Hatching Best Management Practices

1. Hatching Best Management Practices Dan Campeau Area Specialized Agent – Poultry Chatham, Lee, Randolph, Moore & Harnett Counties Resources – Dr.Mike Wineland and NCSU Publications

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Egg Storage: Temperature • Hatching eggs normally stored at temperatures between 12-18º C (54-65º F) • Cools egg - limits embryo development • Minimizes bacterial growth

6. 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

7. Egg Storage: Humidity • Humidity 70-80% to minimize water loss • Higher humidity favor mold and bacteria • Air movement has little effect upon additional loss

8. Egg Orientation and Hatchability • Some evidence that during long term storage that eggs should be turned • Eggs should be set with large end up

9. Hatch and Embryo Mortality for Different Egg Types

10. 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

11. Hatchery Environment • Building layout • Egg traffic patterns • Air Flow • All in – all out concept • Separation from Flock and uninvited visitors

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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.

19. Evaluating Cultures (cont.) • Use the following chart to see if you need to improve your cleaning habits.

20. 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.

21. Cleaning supplies • Please see handout.

22. The End Product- Healthy Chicks • A Healthy Biddy