HATCHERY MANAGEMENT
Submitted to : Dr.Ali Tahir
Degree : Poultry Science (5th semester)
Course : Poultry Farm Practice (PS-505)
GROUP MEMBERS
• Ahmad Abdullah
• Shahryar Ahmad
• Mouzan Faheem
• Ashhal Mehmood
• Haider Ali
• Hassan Riaz
HATCHERY
• A hatchery is a facility where eggs are hatched under artificial conditions,
especially for poultry
• Hatchery recreates the right conditions for chicks in eggs to grow, mature and,
well hatch on a much bigger scale
HATCHERY MANAGEMENT
There are 9 major function that involves in hatchery managment
1. Hatching Eggs (At farm & storage)
2. Egg Handling & Quality
3. Primary Hatching Responsibility
4. Egg Storage
5. Incubator(Setter & Hatcher)
6. Air Quality
7. Hatchery Quality Control
8. Hatchery Sanitation
9. Hatchery Vaccination
HATCHING EGGS – ROLE OF THE
BREEDER FARM
• At the breeder farm:
1. Eggs unsuitable for hatching should be removed
2. Eggs packed on incubator trays or cart
• Often eggs will not be handled again
• Big end up!
• Chick needs to develop with head near air cell
• If egg placed in tray with big end down hatchability can be decreased
approximately 40%
EGG HANDLING
Egg handling is part of a process which already starts at the nests in the breeder farm, directly
from the moment that a hatching egg is being produced. In order to ensure optimal egg handling
you should follow at least the following 6 crucial steps:
• Keep the nests clean
• Regularly collect hatching eggs
• Carefully sort dirty and cracked eggs from clean eggs
• Provide optimal hatching egg storage circumstances (temperature and relative humidity)
• Keep the hatching eggs dry, always prevent egg condensation (egg sweating)
• Always handle the eggs with care , do not forget that there is already an embryo inside
EGG QUALITY
Egg quality has been highly affected by genetic selection, for production traits like
growth, feed conversion, number of eggs, egg size profile, breaking strength and
eggshell quality
1. Egg shape
2. Egg shell
3. Albumen
4. Yolk
CANDLING, TRANSFER, HATCHERY
ANALYSIS
Candling is used to identify infertile and early dead embryos by passing trays of
eggs over a strong light source.
• Candle a sample of each flock weekly to monitor the status of the breeders
• If candling percentage exceeds 10 %, then all eggs should be candled, the clear
eggs removed and hatcher trays refilled to 95 – 100 %
• Candling should preferably done between day 9 and 10 or included in the transfer
routine
• If done at transfer often an automatic candling machine with egg remover is
used for faster work.
• A candling table, which illuminates an entire setter tray from beneath can be used
CONTINUE...
• Use candling and breakout analyses as part of the quality control program of a
hatchery
• Do not use setting trays for hatching to avoid falling through the trays.
• Transfer eggs after 18 – 18.5 days from setter trays to hatcher baskets and
put in separate hatcher cabinets
• Do not expect any chick from an egg that got cracked.The temperature in the
transfer room should be at least 25 °C and no trolley
HATCHING EGGS – STORAGE
On farm egg storage conditions:
• Temperature -70°F
• Humidity -75%
• Must prevent dehydration prior to incubation
• On farm no more than 3 to 4 days
• Pick up eggs from farm 2 times per week
P RIMARY HATCHERY RESP ONSIBILITIES
• Fertile Egg • Chick
1. On-farm egg pick-up 1. Processing
2. Transportation 2. Vaccination
3. Incubation 3. Counting
4. Hatching 4. Holding
5. Egg Storage at Hatchery 5. Delivery
EGG STORAGE
Egg Storage is critical for maintaining viable embryos
Storage temperature of eggs should not exceed 70-75°F
• Maintain temperature towards high end could reduce sweating when
incubation begins
• Could cause cross-contamination
• Sweating can reduce air exchange
CONTINUE...
Relative humidity should be maintained around 60-70%
• RH control maintains rate of moisture loss through shell membranes and
pores
INCUBATOR (SETTER)
In the incubator the majority of embryo development will occur
1. Chicken eggs in incubator days 1-19
Egg Rotation
1. Commonly occurs 1 time/hour
2. At least 6-8 times/day
3. Prevents embryo from sticking as albumen thins
Temperature
1. Chicks-98.6°F-100.4°F
2. Poults-97.8°F-99.2°F
3. Sometimes hatchery dependent
CONTINUE...
• Temperature is measured using the dry bulb temperature (Thermometer in
the incubator)
Relative Humidity
1. 50-60%
2. Too low-chick losses too much moisture
3. Too high-chick losses too little moisture
4. Egg should loss 10-12% moisture during incubation
INCUBATOR (HATCHER)
• At transfer, eggs will be moved to hatching trays
• At commercial hatcheries this is done automatically using machines with
suction cups
Egg Rotation
1. No longer required in the hatcher
2. Chick is covered with feathers,
hatching position is set
CONTINUE...
Temperature
• Remains important
• Chicks particularly sensitive to high temperatures
Relative Humidity
• Should increase in the hatcher
• Chicks – 75%
• Poults-80-85%
• Aid in shell softening and ease in chick hatching
AIR QUALITY
Air exchange across the shell as the embryo grows
• Oxygen absorbed through shell pores and membranes
• Embryos producing CO₂ through normal metabolism
• Controlling CO₂ critical
New technology
• Up to 10 days
• CO2 allowed to accumulate in incubator
• Research has indicated better respiratory health after hatching
CONTINUE...
In the hatcher air quality is most important
• Lots of fresh air required for hatching (physically demanding!)
• 1% drop in 02 in hatchery = 5% drop in hatchability!
• During hatching chicks will pip through the air cell to get first breath of fresh
air to continue hatching
HATCHERY QUALITY CONTROL
• True fertility is evaluated between 10 and 12 days of incubation
• Eggs candled; developing embryo will be evident
• Early dead is the term used to describe eggs that don’t appear to be
developing at this point in incubation
• Clear eggs must be broken open to distinguish between early dead and
infertile
• True fertility = no of fertile eggs/no of eggs set *100 Should ideally be 96%
HATCHERY CLEANING
Dry Cleaning
Sweep or blow dust and other loose dirt off incubator or egg trays, etc. Sweep the
floor to remove as much dry material as possible.
Wet Cleaning
Turn the power off to the building prior to using any water for cleaning.You can use a
cheap neutral detergent, like dish soap.. Wet cleaning is done in three steps:
1. Soaking
2. washing
3. Rinsing
HATCHERY VACCINATION
Vaccination:
• Good poultry management programme successful operation depend on it.
Immunization to promote health and improve production not substituting biosecurity
and sanitation.
Objective:
• Promote health and optimal performance
• Affect human health as salmonella
• Prevent vertical diseases
• Passive immunity to the progeny
CONTINUE...
Vaccines:
• Live attenuated or modified natural or genetically milder form of disease
• Killed whole virus or bacteria inactivated to injectable formula
• Recombinant vector virus or bacteria encoding protective antigen against
another infectious agent
