Incubation and hatching

what are two considerations for hatchery location and why

1. distance to breeder: the further away the more the transport costs increase

2. distance from production: as a means of biosecurity

what is the first step of a typical hatchery flow

Eggs received for storage, sorting, traying, and disinfection

In the egg room if you want to store eggs for longer before hatching them you must do two things

1. decrease dry bulb temp

2. increase RH

Eggs are in a state of dormancy which means what

No embryonic development

After 5 days of storage what happens

• rate of decline in hatchability increases with each day

• incubation time increaes by 30 mins for each additional day of storage

what causes an egg to be discarded

• dirty

• cracked

• small

• very large

• poor shell quality

• grossly misshapen

what happens to floor eggs

they can be set independent from the nest box

which end of the egg shell has the most pores

the blunt end

What are the consideration held when traying eggs

• either done by hand or automated

• Ideally set into trays at breeder farm

• 1% reduction in integrity every time eggs are handled

What are some rules that must be followed when traying eggs

• eggs should be maintained clean

• methods used to remove surface dirt must be gentle

• avoid condensation on the eggshell surface

Why should we disinfect eggs

• prevents bacteria and mold from contaminating the egg shell

• there’s both vertical and horizontal transmission

when should you disinfect eggs

As soon as possible

how do you disinfect eggs

use broad spectrum disinfectant at a low does that safe for human use and non- corrosive on metal

what’s the most popular form of disinfection

fumigation

what’s the second step of typical hatchery flow

Buggies with tempered eggs are rolled into the setter room

what are the benefits of a multi stage setter

They utilize available heat from older embryos

What are the disadvantages of a multi stage setter

the machines are rarely turned off meaning that opening and closing the doors can introduce temperature variations

what are the benefits of a single stage incubator

They have greater temp control and can be customized to most requirements, they also are easier to sanatize

What are the disadvantages of a single stage setter

requires more energy to run which makes it more expensive

what are two incubation considerations

• temperature

• humidity

what temperature is the setter and hatcher set for

• setter- 99.5-99.75

• hatcher- 98.5

what humidity is the setter at vs the hatcher

• setter- 55-60%

• hatcher- 65-70%

what is the general consensus for the setter vs the hatcher

• Setter is warmer and drier

• while the hatchery is cooler and wetter

how much weight loss should we see from an egg 21 days old

12%

what are 3 incubation consideration

• ventilation

• egg position

• egg turning

should you turn eggs in the hatcher

no

what is the 3rd step in the typical hatchery flow

on the 18th or 19th day eggs are removed from the setters for transfer into the hatcher

what are some characteristics of eggs being moved to hatcher from the setter

• embryos/eggs are exothermic

• setters and hatchers are cooling

• overheating eggs may lead to head over wing malpositon

where should the air pressure flow in the poultry barn

Setter room → Transfer room → Hatch room

what things could be automated in order to remove infertile eggs from the batch transfererd from the setter room to the hatcher room

• light detection

• Heat detection

• Heart beat detection

what should happen to clear eggs after discovery

• clear eggs should be broken to determine infertile vs development

• clear eggs can be saved for pet food

• clear eggs left in hatcher can contaminate chicks that do hatch

why are chicks so vulnerable during the transition from the setter to hatcher rooms

the embryo has begun to mobilize eggshell calcium for skeletal mineralization

what does using the eggshell calcium mean for the chick

• embryo skeleton more brittle

• eggshell thinner

• cracked eggs will dry out and embryo will die

What does Non homogeneous egg temps result in

• wider hatch windows

• loss of chick uniformity

• decrease flock performance measures

what are the benefits of more uniform chicks

• calm but responsive

• strong robust appearance

• higher BW’s

• better FCRs

• Lower postnatal mortalities

• increase meat yield

where are researchers aiming when attempting to administer an in ovo injection

• amniotic fluid

• embryo

what is the 4th step in typical hatchery flow

chicks are transferred to the wash room on the 21st day

how do you calculate hatch of fertiles percentage

Hatchability/fertility

What is the 5th step of the typical hatachery flow

chicks are transferred onto chick go round processing

what happens after a chick is separated from eggshells and debris

• chick quality assessment

• vaccinations

• sexing

what are some common areas used for a chick quality assessment

• beak

• legs

• toes

• navel

• feather

• bodyweight

• chick length

what are some criteria for the chicks beak

• fully formed

• read or dark nostrils indicate incubation temps were high

what are some criteria for chick legs

• fully formed

• read hocks indicate temp was too high

• leg strength

what does each navel indication mean

• black: later incubation temps too high

• string navel: poor weight loss or too cool during hatching

• open navel: late incubation temps too low

• Infected navels: poor sanitation

What is a better indicator for chick development than regular body mass

Yolk Free body mass

what is often related to yolk free body mass, but doesn’t end with the chick’s death

Length of the chick

what are two ways to sex a chick

-Vent sexing

-Feather sexing

with feather sexing which allele is dominant slow feathering of fast feathering

Slow feathering is dominant

In chicks which gender contains heterozygous sex chromosomes

female

What is day 0 indications of developing eggs

Blastoderm reveals fertility, but blastodisc means infertility

What is day 1 indications in developing eggs

tissue development and enlargement of blastoderm

what is day 2 indication in developing eggs

tissue development visible and blood vessel appearance

what is day 3 indication in developing eggs

heart beats, well developed circulatory system

what is day 4 indication in developing eggs

eye is pigmented, head to body size relationship

what is day 5 indication in developing eggs

appearance of elbow and knees

what is day 6 indication in developing eggs

-wing development, appearance of beak

what is day 7 indication in developing eggs

appearance of egg tooth and eyes are very conspicuous

what are typical causes of eggs failing to hatch

1.egg storage

2.Breeder nutrition

3.true infertility

4.Diseases

5.Bacterial and mold

6.Genetics

7.Eggs faults and shell damage

8.Incubation faults

what is step 6 on a typical hatchery flow

The chicks are loaded onto a delivery truck

what temperature should chicks be held in

90 degrees farenheit

what is step 7 and 8 of the typical hatchery flow

7.Hatcher trays are sent through washer into clean room

8.Clean items are moved to their respective places