Hatching Best Management Practices
Dan Campeau
Area Specialized Agent – Poultry
Chatham, Lee, Randolph, Moore & Harnett Counties
Resources – Dr.Mike Wineland and NCSU Publications
From the Farm back to the Farm
Breeder Flock Considerations Egg Handling/Storage Hatchery Environment Cleanliness/ The Best Management
Practice Evaluating your Sanitation program The End Product- Healthy Chicks
Breeder Flock Considerations
Age of birds - Younger birds will lay smaller eggs. Older birds will lay larger eggs. Medium to large eggs will produce the best quality chicks.
Make sure Diets are more than adequate for the breeder flocks age and production level.
Vaccine Status- All flocks should be on same protocol. May want to use NPIP protocols as a place to start.
Egg Handling on the farm
Need to collect eggs at least twice per day Need to save only clean eggs. Do NOT store eggs for more than seven
days. Cooler needs to be running at 65 F and 75%
relative humidity. Keep room intake filters clean to decrease
contamination by bacteria or fungi.
Egg Storage: Temperature
Hatching eggs normally stored at temperatures between 12-18º C (54-65º F)
Cools egg - limits embryo development Minimizes bacterial growth
Egg Storage
Optimum storage temperature should be decreased with increased storage time (Mayes & Takeballi, 1984) (Wilson, 1991) 10-12º C (50-54 F) more than 7 days
Egg Storage: Humidity
Humidity 70-80% to minimize water loss
Higher humidity favor mold and bacteria
Air movement has little effect upon additional loss
Egg Orientation and Hatchability
Some evidence that during long term storage that eggs should be turned
Eggs should be set with large end up
Hatch and Embryo Mortality for Different Egg Types
Egg Type Fert. Early Dead
Mid Dead
Late Dead
Hatch /Fertile
Wt. Loss
Normal 98.3 3.9 0.0 4.5 91.6 10.7
Pimpled 93.8 30.0 0.0 12.5 57.5 13.3
Wrinkled 98.4 21.7 0.0 16.7 61.6 11.9
Round 90.0 30.0 0.0 20.0 49.7 12.7
Misshapen 95.2 25.1 0.0 11.9 63.0 13.0
Egg transport from Farm to Hatchery
Transfer of eggs from farm to hatchery. Vehicle needs to have a refrigeration unit so eggs do not get warm while in transit
Trucks need to be kept washed and sanitized between pickups and before returning to hatchery
Hatchery Environment
Building layout Egg traffic patterns Air Flow All in – all out concept Separation from Flock and uninvited
visitors
Hatchery-Building Layout
Thought should be given to traffic patterns from egg entry to chick transport to farm
Have separate rooms for cool storage, setter, hallways (optional), hatchers, chick processing and chick transport rooms
Make sure air flow is correct, i.e., intake is from cleanest part of hatchery to the out flow (into other parts of hatchery). Try to maintain positive air pressure. *Remember that Hatcher and Setter get their Air Intake from their individual rooms that they are in.
Hatchery- Egg Traffic patters
Egg enters hatchery from farm via transport vehicle into Cool/Storage room.
Eggs are transferred to Setter racks. Eggs are then brought up to room temperature in Setter
room that is maintained at 75º F and 50% RH. Eggs are then transferred into Setter for first 17-18 days. Eggs are then moved to Hatchers in a separate room.
Hatching room needs to also be maintained at 75º F and 50% RH.
Hatcher – Egg/Chick Traffic patterns (continued)
Chicks are taken to a separate processing room where they are vaccinated and counted into baskets of 102 birds
Chicks are then taken to Loading area where they are put in climate control vehicles to be taken to the Broiler or End Farm
Cleanliness- The Most Important Best Management Practice.
Need to think about thoroughly cleaning multi stage setters using periodic washings and sanitizing foggers.
If using single stage setters then wash and sanitize between batches of eggs.
In using Hatchers, make sure to contain all organic matter in the room. Thoroughly clean Hatcher and room between batches.
Clean Chick processing area after each use. Cooler, Halls and the rest of the Hatchery building
should be cleaned on a weekly basis.
Cleanliness- The Most Important Best Management Practice.
Chick transfer vehicles should be cleaned and sanitized before and after they are used.
Egg transfer vehicles should be cleaned and sanitized before and after each use.
Loading area needs to be cleaned between hatchings.
Consider having a separate wash area for vehicles away from Hatchery.
Evaluating your total Sanitation program
Hatchability percentages Embryo mortality rates Number (percentage) of rotten eggs in
setter First 4 day post hatching mortality rates of
chicks Results from Bacterial and Fungal cultures
Evaluating- Cultures
Simplest way is to use agar plates. Put them out in different parts of hatchery
building (label them) for 10 minutes. For Bacterial cultures - put them in zip lock
bags and put them in Setters for 2 days. For Fungal cultures put them in zip lock
bags and put them out at room temp for 4-5 days.
Evaluating Cultures (cont.)
Use the following chart to see if you need to improve your cleaning habits.
Setter & Egg Rooms (after cleaning): Number of colonies per air plate
Heavily contaminated7 or more
31 or more
Moderately contaminated4-621-30
Slightly contaminated1-311-20
Clean00-10
RatingMoldBacteria
Evaluating Cultures (cont.)
Use the following chart to see if you need to imp
Use the following chart to see if you need to improve your cleaning habits.
Hatcher & other Rooms (after cleaning): Number of colonies per air plate
Heavily contaminated11 or more
46 or more
Moderately contaminated7-1031-45
Slightly contaminated4-616-30
Clean0-30-15
RatingMoldBacteria
Cleaning supplies
Please see handout.
The End Product- Healthy Chicks
A Healthy Biddy