Hatchery Practices and Flock Health Overview

Common breeds for hatching egg production

White Leghorn, ISA Brown, and other commercial layer strains

Ideal weight of hatching eggs

55-65 grams

Hatch weight of a chick

35-40 grams

Reason for not using early, small, or dirty eggs for incubation

They produce weak chicks and have lower hatchability

Frequency of hatching egg collection

At least 5 times daily; first collection before 8:00 AM

Storage conditions for hatching eggs

Temp: 18°C, Humidity: 75-80%, Duration: not more than 7 days

Ideal cage size for 12 layers

0.6 m × 0.9 m (0.54 m²)

Capacity of a cage measuring 15 in × 18 in

3 to 4 layers

%CP requirements by stage

Starter: 18-20%, Grower: 16%, Developer: 14-14.5%, Layer: 17-18%

Brooding period and protein requirement

0-6 weeks; 18-20% CP

Average daily feed intake of a layer

110-120 grams

Sample FCR for a hen laying 280 eggs/year

110 g/day × 365 = 40.15 kg; 40.15 ÷ 280 = ~143 g/egg

Key diseases discussed in this module

ILT: Herpesvirus - gasping, blood in mucus; CRD: Mycoplasma gallisepticum - nasal discharge, slow growth; Coccidiosis: Eimeria - watery/bloody feces