Egyptian egg oven

An Egyptian egg oven or Egyptian mamal is an oven for hatching eggs by incubation using artificial heat.[1] Manmade hatching ovens in Egypt date back to the 4th century BC.[2] They are considered the oldest manmade incubators in the world, and are featured in ancient Egyptian art.[3] Although using old processing methods, they were considered effective at hatching chickens, especially in comparison to other techniques of the time.[4] They were also considered important to the ancient Egyptian agriculture.[5]

Egyptian egg oven

Egyptian egg ovens are typically brick structures, often created from mud.[2] In Egypt, the ovens varied in size depending on the area served, with the largest having a capacity of 80,000 eggs.[6] In ancient Egypt, the largest held up to 15,000 eggs for mass production of chickens.[2] Bricks of cow or camel dung fueled the incubators.[6] In many areas, the operations for using these incubators was a closely held secret, with the process being passed down from generation to generation.[6][5]

As an example of its use, it was reported that Egyptian poultry farmers in the 1910s used these incubators to produce over 90,000,000 chickens per year.[7] A 1895 report from the American Counsel in Egypt stated there were "150 egg-ovens, each with a hatching capacity of 300,00 each season".[5] Earlier sources place the number at 450 egg-ovens.[8]

Revenue generation

The 1895 report from the American Counsel in Egypt also stated the importance of the poultry industry in Egypt.[5] The book Egypt: Familiar Description of the Land, People and Produce published in 1839 noted that the Egyptian government generated significant revenue through a heavy tax on the poultry farmers.[8]

See also

References
  1. Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. "Egyptian Egg Oven", The Penny Magazine, volume II, (England: August 10, 1833), pages 311-12.
  2. Percy, Pam. The Field Guide to Chickens, Voyageur Press, St. Paul, Minnesota, 2006, page 16. ISBN 0-7603-2473-5.
  3. "World's Poultry Congress", The Australasian, volume 123, number 4,115, November 19, 1927, page 57.
  4. Eggs: The Official Organ of the Scientific Poultry Breeders Association, "Harper-Adams Conference", The Beeches, Rudgwick, Sussex, England, volume 4, number 7, August 17, 1921, page 127.
  5. "Poultry Column", The Watchman, Sydney, Australia, volume 8, number 29, July 29, 1909.
  6. "Incubators in Old Egypt", Los Angeles Herald, Los Angeles, California, volume 33, number 56, November 26, 1905, Sunday Supplement.
  7. "The Egyptian Egg Oven", The Northern Miner, Queensland, Australia, October 30, 1913, page 7.
  8. Egypt: Familiar Description of the Land, People and Produce, published by William Smith, London, England, 1839, page 274.
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