a machine with modified settings must be returned to the factory for recalibration.
3. Ventilation Fan
The Twin incubator has an air circulation fan. Its operation and speed should be checked regularly.
4. Power Adapter and Battery Clamps
According to the original manual, the Twin Cocks incubator can use a suitable vehicle battery during a power outage.
- Use the supplied battery connection arrangement.
- Follow the correct positive (+) and negative (−) polarity.
- Never interchange the battery connections.
- Keep the fan operating and avoid a drop in the internal temperature during power outages.
Electrical connections: Follow the original Twin wiring and battery-connection instructions. Do not guess the correct connection from wire colors alone.
5. Egg Candler
The incubator includes an egg candler for checking embryo development.
The Twin manual requires the two-level egg exchange after candling on days 7 and 14.
6. Turning-Motor Connections
The two turning-motor plugs connect to their designated digital connection area on the incubator door.
- Connect each motor plug to its correct socket.
- Observe the correct connector orientation.
- Ensure each plug is securely inserted.
- Do not pull on the indicator components.
- Avoid damaging the connectors when attaching or removing them.
7. Multi-Channel Water Reservoir
The Twin incubator has a water reservoir with several channels that can be filled according to the required humidity.
- Initially add water to only the central channel.
- Wait approximately two hours and check the humidity.
- If the humidity remains insufficient, add water to another channel.
- Refill the reservoir approximately every three days.
Special water-filling container: The supplied filling container allows water to be added without removing the egg-turning mechanisms.
Do not fill every channel automatically. Start with the central channel, then evaluate the humidity before adding water to any additional channel.
8. Upper and Lower Hatching Baskets
The Twin incubator has two hatching baskets. The upper hatching basket is larger than the lower basket.
- Identify the smaller lower hatching basket.
- Identify the larger upper hatching basket.
- Install each basket in its correct position.
Do not leave the hatching basket over the water reservoir during the early setter stage.
The manual states that this may prevent the humidity from increasing sufficiently.
Twin — Installation and Startup
Follow this model-specific sequence to assemble and check the incubator.
- Place the water reservoir inside the incubator.
- Add water to the central reservoir channel.
- Install the lower and upper egg-turning mechanisms in their correct positions.
- Connect both turning-motor plugs to their designated door connections.
- Check that each motor plug is correctly oriented and securely inserted.
- Connect the incubator to the appropriate electrical supply.
- Allow the machine to operate without eggs for at least one day.
- Confirm that the fan rotates correctly.
- Check that both motor-connection indicator lights are illuminated.
- Verify the turning motors using the inspection method described in the manual.
- Confirm that the thermostat and humidity monitoring are functioning.
- After the test period, load eggs into the correct turning cups with pointed ends downward.
- Close the incubator door securely and check that air is not entering around the corners.
Operating conditions stated in the Twin startup section:
- Internal temperature: 37.5–37.7°C.
- Relative humidity: 55–65%.
Twin — Temperature and Humidity Alarm
The Twin incubator includes an alarm that operates until the temperature and humidity reach their configured values.
To silence the alarm: Press and hold the minus (−) button for three seconds, as described in the original manual.
Important: Silencing the alarm does not mean that the correct temperature and humidity have been reached. Continue checking the controller readings.
Twin — Daily Equipment Checks
- Check the operation of both automatic turning motors.
- Inspect both motor plugs and their connections.
- Monitor the digital thermostat and humidity readings.
- Refill water approximately every three days.
- Check that the fan operates correctly.
- Confirm that the upper and lower mechanisms remain in their correct positions.
- On days 7 and 14, exchange eggs between the upper and lower turning levels after candling.
- Make sure the incubator door closes securely.
Twin — Hatching Basket Installation
For chicken eggs, the original Twin manual instructs operators to transfer eggs to the hatching baskets on approximately day 18.
- Remove the upper and lower egg-turning mechanisms.
- Add sufficient water to the reservoir to reduce the need for refilling during the following days.
- Position the smaller lower hatching basket above the water reservoir.
- Gently place the appropriate eggs into the lower basket.
- Install the larger upper hatching basket in its intended position.
- Gently transfer the remaining eggs into the upper basket.
- Close the incubator door and restart the machine according to the original manual.
Releasing Excess Humidity During Hatching
The Twin manual describes removing the plastic plug on the glass when necessary to release excess humidity during hatching.
Model-specific ventilation: Use the plastic-plug arrangement described for Twin. Do not treat this as permission to obstruct other ventilation openings.
General hatching precautions, chick removal and drying, and incubation schedules are covered in General Support.
Twin — Component Maintenance
- Inspect the upper and lower turning mechanisms for correct installation.
- Verify the operation of both turning motors.
- Check both motor plugs and sockets.
- Clean the multi-channel water reservoir between cycles.
- Check the water-filling container and reservoir channels.
- Check the digital thermostat and alarm operation.
- Inspect the vehicle-battery connection arrangement.
- Ensure that both hatching baskets are available and correctly identified.
- Keep the fan and ventilation openings in working condition.
Factory calibration: The Twin manual requires factory recalibration if the controller settings have been altered.
Twin — Final Operating Checklist
- Upper and lower turning mechanisms correctly positioned.
- Upper mechanism identified by its four corner protrusions.
- Both turning-motor plugs securely connected.
- Fan and digital thermostat functioning correctly.
- Water added initially to the central reservoir channel.
- Additional channels used only when needed.
- Temperature and humidity alarm understood.
- Battery backup connections identified correctly.
- Factory-calibrated settings preserved.
- Egg exchange between the two levels scheduled for days 7 and 14.
- Correct upper and lower hatching baskets available.
- Plastic-plug ventilation arrangement identified.
- Door closes securely and all components are correctly assembled.
For general incubation guidance, including room conditions, egg selection and storage, candling, setter and hatching stages, chick care and incubation periods for different bird species, refer to General Support.
CocksMachine — Twin Egg Incubator User Guide