Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research

Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center

National Poultry Research Program

Hatchery Management Training

By: Alemayehu Guteta  +251-9-29-00-57-55 alemayehuguteta@gmail.com

 HATHERY MANAGEMENT

Objective

 To minimize disease transmission

• Vertical transmission - through infected eggs from one chick to another e.g. Pullrum

• Horizontal transmission - from one flock or/and pen to other, from one breed to another

breed, from breed to breed... E.g. Bacterial and viral diseases

 To improve hatchery efficiency

From total egg set fertile egg chicken

Objective con…
 To increase profitability

 Proper egg selection results - Individual, household and farm level poultry egg consumption.

 Income improvement from poultry egg sales

 To decrease losses that could happen due to poor hatchery management

 Un-hatched egg results from -

 Infertile and infected eggs

 Poor storage condition - temperature, humidity, positioning, storage period

 Setter/hatchery condition - Humidity, temperature, ventilation & turning frequency

Egg is alive
• The yolk is a food storage

• Actual „germ” is the blastoderm

• Egg is a closed mircrocosmos

• Perfect survival pack

Development of life requires

Energy

Oxygen

Water

Exchange of materials
 Embryonic development starts in the hen
• In the ovary of the female bird, the mature egg yolk leaves the ovary and within 20 minutes it
is captured by the infundibulum
Small yellow follicles
Small yellow follicles

Small yellow follicles

Small white follicles

unfertilized oocyte

F1..F3: hierarchy
of follicles
Van Nassauw, 1997 F1..F3: hierarchy
F1..F3: hierarchy
Van Nassauw, 1997 of follicles
of follicles
Van Nassauw, 1997
The avian embryo: development in the oviduct
Infundibulum: Site for Fertilization (Unfertilized to fertilized

Magnum: Site for Albumen formation

Isthmus: two shell membranes are secreted from here

Shell Gland: Formation of the shell occurs in the uterus

(10 cm long)

Vagina through which the egg passes as it moves from

the shell gland to the cloaca during oviposition

Development of the head to tail axis during formation of the shell it take 23hrs
Select eggs from breeders that are

(1) Well developed, mature and healthy;

(2) Compatible with their mates and produce a high percentage of fertile eggs;

(3) Are not disturbed much during the mating season;

(4) Fed a complete breeder diet; and

(5) Not directly related [brother, sister, mother, father, etc]

 Quality requirements for hatching eggs
External Internal Other aspects

Shell intact, smooth and clean Fertile Nutritional aspects

Uniform weight, not too big or Embryo not too far developed Free of diseases (See, Mg, etc)
too small

Oval shape, sharp end down “Fresh” and properly stored Maternal antibodies

Heredity (sexing errors!)

 Tips to help maintain hatching egg quality
Collect eggs at least three times daily.

• When daily high temperatures exceed 85 degrees 0F. increase egg collection to five times daily.

Store eggs in a cool-humid storage area.

• Store the eggs with the small end pointed downward.

• Alter egg position periodically if not incubating within 4-6 days.

Turn the eggs to a new position once daily until placing in the incubator.

• Hatchability holds reasonably well up to seven days, but declines rapidly afterward.

• Therefore, do not store eggs more than 7 days before incubating.

• After 3 weeks of storage, hatchability drops to almost zero.

Avoid eggs with cracked or thin shells.

• These eggs have difficulty retaining moisture needed for proper chick development.

Penetration of disease organisms increase in cracked eggs.

• Keep only clean eggs for hatching

Avoid excessively large or small eggs.

• Large eggs hatch poorly and small eggs produce small chicks.

• The intermediate range of 45–56 g would hatch better than small eggs.

• No biological reasons were suggested for such an observation

It is well recognized that there is a strong relationship between breeder age and egg weight
such that older hens produce larger eggs
 Egg Quality Cont…
Remove and discard eggs unsuitable for hatching. These are:
• Dirty

• Cracked
Poor shell quality will accelerate weight loss
• Small (According to Hatchery Policy)

• Very large or double yolk

• Poor shells - but any shell color should be acceptable for hatching
• Grossly mis-shapen

Rounded Toe punched Wrinkled Small and double Good egg

Blood stained Cracked Dirty Elongated

 Points of attention during storage!
 Storage includes period at farm and during transport

• Avoid temperature shocks

• In storage room:

• Not directly against wall!

• Not close to heaters!

• Not in direct air stream from cooler or humidifier!

• Not over a wet floor!

Egg storage conditions
Egg storage
Egg handling
Egg traying
 Points of attention during egg traying!
Quality control and feed back to breeder farm

• Only set good eggs

• Pay attention to equipment in use

• Sharp end down!

• Work carefully

 avoid hair cracks

Grade and set according to:

• Egg weight

• Breeder age

• Duration of storage

• Breed
 Egg traying by Disinfection 1lit of water with 30ml formalin before (now Not used)
 Now Day For disinfection of egg using alcohol 75% denature in the ratio of 50% : 50% ( Water and alcohol 75%
denature ) by soft cloth likes towels
 Fertility
Some Factors Affecting Fertility Rate

A. Poor diet (stale food, lack of fresh green stuff, etc)= Feed

B. Unsuitable nutrition (too stimulating a diet)= Feed

C. Damp and over confined living space =Management

D. Poor health / lack of vitality (internal and external parasites, etc)

E. Age of breeding birds

F. Physical problems (vulture hocks & very large combs)

G. Lack of fitness (insufficient exercise)

H. Poor ratio of cockerel to hens

I. Personality / character issues like libido

J. Poultry breeds vary in their fertility ‘norm’

Fertile or not?
Importance of breeder management ♂♀
Hatchery as a key part of the poultry production chain

Breeder farm

Hatchery

Farm

Slaughter house
 At what time to start the setter?
Depends on:

1. Number an eggs collected

2. capacity setter

3. Duration of egg storage

4. Breeder age

5. required moment of chick take-off!

General rules
 Check machine before each cycle
 Make sure machine is dry
 Load in balance = symetrically
 AVOID technical disaster
 It happens always in a bad moment
Two stages in the processes of incubation
1. Egg set stage (setter) – it is a time when the egg set up to the eighteenth day

 Setting eggs large end up is almost an universal practice of incubation.

Placing the egg in this way will keep the air cell in normal position and reduce mal positioned embryos.

 Reverse setting of eggs reduce the hatchability by 10% and quality of chicks is also reduced.

 Candling is a system of checking the development of embryo by Shining a light through the egg

• Not all incubated eggs will hatch. Most probably, only 80 to 90 percent of incubated eggs are fertile.

• Removing eggs that can be identified as infertile or dead will alleviate disappointmet and remove possible sources of

contamination from the incubator.

2. Hatching stage – the hatch stage refers to the final 2 to 3 days of incubation.

 Chicks hatch out of the shell during this stage.

 At hatching, the chick jerks its head back by reflex and breaks its way through the shell with a small spike on the top of its beak

 At the end of hatching, a hatchery man should select chicks which are clean, vigorous and not have any fiscal deformation.
 Incubation (day1–18)
• What is a setter incubator

For the first 18 days of the eggs must be placed in the setter (This is for chicken eggs)

• Artificial Incubation is the process of setting eggs and hatching chicks with the help of incubators.

• Before incubation, the eggs that we use for hatching should be select, clean by different chemicals like Alcohol

• Clean and Fumigate the incubator by using 30ml of formaldehyde with 20g of potassium permanganate per care meter

• If fumigate boiling 7ml formaldehyde per care meter were recommended , depend size E.g

 Pas Reform = Setter 19200*4=76,800 one quarter *2=153,600 Full Capacity

 Pas Reform =Hatchery= 19,200*2=38,400 per hatch

• The fumigation should elapse twenty minutes (15-30 Minute) * the system machine will be stop when fumigate
 Hatchery House location
• The hatchery house should be located on areas free from any exposition

• Select a location for the incubator that is protected from drafts and direct sunlight.

• The hatchery room should be well ventilated

• The room should not be shared for other purpose

• Restrict frequent in/out from the room

• Hatcher must be clean.

Setter Load the Machine In Balance = Symetrically
 Five major functions are involved in the incubation and hatching. They are

1. Temperature

 Is the most critical environmental concern during incubation because the developing
embryo

 If the temperature high fluctuates, a poor hatch is likely, check the heating mechanism regularly

Temperature fluctuations for short periods of time usually, do not severely affect hatchability or chick quality

 Because the temperature inside the egg changes more slowly than the air inside the incubator

 In case if temperature less for long period time, we have to assist add boiling water to reduce risks

 However, a consistently low temperature will result in a late hatch and decreased hatchability.
 Ross 308, Ross 508, Lohmann layer, heat production at normal
incubation temperature

5.0

heat production (mean) 308

Heat production (W*kg-1)

4.0 heat production (mean) 508

heat production (mean) layer

3.0

2.0
*only 308 * *
*only 508
1.0
*
*
*
*
0.0
8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
Incubation time (d)
 Five major functions are involved in the incubation and hatching …Con’d
2. Ventilation (Oxygen and Carbon dioxide)

 Oxygen content of the air at sea level is about 21%.

 Generally the oxygen content of the air in the setter remains at about 21%.

 For every 1% drop in oxygen there is 5% reduction in hatchability.

 Co2 is a natural by-product of metabolic processes during embryonic development and is released through the

shell.

 The tolerance level of Co2 in the hatchery will set at 0.4%. If goes to near 0.4% ( 0.3, 0.39 Vs 0.29, 0.22 ) Hatchability

 Co2 levels above 0.5% in the setter reduce hatchability

 At all times the eggs should be adequately ventilated

 Ventilation is a way to regulate temperature and humidity

 It also serves to bring oxygen to the chick embryo and remove excess carbon dioxide.
 Five major functions are involved in the incubation …con’d
3. Relative humidity is maintained to prevent excessive chick dehydration.

• Incubation humidity determines the rate of moisture loss from eggs during incubation.

• Higher humidity during hatching period is given to avoid dehydration of chicks.

• It is a wet air in the incubator

• Measures the amount of moisture with in the incubator air

• Extremely important in the process of egg incubation – should have moisture source to maintain humidity

• Should not fluctuate more than 1 or 2 wet-bulb degrees.

4. Valve

 close when fumigation only

• Open 10% at Setter, in hatchery ¼ at 21 day bowelled by ½ at 22 day

 Five major functions are involved in the incubation and hatching ….con’d

5. Turning of eggs, eessentials things of incubation,

 Nature provides nesting birds with the instinct of turning eggs during incubation.

 Similarly eggs to be turned at least 8 times a day in artificial ( Depend on type Incubator)

 Victory with the capacity 10368 was turn 6 time/day (within 4 hrs)

 Pas reform 153,600 turns 12 times (within 2hrs)

 Prevents embryo death and unhealthy hatches.

 Options (manual and Automatic)

 Turning is not required in Hatcher.

Incubation of eggs (day 1 – 18)
Incubation of eggs (day 1 – 18)
Integrated heating and cooling
 Candling
• Candling is the act of simply shining a light through an egg.

• White and light-colored shells are the easiest to candle, while darker shells will require a brighter light.

• Candling is usually practiced when eggs are transferred from setter to hatcher

• Blood vessels in chicken eggs are normally observable within 7 to 10 days of an egg's incubation.

• If the inside of the egg is clear - that is, free from visible structures or dark areas - the egg is infertile or the

embryo died very early. Remove this egg from the incubator.

• If a ring of red is visible within the egg, there was an embryo at some point, but it has died. Remove this egg

from the incubator.

• If you can see blood vessels within the egg, there is a live embryo inside.
Egg transfer
Egg candling & transfer
Points of attention during candling and transfer!

• Maximum 20 minutes from setter to hatcher

• Temperature 25 – 27 ◦C and avoid draught

Hatcher and hatcher baskets
• Empty trolleys from top to bottom must be dry!

• Hatcher baskets should be dry

• Record “clears” and analyse

• Load hatcher correctly

• Start from the middle trolley

• Fumigation of hatchery room

 Egg Transfer Hatching Of Eggs Day 19 - 21

Fertilean Egg Turns To Hatching Egg

Hatcher
 Factors Affecting Hatchability
 Storage Time

 A good rule of thumb is to set the eggs in the incubator as soon as possible.

 However, in practical condition some storage may be must

 Eggs that are set less than 7 to 10 days after they were laid yield the best hatchability results.

 In this case, the eggs should be stored for more than seven days.

 Fertility tends to decline by 1% per day after four days and 2% per day after ten days.

 Storage temperature and humidity

• Embryos will begin to develop abnormally and weaken if the temperature is too high.

• The temperature in the hatcher should be Not more fluctuate

• If the temperature is too low, embryos will die, In either case, hatchability decreases.

• Excessive humidity - condensation forms on the egg shells - suffocating or contaminating the embryo.

• Too low RH, the shell membrane becomes dry, which also causes embryo death.
 Factors affecting hatchability ......
 Storage position

• If the eggs will be stored for less than 10 days, place the eggs on egg flats or in egg cartons with the large end up.

• Eggs should be stored with the large end down when they are held for more than 10 days.

 Egg structure

• The egg is formed of three major components: yolk, white and shell.

• White (greatest egg mass) 58%, followed by the yolk 38% and shell 10%.

 Egg shell

• Provide a protective covering for the soft inside of the egg,

• Help gaseous exchange of developing embryo through 6,000 to 8,000 small pores present throughout the shell,

• Provide the major line of defence against microbial invasion of eggs,

• The cuticle which covers the shell helps to prevent excessive evaporation of moisture from eggs
Factors affecting hatchability ......

 Albumen

• Serves as source of moisture and protein for the developing embryo

• Absorbing products excreted by the embryo

• Protecting the embryo from large fluctuations of temperature.

 Yolk

• It functions as food reserve

• when the chick hatches it is absorbed within the chick's body.

 Dry cleaning

• Remove all remnants that could be left from previous hatch

• Washing - Using detergents, disinfectant

 Drying

• Disinfect/Fumigate – by using formaldehyde and potassium permanganate (alone + together)

 Factors affecting hatchability ....
 Hatchery Hygiene
 Nutrition
 Feed composition- Required level of all nutrients like … Essential amino acid + all ingident

 Genetics
 Eggs from pure line hatch better than subsequent line

 Age of the flock/bird

• old age
• pullet

 Male to female ratio

• Too many males too few females
• Too many females too few males

 Health of the bird

• Embryo mortality before setting or/and during hatching process
 In order to attain an accepted level of hatchability, it is important to select eggs for incubation against:

1. Size

• As much as possible, all hatching eggs collected for incubation should be of uniform in weight and size

• Not too big and too small

• Have an average weight

2. Shell quality:

• Eggs with sound shell should be selected.

• Shell should be clean and thick (at least 0.33 mm)

• Eggs that have hairy crack should be discarded

3. Shape:

• The eggs that are required for incubation should be ovoid shaped.

• Irregular in shape (long or round) should not be selected for incubation.

 The result of poor hatchery management
1. Infected chicken

 Transfer of contaminated /broken embryo from Setter to Hatcher is very dangerous

 high humidity and wet surfaces can come together results microbial proliferation (rapid
growth)

2. Dehydrated chicks

3. Chicks with black bottoms or threads

4. Chilled Chicks
Recommended incubation and hatchery Temperature, relative humidity Position and Turning
Factors Setter (1-18 days) Hatcher (19-21 days)

Temperature 99.50 to 99.75 o F 37.5oC - 37.6oc 98.5 o F (36.9 oc)

Relative Humidity 55-60 % 65-75 %

Position Large end up Horizontal

Turning No turning
Manual - 8 times

Automatic - 24 times
 Comparison Fahrenheit- Celsius

Fahrenheit Celsius
• 77.0 25.0
• 80.6 27.0
• 86.0 30.0
• 89.6 32.0
• 95.0 35.0
• 98.6 37.0
• 100.4 38.0
• 102.2 39.0
• 104.0 40.0
Registration: hatching results
 Chicks sex identifying Lohmann Brown – color sex

White- MALE Brown – FEMALE

Lohmann White – feather sex

Fast feathering FEMALE Slow feathering MALE

Potchefstroom Koekoek Pure Breed

No Spot on head Female White spot on head Male

 Chick handling Chick grading
Chick take-off
Chicks Vaccination
Grading
Poor reflex (conscious control)= minus 1
Top quality chick = 10
Grading…
poor navel = minus 1 Red hocks = minus 1
Grading…
Red spot/dirty beak = minus 1 Full belly = minus 1
Registration: Analysis of unhatched eggs
Analyze the waste
Transport
Chick dispatch and transport Transport
Chick storage and transport
Temperature and ventilation
Chick dispatch and transport

Optimal climatic conditions

Environmental temperature at chick Chick behaviour
level (°C) (read and listen to your chicks)

30 – 32.5 Chicks are quiet and are relatively close together

32.5 – 35 Chicks are more active; some stand and others walk

35 Chicks start panting; some chicks have open beak and are
a bit noisy

37 – 39.5 Very noisy; fast breathing with open beaks; wings are
spread

39.5 – 40 Panic; some birds lay down stretched out and get
unconsciousness
Chick dispatch Comfortable or not
 Chick dispatch and transport

Look and listen to the behaviour of the chicks

Registration: chick passport
Points of attention during chick transport!

• No delay!

• Avoid chilling and getting wet during (un)loading

• Never stop air flow (keep engine running; if open truck  keep on driving)

• Listen and look to chicks

• Secure boxes; drive carefully

Chick dispatch and transport
Arrival to the farm
Farm
Registration
Hygiene
Incubation of eggs (day 19– 21Hygiene)
አመሰግናለሁ