Hatching egg care

Objective:Provide the hatchery with eggs that will produce only the best quality chicks.

Egg Gathering
People gathering and packing eggs should wash and sanitize their hands regularly. Gather eggs a minimum of four times per day. Birds will have a different lay pattern based on the time of first light, feeding time and the age of the flock. Egg gathering times should be matched to the lay pattern of the flock. o o o Each of the first two egg gatherings should yield approximately 30-35% of the day's total egg production. Each of the final two egg gatherings should yield approximately 15-20% of the day's total eggs. If the percentage of eggs gathered at one egg gathering exceeds 35%, the number of dirty and cracked eggs will be higher.

When transporting eggs on the farm, cover the egg trolley to prevent dust from settling on the eggs. Sort eggs by category as they are being collected: floor eggs, nest eggs, undersized, double yolks, dirty and cracked eggs. This can be easily recorded at the end of the day. It is preferable to set only clean eggs laid in the nests. If a small amount of dirt is on the egg some producers will scrape this off and set the egg. Dirt can be removed with a plastic or wood scraper or with your thumbnail. A much less desirable method is with sandpaper. Sandpaper destroys the cuticle of the egg and pushes dirty material into the pores of the eggshell leading to exploding eggs and additional contamination in the hatchery. Be sure to clean the dirty eggs in an area away from the clean eggs to prevent cross contamination. Store and set clean eggs and previously dirty eggs in separate incubators.

Different enterprises will have different egg size specifications. When chicks are sold on the open market and the customers desire a chick over 38 grams (1.3 ounces), the minimum egg size is 55 grams (23 ounces/dozen). In integrations, where small chicks can be placed in separate pens, receive extra care and grown 1-2 days longer, eggs as small as 48 grams (20.5 ounces/dozen) can be hatched. The chick size from a 48-gram egg will be approximately 33 grams (1.7 ounces). As a general rule, chick size will be 68% of egg size and the 42 day broiler weight will be affected by at least 7-10 grams (0.02 pounds) for every 1 gram (0.4 ounces/dozen) change in egg size.

Selecting Hatching Eggs

Hens do not always produce perfect eggs. It is the job of the producer to select the poor eggs and remove them from those to be used for incubation. An example of the various types of eggs produced by a flock and the hatching results are listed in Table 29. Producers must select eggs based on exterior shell quality, shape, size, color, and cleanliness. The reason that eggs with certain characteristics result in decreased hatchability is not clear. It is possible that the cause is due to altered gas exchange from the shell or altered pH. Differences in moisture loss due to differences in shell texture do not seem to be the problem. It is important to remove cracked, thin shelled, misshapen, pimpled and dirty eggs. Each individual operation must set its own criteria beyond these basics. The egg selection process has a direct impact on chick quality by determining the uniformity of hatch and amount of dehydration. Consistency of egg selection within an operation is important to maintain quality.

Table 29: Percentages of Various Egg Types Egg Type Fertility Early Dead 3.9 6.3 5.3 30.0 Mid Dead 0.0 0.0 1.2 0.0 Late Dead 4.5 2.3 4.1 12.5 Hatch of Fertile 91.6 91.4 89.4 57.5 Weight Loss 10.7 10.8 10.5 13.3

Normal Sanded Buffed Pimpled

98.3 98.2 99.4 93.8

Wrinkled Very Wrinkled Small Round Misshapen White

98.4 90.0 87.8 90.0 95.2 84.2

21.7 21.7 30.1 30.0 25.1 13.4

0.0 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

16.7 15.0 6.1 20.0 11.9 10.1

61.6 63.3 63.8 49.7 63.0 76.5

11.9 11.4 11.6 12.7 13.0 14.0

Brooks and Wilson, (1992)

Egg Sanitation
There are two common methods of sanitizing hatching eggs: fumigation with formaldehyde and spraying with a quaternary ammonia/hydrogen peroxide solution. Fumigating the eggs with formaldehyde is probably the best method for disinfecting the surface of the eggshell, but in many countries government regulations limit the use of formaldehyde and the conditions under which it is used. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen to be used with caution. Hatching egg spray has been proven to be an effective replacement for formaldehyde. Either method should first be used when the eggs are still on the farm. Many hatcheries repeat the sanitation procedures when the eggs arrive at the hatchery and/or at the time eggs are retrayed at the hatchery.

Formaldehyde Fumigation
Always use rubber gloves, goggles and mask for personal protection. Fumigate the eggs as soon as they are gathered at the farm (20 minutes). Use a 3x concentration, which requires 43 ml. of Formalin (1.5 liquid ounces) and 22 grams (0.8 ounces) of potassium permanganate for every square meter capacity of the fumigation room or box. Formaldehyde fumigation is most effective at temperatures above 24C (75F) with a relative humidity of 75% or higher. Use fans to distribute the gas evenly in large rooms. At the end of fumigation, exhaust all of the gas from the room with fans (40 minutes).

Hatching Egg Spray

Table 30: Hatching Egg Solution for 19 Liters of Solution (5 gallons) Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) is available in 50% or 30% solutions. If you use 50% solution use 385 ml.(14 ounces), if 30%, use 650 ml. (22 ounces). 30ml. (1 ounce) of Quaternary Ammonium Compound (12.2% active ingredient). The remainder of the solution will be clean water.

Store hatching egg spray at room temperature. Note: Some disinfectants (e.g., quaternary ammonium compounds) may affect hatchability. Test all disinfectants before using. Your Arbor Acres' technical service representative can provide a demonstration of spray sanitizing procedures and other methods of disinfection.

Egg Storage
Always collect, pack and set the eggs with the large end up. Cool the eggs to 18C (64F) as quickly as possible after gathering. Maintain the egg holding room temperature on the farm at 18C (64F) with a relative humidity of 75%. Eggs held for an extended period of time should be kept slightly cooler (16C, 61F). The ideal egg storage time for the best hatchability is 3-5 days for breeders that are less than 50 weeks old and 2-4 days for breeders that are over 50 weeks old. Clean and disinfect the egg holding room often and provide continuous air movement. When eggs sweat, disease-producing organisms are able to penetrate the shell more easily. Prevent this by maintaining the correct temperature and humidity conditions throughout the time eggs are held (on farm, during transportation, and at the hatchery). If the eggs are cooled to 18C (64F) and then moved to a warmer room, they may sweat. To prevent this, follow the table below that lists the maximum percent relative humidity in relation to room temperature, after which the eggs will begin to sweat. Table 31: Condensation Table (Egg Temperature 18C (64F) Room Temperature C 21 24 27 29 32 Room Temperature F 70 75 80 85 90 % Relative Humidity 83 71 60 51 43

35 38

95 100

38 32

Incubators generally have adequate heating capacity and eggs can be set directly from the egg holding room without prewarming. This will help to heat the eggs at a uniform rate and prevent sweating.

Dirty eggs should always be removed from those selected for hatching purposes. These eggs will hatch but the problem is that a very high number will explode and contaminate other eggs and/or chicks. Dirty eggs should not be excessively buffed or sanded to remove the dirt or manure. Buffing or sanding remove not only the exterior contamination but also the protective cuticle of the egg, greatly increasing the potential for exploding eggs during incubation. [Home] [Brd TOC] [CLS FS TOC] [Bro TOC] [Met TOC] [US TOC]