HatcheryTips2018 1 28 EN PDF

Hatchery
Tips
2 0 1 8
Contents
Page
Tip 1 - Did You Know That If Chicks Are Held Too Long At High Temperatures, It Can Affect Their Growth?.. 3
Tip 2 - What Is Your Meconium Score?......................................................................................................... 4
Tip 3 - Let Your Eggs Guide You................................................................................................................... 5
Tip 4 - When Did You Last Watch Your Eggs Turning?.................................................................................. 6
Tip 5 - Hot Eggs Damage Chick Quality........................................................................................................ 7
Tip 6 - How Often Do You Check Eggs Coming In To Your Hatchery For Hairline Cracks?............................ 8
Tip 7 - Have You Got A Hatchery Maintenance Plan In Place?...................................................................... 9
Tip 8 - Managing Chick Holding Room Temperatures................................................................................... 10
Tip 9 - Do You Make Regular Checks For Transfer Damage?........................................................................ 11
Tip 10 - Check Hatch Debris Regularly To Identify Egg Turning Problems...................................................... 12
Tip 11 - Calibrating Electronic Humidity Sensors........................................................................................... 13
Tip 12 - Keep Setter Floors Dry..................................................................................................................... 14
Tip 13 - Keeping Chicks Comfortable........................................................................................................... 15
Tip 14 - Pre-Warming Eggs........................................................................................................................... 16
Tip 15 - Calibrate CO2 Sensors Regularly..................................................................................................... 17
Tip 16 - Temperature Calibration Probes....................................................................................................... 18
Tip 17 - Assessing Alternative Hatching Egg Disinfectants............................................................................ 19
Tip 18 - Correct Positioning Of Hatcher Buggies........................................................................................... 20
Tip 19 - Zero Calibration Of Pressure Sensors.............................................................................................. 21
Tip 20 - Balancing A Set In Single Stage Setters........................................................................................... 22
Tip 21 - Check Hatching Egg Quality with UV Light....................................................................................... 23
Tip 22 - What is the best temperature for storing eggs?................................................................................ 24
Tip 23 - Egg Yolk Mottling............................................................................................................................. 25
Tip 24 - Maintain the fans in your setters and hatchers................................................................................. 26
Tip 25 - Be careful when you change to different fans in an incubator........................................................... 27
Tip 26 - Analyzing egg handling with a thermal imaging camera.................................................................... 28
Tip 27 - Are you measuring and calculating your chick yield correctly?.......................................................... 29
Tip 28 - If you are heat treating stored eggs to improve hatchability (SPIDES), how long should the eggs be kept warm?.. 30
Page 2 Hatchery Tips

CHICKS ARE HELD TOO LONG
DIDHIGH
AT YOU TEMPERATURES,
KNOW THAT IF IT
CHICKS
CAN AFFECT ARE HELD DID YOUTOO
THEIR LONG
GROWTH?
KNOW THAT
CHICKS ARE
IF
HELD TOO LONG
TipAT1 HIGH TEMPERATURES, IT
AT HIGH TEMPERATURES, IT
Did You Know That If Chicks CAN Are AFFECT THEIR
Held Too GROWTH?
Long At High
CAN AFFECT THEIR
The newly hatched chick can not
Temperatures, It Can Affect
control its body temperature very
GROWTH?
Their Growth? The newly hatched chick can not
control its body temperature very
well. well.
Air temperature, humidity, and air

TheThe newlynewly
hatchedhatched
chick can not chick can
control its not
body speed interact and will all have
temperature very well.
AirAir temperature, humidity, andvery air an effect on the body tempera-
control
temperature, itshumidity,
body and temperature
airspeed interact and ture and the comfort of the young
Fig. 1. Chicks that are too hot.
willspeed interact andbodywill all have and the chick.
well.
all have an effect on the
comfort of the young chick.
temperature
It is easy to see if chicks are
It isan easy effect
to see ifon thearebody
chicks tempera-
uncomfortable from their uncomfortable from their
behaviour – chicks that are too hot are noisy and pant behaviour – chicks that are too
(asture
Air
shown and the
temperature,
in Fig. 1) incomfort to loseof
order humidity, theand
heat. young air hot are noisy and pant (as shown
chick.
Chicksspeed that areinteract and
cold will huddle will
together all have
to keep warm Fig. 1. Chicks that are too hot.
in Fig. 1) in order to lose heat.
(see Fig. 2) and their legs will feel cold. Chicks that are cold will huddle
In aan effect
recent onAviagen
trial, the the body Hatchery tempera-
Specialist team together to keep warm (see Fig.
Fig. 1. Chicks that are too hot. Fig. 2. Chicks that are cold.
showed that chicks that were panting had a high vent 2) and their legs will feel cold.
It
tureis easy
and to
the see if
comfort chicks of
temperature (averaging 106°F), while comfortable chicks
are
the young
In a recent trial, the Aviagen Hatchery Specialist team showed that
had uncomfortable
chick.
a vent temperature that from their104°F.
averaged Fig.
chicks 1. panting
that were Chicks that
had a high vent are too(averaging
temperature hot.
When the two groups were held in the hatchery for 106˚F), while comfortable chicks had a vent temperature that averaged
12behaviour – chicks
hours, the over-heated chicks that are too
lost nearly twice as 104˚F.
much weight.
hot
It isare easy noisyto see andif pantchicks (asareshown When the two groups were held in the hatchery for 12 hours, the
Samples taken at the hatchery showed that chicks that over-heated chicks lost nearly twice as much weight.
had inuncomfortable
Fig.overheated
been 1) in order hadfrom to gut
slight lose
their heat.so they
damage,
could not absorb nutrients as well. Samples taken at the hatchery showed that chicks that had been
Grown behaviour
on in a broiler– chicks
trial, thesethat arewere
chicks too60g overheated
as well.
had slight gut damage, so they could not absorb nutrients
Chicks
hot arethat noisyareand cold pantwill(as
lighter at 35 days than chicks that had been held in
comfortable conditions.
huddle
shown Grown on in a broiler trial, these chicks were 60g lighter at 35 days
in Fig. 1)toinkeep
together orderwarm to lose(see heat. Fig. thanFig. chicks that had been held in comfortable conditions.
2. Chicks that are cold.
2) and their legs will feel cold. Fig. 2. Chicks that are cold.
9
Chicks that are cold will huddle 8
Weight loss % after 12 hours
Intogether
a recentto trial, keepthe warm Aviagen(see Fig. Hatchery Specialist7
6 team showed that
chicks
2) and that theirwere legs panting
will feel had cold.a high vent Fig.5
4
2. Chicks that(averaging
temperature are cold.
106˚F), while comfortable chicks had a 32vent temperature that averaged
In a recent trial, the Aviagen Hatchery Specialist
104˚F. 1 team showed that
0
chicks that were panting had a high vent temperature 106˚F (averaging
Vent temperature
104˚F
106˚F),the
When whiletwocomfortable
groups werechicks held inhad theahatchery
vent temperature for 12 hours, that averaged
the
104˚F.
over-heated chicks lost nearly twice as much weight. First published in International Hatchery Practice
A service to hatchery personnel from Aviagen www.aviagen.com
Hatchery Tips Page 3

Tip
WHAT2 IS YOUR
WHAT IS YOUR
What Is Your Meconium Score?
MECONIUMMECONIUM
SCORE? SCORE?
IfIfIf chicks
chicks are
are held
held in
in the
the hatcher
chicks are held in the hatcher
hatcher
If chicksforfor
for
too
too
aretoo heldlong,
long, they
they do
in the
long,
do not
not grow
theyhatcher
growIf as
do not for too
aslong,
the
well
well in
in eggs
they
dirtiest do notare
grow as well4inor 5, then the chicks
in groups
the
the broiler
broiler house.
house. AA good
good way
way
the to
to tell
broilertell if
if
house.
grow as well in the broiler house. A good way to tell if this
this is
is
A happening
happening
good way tois
is to
to
tell check
check how
how
are being left in the is
if this is happening to check
hatcher for how
too long. Delay the next
many
many
this isof ofhappening
the
the eggs
eggs ininisaatohatcher
hatcher
many basket
check basket
of
how themany are
are stained
eggs stained
in the
of with
with meconium
a hatcher
eggs meconium
basketsetareby
in (the
(the
stained
3 hourswith
andmeconium (the to check again when
make a note
dark
dark green
a hatchergreenbasket
first
first droppings
droppings
are stained of
of the
dark the
with
green chick).
chick).
meconium
first droppings (theofdark
the chick).these eggs hatch in 3 weeks time. When you check
S YOUR
green first droppings of the chick).
To
To
Tofind
find
findoutout
outwhat
what
whatyour
your
yourmeconium
meconium score
score
To find out
meconium is,
what
score is,is,
pick
pick
your out
outout
the
thethe
meconium
pick
them, if there are still eggs in groups 4 or 5 you will need
to delay
55 dirtiest
dirtiest
score eggs
eggs
is, pickthe
outnext
the 5setdirtiest
by a further
eggs 3 hours.
? after
IUMfrom
5
SCORE?
from
Select
after
each
each
dirtiest
thethe
the
of
of
eggs 5
5 hatcher
hatcher
from
eggs are
chicks
chicks
trays
trays
each
immediately
per
removedafter
are removed
per flock.
flock.
fromthe
from the
Select
Select
trays
thechicks
hatcher.
hatcher.
the
the
pereggs
areScore
eggs
flock.
removed
Score the
immediately
immediately
from each of 5 hatcher trays per flock. Select the eggs immediatelythat your total incubation
of 5 hatcher
the eggs
eggs
If all
time
the eggs are clean, check
is not too short – this would be indicated by wet
against
against
after the chicks are removed from the hatcher. Score the eggs against
from
the
the the hatcher.
5-point
5-point scale
scale shownScorebelow.
shown the eggs against the 5-point
below. chicks in each hatcher basket and, if very short, live
the 5-point scale shown below.
scale shown below. pipped embryos.
g, theyhatcher
n the do not grow
for tooaslong,
well they
in do not grow as well in
If your meconium scores vary from tray to tray, setter
Ais good
happening
way toistell
to check
if this ishow
happening is to check how temperatures may be variable. Use the meconium scores
tained
in with meconium
a hatcher basket are(the stained with meconium (the to adjust setting times so that clean eggs predominate
oppings of the chick). on every tray.
Remember to check every hatch – flock age, egg age,
pick out the 5 dirtiest
our meconium eggs
score is, pick out the 5 dirtiest eggs and season can all affect the total incubation time.
ect
tcherthetrays
eggsper
immediately
flock. Select the eggs immediately
eher. Score the
removed fromeggs
the against
hatcher. Score the eggs against Incubation time too long Incubation time too short
11
shown below. 122 323 3
1. Clean 2. Almost clean Clean egg shells
5 or more dirty eggs per tray
in hatch debris
1.
1. Clean
Clean 1. Clean
All chicks dry at time
Some chicks still wet
2.
2.Almost clean of chick2.take-off
Almost clean Almost clean
Live pipped embryos
3.
3. Slight
Slight marks
marks 3. Slight marks
4.
4. Marked
Marked 4. Marked
4432 5453
5.5Dirty
5. Dirty 5. Dirty
3. Slight marks 4. Marked
IfIf1.theClean
the dirtiest
dirtiest eggs
eggs are are in 1.the
Clean
inIfgroups
groups 44 or
dirtiestor 5,
5,
eggsthen
thenare
the
theinchicks
chicks
groupsare are
4 orbeing
being
5, then left
left in
in chicks are being left in
the
the
the hatcher
hatcher for for too too long.
long. the
Delay
Delay the
hatcherthe next
next
for set
set
too by
by 33 hours
long. hours
Delay and
and
the make
make
next aa note
set note
by 3 hours and make a note
2. Almost clean 2.eggs
Almost cleanin 33 weeks
to
to check
check again again when when these
these eggs
to check hatch
hatch
againin whenweeks thesetime.
time.
eggsWhen
When
hatchyou you
in 3 weeks time. When you
check
check
3. Slight them,
them, ifif there
marks there areare still
still eggs
check eggs in
them,in groups
groups
if there44are or
or 55still
you
you will
will in
eggs need
need
groupsto
to 4 or 5 you will need to
3. Slight marks
delay
delay the the next
next set set by by aa further
further 33 hours.
hours.
delay the next set by a further 3 hours.
4. Marked 4. Marked
IfIf all
all the
the eggs
eggs are are clean,
clean, check
Ifcheck
all thethat
that
eggsyour
youraretotal
total incubation
clean,incubation
check thattime
timeyour
isis not
not too
totaltooincubation time is not too
5.5 Dirty
short
short –– this
this would
would be be indicated
indicated
short
5. Dirty by
by wet
wet chicks
chicks in
in each
each hatcher
hatcher basket
basket
– this would be indicated by wet chicks in each hatcher basket
5. Dirty
and,
and, ifif very
very short,
short, live live pipped
pipped
and, embryos.
ifembryos.
very short, live pipped embryos. First published in International Hatchery Practice
naretheinchicks
groups are
4 orbeing
5, then left the
in chicks are being left in
IfIfPage
your4meconium
your meconiuma scores scoresIfvaryvary
yourfromfrom tray
tray to
meconium to tray,
tray, setter
setter temperatures
temperatures may may Hatchery Tips
by
long.3 hours
Delayand the make
next setnote by 3 hours and make a scores
note vary from tray to tray, setter temperatures may
be
be variable.
variable. Use Use the the meconium
meconium scores
scores to
to adjust
adjust setting
setting times
times so so that
that
3enweeks
thesetime. eggsWhen hatchyou in 3 weeksbetime. variable.WhenUse youthe meconium scores to adjust setting times so that
When you set up your incubator, did you know
you
LETthe best guidance
YOUR EGGS on whether the incuba
are correct?
GUIDE YOU
When you set up your incubator, did you know that your eggs can give
Incubator temperature sensors measure air t
you the best guidance on whether the incubator temperature settings
are correct?
places in the machine. For practical reasons
Tip 3 Incubator temperature sensors measure air temperature at various
somewhere
places in the machine.they do reasons
For practical not get inhave
sensors theto beway
sited of load
Let Your Eggs Guide You somewhere they do not get in the way of loading or cleaning. Because
ofthis,this,
of they
they may mayreflect
not always notthealways reflect
air temperature that is the air tem
experienced by the eggs.
Provided that everything is

correctly set up, and the
When you set up your incubator, did you know that your
eggs can give you the best guidance on whether the
machine is well maintained, Pr
then the air temperature is a
incubator temperature settings are correct? good indicator that the co
embryo temperatures are
Incubator temperature sensors measure air temperature correct as well. But if not, m
at various places in the machine. For practical reasons
sensors have to be sited somewhere they do not get
the machine temperature
may not predict embryo
th
in the way of loading or cleaning. Because of this, temperature as accurately
as you would like it to.
go
they may not always reflect the air temperature that is
experienced by the eggs. em
Once the setter has
Provided that everything is correctly set up, and the stabilised, it is wise to co
machine is well maintained, then the air temperature calibrate the machine
is a good indicator that the embryo temperatures are sensors. This should be done th
correct as well. But if not, the machine temperature using an accurate, certified
calibration thermometer, every time the machine is loaded (single stage)
m
may not predict embryo temperature as accurately as
you would like it to.
or monthly (multi stage). But this only tells you whether the air
temperature recorded by the machine sensors is accurate. It may not be
te
Once the setter has stabilised, it is wise to calibrate at a level which is optimal for the embryos. So, you should also check as
the machine sensors. This should be done using an that your eggs reflect the temperature calibration.
accurate, certified calibration thermometer, every time
Check the egg shell temperature on day 2 of incubation, when the eggs
the machine is loaded (single stage) or monthly (multi O
are up to incubator temperature but the embryo is too small to be
stage). But this only tells you whether the air temperature
recorded by the machine sensors is accurate. It may st
producing heat. The eggshell temperatures should all be within ±0.2°F
(0.1°C) of the air temperature in most types of setter. If they are not, it
not be at a level which is optimal for the embryos.
So, you should also check that your eggs reflect the
ca
could indicate something is wrong (for example worn door seals,
sticking solenoids, etc).
temperature calibration. se
Check the egg shell temperature on day 2 of incubation, us
when the eggs are up to incubator temperature but the
embryo is too small to be producing heat. The eggshell calibration thermometer, every time the mach
temperatures should all be within ±0.2°F or monthly (multi stage). But this only tells yo
(0.1°C) of the air temperature in most types of setter.
If they are not, it could indicate something is wrong
temperature recorded by the machine sensor
(for example worn door seals, sticking solenoids, etc). at a level which is optimal for the embryos. S
that your eggs reflect the temperature calibra
Check the egg shell temperature on day 2 of

are up to incubator temperature but the emb
producing heat. The eggshell temperatures s
(0.1°C) of the airFirsttemperature
published in Internationalin
A service to hatchery personnel from Aviagen
most
www.aviagen.com
Hatchery types o
Practice
Hatchery Tips
could indicate something is wrong (for Page 5
examp
sticking solenoids, etc).
CHICKS ARE HELD TOO LONG l Didyour
watch all the trolleys/trays
eggs turning: turn?
AT HIGH TEMPERATURES, IT
l Was the turning smooth and gentle?
l Wasthe
l Did theeggs
turning
turnangle
whencorrect on all thethem
you expected trolleys/trays?
to?
l Did all the trolleys/trays turn?
Incorrect turning angles, or complete turning failure, are among the
CAN AFFECT THEIR GROWTH?

l Was the turning smooth and gentle?
lmost
Wasfrequent issues
the turning we identify
angle correct onon hatchery visits. The impact of mildly
all the trolleys/trays?
suboptimal turning angles on hatch can be subtle, but will include
increasedturning
Incorrect levels of early and
angles, late deadturning
or complete embryos, malpositions
failure, are among in the
the late
deadsfrequent
most and alsoissues
unabsorbed albumen
we identify coveringvisits.
on hatchery someThechicks.
impactIf you do
of mildly
not correct turning
suboptimal turning issues
angles ason soon
hatchascan
theybeare found,
subtle, butit will
will include
cost you
Tip 4
chicks. Turning
increased levelsproblems will late
of early and affect embryo
dead development
embryos, most inseverely
malpositions the late
when they
deads happen
and also early in incubation.
unabsorbed albumen covering some chicks. If you do
The newly hatched chick can not not correct turning issues as soon as they are found, it will cost you
When
controlDid Youtemperature
its body Last Watch veryYour Eggs
TurningTurning
chicks. Turning?
angle ofproblems
31.6 degrees is tooembryo
will affect
when they happen early in incubation.
shallow.development
Target is 40-45
mostdegrees
severely
well. Turning angle of 31.6 degrees is too shallow. Target is 40-45 degrees
All hatchery managers are busy and it can be difficult

Air temperature, humidity, and air
to find time to just observe eggs in your setters. But,
egg turning is essential for good hatchability and the
speed interact and will all have
turning angle, turning frequency, and the smoothness
of the turn are of key importance. So, make some time
an effect on the body tempera-
to watch your eggs turning:
• ture
l Didand theturncomfort
the eggs of the young
when you expected them to?
• l Did all the trolleys/trays turn?
• chick.
l Was the turning smooth and gentle? Fig. 1. Chicks that are too hot.
• l Was the turning angle correct on all the trolleys/
trays? Getting the turning angle just right at 42 degrees.
It is easy to see if chicks are

Incorrect turning angles, or complete turning failure, are
among the most frequent issues we identify on hatchery
Turning angle of 31.6 degrees is too shallow. Target is 40-45 degrees.
uncomfortable from their

visits. The impact of mildly suboptimal turning angles on Getting the turning angle just right at 42 degrees.
hatch can be subtle, but will include increased levels
behaviour – chicks that are too
of early and late dead embryos, malpositions in the late
deads and also unabsorbed albumen covering some
hot are noisy and pant (as shown
chicks. If you do not correct turning issues as soon as
they are found, it will cost you chicks. Turning problems
in Fig. 1) in order to lose heat.
will affect embryo development most severely when
they happen early in incubation.
Chicks that are cold will huddle

together to keep warm (see Fig. Getting the turning angle just right at 42 degrees.
2) and their legs will feel cold. Fig. 2. Chicks that are cold.

In a recent trial, the Aviagen Hatchery Specialist team showed that
chicks that were panting had a high vent temperature (averaging
106˚F), while comfortable chicks had a vent temperature that averaged
104˚F.
When the two groups were held in the hatchery for 12 hours, the
over-heated chicks lost nearly twice as much weight.
First published in International Hatchery Practice
Samples taken at the hatchery showed that chicks that had been
grades at the hatchery, but also performance on the broiler farm will be
poorer. Chicks from eggs which have been overheated will not grow as
well, and will tend to have higher mortality throughout the flock life.
Feed conversion may also suffer.
LET YOUR EGGS
GUIDE YOU
When you set up your incubator, did you know that your eggs can give
you the best guidance on whether the incubator temperature settings
are correct?
Tip 5 Hot area in a single stage setter
If ventilation is adequate, hatchability is not usually affected until higher
Incubator temperature sensors measure air temperature at various
EGGS
Hot DAMAGE
Eggs Damage Chick
eggshell Quality
temperatures are reached.
places in the machine. For practical reasons sensors have to be sited
somewhere they do not get in the way of loading or cleaning. Because
HOTQUALITY
CK EGGS DAMAGEIt is easy to visualise the variation in eggshell temperature in the setters of this, they may not always reflect the air temperature that is
Hot area in a single stage setter
CHICK QUALITY by entering the temperatureseggshell

If ventilation is adequate, hatchability is not usually affected until higher
into antemperatures
Excel spreadsheet,
are reached.and plotting a
Provided that everything is
an optimalThereembryo
is an temperature
optimal embryo graphembryos
rangetemperature
where using thewill
range chart
be type ‘surface’
where spreadsheet, and theand option ‘contour’.
plotting In correctly
a graph theusingsetthe up,chart
and thetype
ble. When
There aneggs
isembryos
optimalget too
be hot,
embryo
will chick quality
temperature
comfortable. example
will where
range
When eggs given
suffer longbelow,
embryos
get before
too taken
will
hot, be from a fixed
It‘surface’
is easy andrackthemultistage
to visualise the variation
option setter
in and
eggshell
‘contour’. temperature
machine
In wellinmaintained,
theisexample the setters
given
chickusing a will
thermal image by entering
iron colour the temperatures
palette, into an Excel spreadsheet, and plottingisaa
ity is affected.
comfortable.
chickWhen
qualityeggs get toolong
will suffer hot,before quality
hatchability suffer long before
is affected. below, takenthe graph
from shows
a fixed a cool
rack thenspot
the air temperature
multistage setter and
graph using the chart type ‘surface’ and thegood option ‘contour’.
indicator that Inthethe
hatchability
Check is affected.
the eggshell temperatures nearon thedays
door and 16 totwo18hot spots
using
example
in stacks
agiven
thermal7 andimage
13.fromiron
below, taken colour
a fixed rack palette,
multistage the and
setter graph
embryo temperatures are
e eggshell temperatures on days 16 to 18 of
of incubation, when the embryos are producing a lot incubation, when shows
using a a cool
thermal spot
image near
iron colourthe door
palette, and
the graph
correct two
as hot
shows
well. a
Butspots
cool
if spotin
not,
Check
yos arethe eggshell
ofproducing
heat, to temperatures
asee heat, on
lot ifofthere to days
aresee
anyif16 to 18
there areofany
dangerous incubation,
hot-spots whennear
stacks 7 and
the door and 13.
two hot spots in stacks 7theandmachine
13. temperature
thehot-spots
us embryos are producing
developing
developing in the inasetters.
lotsetters.
the of heat, toasee
UseUse if there
a Braun
Braun are any
ThermoScan may not predict embryo
dangerous hot-spots developing inorthe setters. Use temperature as accurately
infra-red
can infra-red earear thermometer,
thermometer, or
Tiny Tiny
Tag Taga temperature
temperatureBraunloggers
as you would like it to.
ThermoScan
or the eggs ininfra-red
loggers the earof
tocentre
monitor thermometer,
theegg
the eggs or the
in
trays Tiny Tag temperature
in ascentre
many of the egg
different loggers
toasmonitor the
trays
you can. ineggs in
as manythe centre of
different the egg
locations trays
as in as
you many
can. different Once the setter has
ocations as you
Chick can. will be affected wherever you find eggshell
quality stabilised, it is wise to
temperatures exceeding 102°F Places
(38.9°C). where eggshell
Chicks from temperatures calibrate the machine
ality will be affected wherever you find eggshell temperatures Places where eggshell temperatures sensors. This should be done
Chick quality will be affected
overheated eggs willwherever youexceed
hatch earlier, findsoeggshell
102°F
are moretemperatures
(38.9°C)
proneindicate that
g 102°F
exceeding (38.9°C). Chicks
102°F (38.9°C). from
Chicks overheated
frombe eggs
overheated will hatch
eggs will hatch
exceed 102°F (38.9°C) indicate that using an accurate, certified
to dehydration. They will also action
paler,isshorter
needed. Check
and the dooraction
seals,is needed.
calibrationfan Check door
thermometer, everyseals,
time fan
the machine is loaded (single stage)
oearlier,
are more
so are
yolk
prone
more
sac
to dehydration.
willprone
They will
to dehydration.
be bigger. Unhealed They also
willbe
navels
paler,
also
willbebe
shorter
paler,
more shorter
speeds, setting patterns (wasspeeds,
orthe setsetting
monthly patterns
(multi stage).(was the only
But this set tells you whether the air
yolk
and sac will sac
thecommon.
yolk be bigger.
will be Unhealed navels navels
bigger. Unhealed will bewill more common.
bespray
morenozzles,
common.cooling
balanced?),
balanced?), coils,spray
temperature nozzles,
recorded cooling
by the coils,sensors is accurate. It may not be
machine
ck quality
When chick isquality
poor, isnotpoor,
onlynotwillonly
there be
will more
there be culls
more and
culls down-
and down- solenoids, water isflows,
at a level which fanfor
optimal blades, turn- So, you should also check
the embryos.
When chick quality is poor, not onlysolenoids, will there water
be more flows,
cullsfan blades, turn-
t the hatchery,
grades but alsobut
at thedowngrades
and hatchery, performance
atalso on the
theperformance
hatchery, ing broiler
on
but farmfrequency
the broiler
angles
also and will
farmbewill and
performance being
thatangles
incoming
and frequency
your eggs reflect the and incomingcalibration.
temperature
air temperature and humidity.
hicks from
poorer. Chicks
on eggs
the fromwhich
broiler have
eggsfarm
which been
will beoverheated
have been
poorer. will notwill
overheated
air Chicks
temperature grow
from as
noteggs
and grow as Check the egg shell temperature on day 2 of incubation, when the eggs
humidity.
will tend
well, and to have
will
which tend higher
haveto havemortality
been higher
overheated throughout
mortality the flock
willthroughout
not grow as life.
thewell,
flockandlife. A sare upetotoincubator
ervic hatc herytemperature but theAviagen
pers onneltemperatures
from embryo is too small to be
www.aviagen.c om
Places where eggshell exceed 102°F
version
Feed may
conversion
will tendalsotosuffer.
may also higher
have suffer. mortality throughout
A s ervic e to hatc theheryflock producing heat. The eggshell temperatures should all be within ±0.2°F
(38.9°C)
pers onnel fromindicate
Aviagen that action is needed. Check
www.aviagen.c om door seals,
life. Feed conversion may also suffer. (0.1°C) of the air temperature in most types of setter. If they are not, it
fan
couldspeeds, setting ispatterns
indicate something wrong (for (was
examplethe set
worn balanced?),
door seals,
spray
stickingnozzles, cooling coils, solenoids, water flows, fan
solenoids, etc).
blades, turning angles and frequency and incoming air
temperature and humidity.
The pale coloured chick was Hot

Hot area
area in ainsingle
a single stage setter
stage
overheated. Hot area in a single stage setter
f ventilation is adequate, hatchability issetter.
not usually affected until higher
ion is adequate,
eggshell hatchability
temperatures is not usually affected until higher
are reached.
If ventilation is adequate, hatchability is not usually
temperatures are reached.
affected until higher eggshell temperatures are reached.
t is easy to visualise the variation in eggshell temperature in the settersChicks that are cold.
It is easy to visualise
inthe
toentering
by visualise thetemperatures
the variation intovariation
eggshell in eggshellintemperature
temperature
an Excel spreadsheet,theandsetters
plotting a
ng in the setters by entering the temperatures into an Excel
graph using the chart type ‘surface’ and the optionand
the temperatures into an Excel spreadsheet, plotting
‘contour’. Inathe A service to hatchery personnel
First published in International
from Aviagen Hatchery Practice
www.aviagen.com
ng the chart
example giventype
below,‘surface’ and athe
taken from option
fixed rack‘contour’.
multistageInsetter
the and
givenabelow,
using thermal
Hatcherytaken
Tipsfrom
image ironacolour
fixed rack multistage
palette, the graphsetter
shows anda cool spot Page 7
near theimage
hermal door and
irontwo hot spots
colour in stacks
palette, 7 and
the graph 13. a cool spot
shows
Tip 6
How Often Do You Check Eggs Coming In To Your
Hatchery For Hairline Cracks?
Identifying all the eggs that have cracked shells on arrival

at the hatchery is not easy, but removing and discarding
them will increase your hatchability and improve chick
quality. As the use of automated egg handling on
the farms increases, hairline cracks, in particular, are
becoming much more common.
‘Hairline’ cracks can be difficult to spot. They occur
when the force of an impact is just sufficient to crack the
crystalline shell, but there is no obvious surface damage
or disruption to the underlying shell membranes. Hairline
cracks may only become obvious after a few days in
the egg store when moisture from the egg contents
Fig. 1.
has had time to penetrate into the crack and produce
a faint grey line at the shell surface (Fig. 1).
A good way to detect hairline cracks is to candle the
eggs because the moisture that has entered the crack
becomes illuminated brightly (Fig. 2).
Eggs with hairline cracks can cause just as many
problems as eggs with more severe shell damage.
Research has shown that the hatchability of eggs with
hairline cracks can be reduced by almost 25%. In
addition, there is an increased level of contamination
in eggs with hairline cracks which seems to be carried
over to the chicks. The mortality of chicks hatched
from cracked eggs to two weeks of age was almost
Fig. 2.
four times that in the control group.
When the effect of hairline crack length on hatchability,
egg weight loss, embryo losses, chick quality and
contamination rates have been studied it is clear that
substantial detrimental effects still occur in eggs with
only short hairline cracks, such as that in Fig. 3. So,
the message is clear. Cracked eggs and those with
hairline cracks are bad news for the hatchery. Not only
do they reduce hatchability through increased water
loss from the egg, but they are more likely to become
contaminated. This contamination is carried over onto
the farm by the chicks.
Fig. 3.

HAVE
HAVEYOU YOUGOT GOT AA
HATCHERY
HATCHERYMAINTENANCE
MAINTENANCE
Tip 7
PLAN
PLANININPLACE?
PLACE?
Have You Got A Hatchery Maintenance Plan In Place?
During During hatcheryhatchery visits

visits weweoften oftennotice
noticethat that maintenance
maintenance isisreactive reactive
rather than preventative
During hatchery visits we often notice that maintenance
rather than preventative – things areRegular
is reactive rather than preventative – things are only
– things are only
unacceptable
onlyvisual fixed when
readings.
fixedchecks when they
they breakdown.
break down.
should still be done several
This
Thiscompromise can
can compromise
fixed when they break down. compromise hatchability
hatchability and and chick
timeschick quality
a day to quality which are
which humidity,
ensure temperature, are the
the twotwo
ventilation
This can most importanthatchabilityperformance
and chick quality factors
andaturning
hatchery’s
are all as success
they should is measured
be. Over time it
whichmost
are theimportant
two most important performance
performance factorsfactorsshould
a hatchery’s
be possible tosuccess assess costs is andmeasured
benefits of
a hatchery’s on.success
A scheduled is measured maintenance
on. A scheduled programme
the maintenance minimises
programme. thePreventive
risk ofmaintenance
ma-
on. A scheduled
maintenance programme minimises maintenance
the risk of machineprogramme
generally has minimises the risk
benefits in all industries andof thema-
hatchery
failure andchine the impactfailure and the
of incorrect impact
machine of incorrect
operation machine
is no exception. operation
It contributes on
to a better hatch
hatchability
chine
on hatch andfailure
and quality.
quality. Aand A
few thethings
few
things impact
to to
consider ofwhen
incorrect
consider andwhen machine
chick setting
quality, operation
saferup a
work maintenance on hatch
environment, reduced
andprogramme
quality. A few
setting up a maintenance programme are:
are:things to considerinsurance whencosts setting up a maintenance
power and utility costs as efficiency is increased, lower
and retaining a higher value of assets.
• Have a dedicated person responsible for
programme
• Havereporting
maintenance a are:
dedicated person
to the hatchery re-
manager.
•maintained
Have a dedicated
• Produce a list of all the equipment to be
sponsible including forfrequencies.person
maintenance re- re-
• sponsible
Keep portingfor
records on maintenance
to the
all hatchery
performed re-
maintenance.
• Keep track of the spare parts on hand.
• porting theto
manager.
Include the hatchery
building structure and ancillary
equipment in the programme.
• manager. • Produce
All sensors (temperature, a listhumidity
of all etc)
theneed to
equipment
be calibrated
• Produce to of
regularly.
a list be all maintained
the
Maintenance is required on any equipment that can
the including
equipment to be maintained
affect performance frequencies.
of the hatchery. This includes Air filters need to be checked
• equipment
setters, hatchers, Keepfrequencies.
all records
chick on all
processing equipment, any and replaced regularly
including
measuring (thermometers, hygrometers,
Air filters need to be checked and
Air filtersreplacedneed regularly.
to be checked
pressure performed maintenance.
water
gauges), ventilation,
• treatment
Keep records systems, alarm
generators, all possible
on systems
all and trucks. and replaced regularly
All performed
• Keep track of the spare
maintenance should
partsinstructions,
manufacturers’
maintenance.
be done according to
on hand.by using their provided
• Keep
checklists track
•andInclude
their of the
recommended
the spare intervals
maintenance
building
as a minimum. Keeping good recordsstruc-
is useful to
parts
monitor theon
ifture same hand.
and ancillary equipment
equipment keeps failing or needs
more maintenance than others as this could indicate
that• Include
there inis anthe the building
programme.
underlying struc-Keeping
problem elsewhere.
ture•and ancillary equipment
track of the spare parts and their usage avoids over
All sensors
ordering unnecessary parts. (temperature,
Some inofthe
the programme.
humidity
incubation etc) need now
manufacturers to beoffer technical Fan belts should be checked regularly and replaced as necessary
audits which are extremely helpful to get you started with – this belt is not fit for use.
your•maintenance
Allcalibrated
sensors program. (temperature,
regularly.
Monitoring the equipment Fan belts should be checked regularly
allows us toMaintenance is required
the humidity etc)andneed
see if the equipment
acceptable limits
is
be if we on
to taketoaction
performing any
within
notice
and replaced as necessary
equipment
calibrated that can affect the
regularly. – this belt is not fit for use.
Fan belts should be checked regularly
Hatchery Tips
performanceisofrequired
Maintenance the hatchery. on any This and replaced as necessary
Page 9
Body temperature in young chicks therefore depends on the surrounding
being too hot or cold are only environment. Yet it is crucial to help chicks stay in their thermal comfort
seen when DOA numbers in- zone after they hatch. If chicks are too hot or cold, they will use more en-
ergy during holding. If they are too hot, they will also pant and get dehy-
crease. On the other hand, it is drated. These chicks will not perform well on the farm.
not simple to keep chicks within It is extremely busy on a hatching day in a hatchery and it can be hard to
their comfort zone in a chick monitor and respond to chick comfort. Sometimes problems with chicks
being too hot or cold are only
holding room. There is not one seen when DOA numbers in-
crease. On the other hand, it is
ideal chick holding room temper-
Tip 8
ature, which is suitable in all
not simple to keep chicks within
their comfort zone in a chick
holding room. There is not one
Managing
hatcheries, becauseChickitHolding depends Room Temperatures
ideal chick holding room temper-
ature, which is suitable in all
on chick size, physical condition, hatcheries, because it depends
room humidity, chick box type on chick size, physical condition,
room humidity, chick box type
Newly andhatched
air speed
chicks around
cannotthe boxes.
regulate their body fansairinspeed
and the around
back corner
the boxes.allowed the chicks to maintain
You needtemperature
to find the ideal holding
You need to find the ideal holding
temperature very well. Body temperature in young
therefore depends on the surrounding environment. Yet
chicks a vent
room temperatures for different
above 103°F.
it is room temperatures
crucial to help chicks stayfor different
in their thermal comfort seasons in your own hatchery.
These chicks are too hot.
zoneseasons
after they in your own hatchery.
hatch. If chicks are too hot or cold, they One Aviagen internal study has
will use more energy during holding. If they are too hot, shown that vent temperature is a good indicator of chick comfort. A chick
they will also pant and get dehydrated. These chicks These chicks
will be comfortable when its are too hot. is in the range of 103-
vent temperature
Oneperform
will not Aviagen internal
well on study has
the farm. 105°F (39.4-40.6°C). Identify sample chicks and measure chick vent
temperature hourly in the chick holding room. If chick vent temperature is
It is extremely busy on a hatching day in a hatchery
shown that vent temperature is a good indicator of chick comfort. A chick
and it can be hard to monitor and respond to chick
too high, lower room temperature settings. If chick vent temperature
is low, then increase room temperature settings.
will be
comfort. comfortable
Sometimes problemswhen its vent
with chicks temperature
being too is in the range of 103-
105°F
hot or (39.4-40.6°C).
cold are only seen when DOAIdentify
numbers sample
increase. chicks
If chicksand measure
are sampled and chickchick vent measured at different
vent temperature
On the other hand, it is not simple to keep chicks within locations in the chick holding room you can determine where any hot/cold
theirtemperature
comfort zone inhourly in the chick
a chick holding holding
room. There is notroom.
spotsIfare.
chick
Then youvent
can temperature
use the information toisimprove chick trolley de-
onetooidealhigh,
chicklower
holdingroom sign, chick trolley placement in the room, air circulation in the room and
temperature
room temperature, which settings.
is If chick vent temperature
room ventilation, so that all chicks will be comfortable throughout the en-
suitable in all hatcheries, because it depends on chick
size,isphysical
low, then increase room temperature
chick box typesettings.
tire chick holding room. Using Excel to map the temperature distribu-
condition, room humidity, tion will help to identify problem areas. In Fig.1 the chicks were all slightly
and air speed around the boxes. You need to find the cold, except in the back right corner, furthest from the door. Raising the
ideal holding room temperatures for different seasons room temperature slightly, with some additional cool-
If chicks
in your are sampled and chick vent temperature
own hatchery. ing fans in themeasured atthe
back corner allowed different
chicks to main-
Onelocations in the chick
Aviagen internal study holding
has shown room thatyou can determine
vent where
tain a vent temperature aboveany hot/cold
103°F.
spots are. Then you can use the information to improve chick trolley de-
temperature is a good indicator of chick comfort. A
chick will be comfortable when its vent temperature is in
the range ofchick
sign, trolley
103-105°F placementIdentify
(39.4-40.6°C). in thesample
room, airFig.circulation
These chicks are tooin theby room
hot.
1. Chick vent temperature location. and
room ventilation, so that all chicks will be comfortable throughout the en-
chicks and measure chick vent temperature hourly in
the chick holding room. If chick vent temperature is too
tire chick
high, lower room holding room.
temperature UsingIfExcel
settings. to map the temperature distribu-
chick vent
tion will help to identify problem areas. In Fig.1 the chicks were all slightly
temperature is low, then increase room temperature
settings.
cold, except in the back right corner, furthest from the door. Raising the
If chicks are sampled and chick vent temperature
room temperature
measured slightly,
at different locations with
in the some
chick additional cool-
holding
A s ervic e to hatc hery pers onnel from Aviagen www.aviagen.c om
room ingyoufans
canin the backwhere
determine corneranyallowed
hot/coldthe chicks to main-
spots
are. Then you can use the information to improve chick
tain
trolley a vent
design, temperature
chick above
trolley placement 103°F.
in the room, air
circulation in the room and room ventilation, so that all
chicks will be comfortable throughout the entire chick
holding room. Using Excel to map the temperature
distribution will help to identify problem areas. In
Fig. 1 the chicks were all slightly cold, except in the
backFig.
right1.corner,
Chickfurthest
vent temperature
from the door.by location.
Raising the Fig. 1. Chick vent temperature by location.
room temperature slightly, with some additional cooling First published in International Hatchery Practice

damage when doing a breakout.
DO YOU MAKE
simplifiedtoQAbelieve
tempting
themake
damage
To number isanrare. of
check.that
unhatched
accurate Yet, when
Ideally,
check
transfer
eggs
count out. The shell membranes are white
weforvisit and Impact damage to egg shells dur-
papery.
REGULAR CHECKS FOR
per tray in
hatcheries,
transfer
baskets,
damage,
then
awe fulloften stack
lookthe
yousee
more
of hatcher
need
ing transfer. Impact was to the side
to look of the egg, and the embryos were
closely at
TRANSFER DAMAGE?
significant
a bit further
the
damage eggs
simplified
Tip this
in
when
amounts
9 QAshould
than
the 3-4
doing
ofstandard
worst
a
transfer
breakout.trays.
check. Ideally, count out. The shell membranes are white
close to full term and slightly dried
Ideally,
the number of unhatched be doneeggs so that and papery.
To Do
every make You
transferan Make crew
accurate Regular
is check ChecksImpact
for For Transfer damage toDamage? egg shells dur-
With the increasing
per tray in a full stack of hatcher use of au- ing transfer. Impact was to the side
monitored
transfer
tomation then
baskets, damage,at least
at transfer, look more youtwice need a month;
to look
it is closely at of the egg, and the embryos were
more
athebit
tempting
With eggsoften
further to the
in
the increasing
if they
than
believe thehave
that
3-4of automation
use worst new
standard
transfer
trays. team
at transfer, it close to full term and slightly dried
members.
simplified
is
damage
Ideally,
tempting
Yet, when this isQA
we
to believe
rare.
should
visit
check. that
Yet,bewhen
hatcheries,
Ideally,
transfer damage
often we
wedone seesocount is
visit
rare.
out. The shell
that Excessive
significant vacuummembranes pressure areon whitethe
the number of unhatched
amounts of transfer damage when doing a breakout.
hatcheries,
every transfer wecrew often see eggs and papery.
egg lifter has caused damage to the
To make an accurate check is for transfer damage, you
Transfer
perneedtray
significant
monitored indamage
to look aabitfull
amounts
at least
further isthan
stack caused
oftheof
twice ahatcher
transfer
standard bysimplified blunt end of the egg.
month;
QA check. Ideally, count the number of unhatched
rough
baskets,
damage
moreeggs per handling
often then
when
tray inifatheylook when
doing
full stack more
have the
ofahatcher eggs
closely
breakout.
new team
baskets, are
atthen Impact damage to egg shells during transfer. Impact was to the
moved
the
members.
Ideally, from
this should the be done setter
look more closely at the eggs in the 3-4 worst trays.
eggs in the 3-4 so thattray
worst every to
trays. thecrew side
transfer
of the egg, and the embryos were close to full term and slightly
dried out. The shell membranes are white and papery.
hatcher
Ideally,
Tohave make newthis
basket
anshould
team accurate
members.
(cracks be check
is monitored at least twice a month; more often if they
fromso
done ear-
for that Excessive
Impact damage vacuum to pressure
egg shellsondur- the
egg lifter hasImpact
ing transfer. causedwas damage to thetoside the
lier
every
transfer
Transfer in transfer
Transfer incubation
damage is crew
damage,
damage caused are
you
is byeasy
is
causedneed toto
rough handling
by see,
look when
the eggs are moved from the setter tray to the hatcher blunt
of theend egg,ofand the the egg.embryos were
because
monitored
a bit
rough further in
handling
basket (cracks at theseleast
thanwhen
from thetwice inegg
the standard
earlier a contents
month;
the eggs are close to full term and slightly dried
incubation are easy
to see, because in these the egg contents will have
will
more
moved have
simplified
completelyoften
from completely
dried if
QAthe they
check. have dried
setterIdeally,
out).Transfer new
tray
cracks out).
will team
tocount
the
have some
out. The shell membranes are white
Transfer
hatcher number cracks
basket
will still of
be soft will
unhatched
(cracks have
drying out, especially of the shell membranes, but the
members.
thecontents (if the eggfrom some
waseggs
Excessive vacuum pressure on the egg lifter has caused damage
and
ear-or the Excessive
infertile, papery.
to the blunt vacuum
end of the egg. pressure on the
drying
lier in out, especially
embryo died early in incubation the egg contents will
pergenerally
tray in bea liquid).
incubation
still full stack are easy of the
of hatcher shell
to see, egg lifter has caused damage to the
membranes,
Transfer
The
baskets, damage damage
then shown but in
look the
is
the top
more contents
causedphotograph
closely by will
is usually Damage
blunt endcaused of the by egg. a ridge or bar on
because
caused when inthethese tray the
or buggy egg
has to be pushedat
contents hard
stillto get
rough
the beithandling
eggs soft in (if thethe when egg was
the eggs aretop the handling equipment.
will have completely or 3-4 worstbuggiestrays.
dried out).
into position. It tends to be seen on the
trays (after transfer) on whole if the hatchery
infertile,
moved
Ideally,
Transfer from
this
floor is damaged.or
cracks thethe
should embryo
setter
will
Excessive
behave died
tray
done
pressure
someinto
soearly
the the
that
vacuum
lifter can damage the blunt end of the egg; in this case
in
every incubation
hatcher
drying
the shell basket
transfer
out,
does the
especially
not flake egg
(cracks
crew away is contents
of
from from
the
the egg. ear-
shell
The will
other Damage caused by a ridge or bar on the handling equipment.
generally
lier
monitoredin incubation
membranes,
system has bars still
atorbut be
least
ridges liquid).
common form of external damage is when the handling
are
the twice
which easy
contents a to
can cause month;asee,
willhole Damage caused by a ridge or bar on
linear
in the side of the egg.
because
more beoften
stillAlthough soft in (if these
if they
it is fairly the
easy to
the
have
egg egg
identifywasnew contentsteam
the characteristic the handling equipment.
The
will damage
have completely
external
members.
infertile, damage shown
caused at in
driedthe
transfer,
diedout).
it top
is possible for
the impactor to the
kill theembryo
embryo without early the Excessive vacuum pressure on the
damaging
photograph
Transfer
shell. Whencracks
in visible,
incubation this is usually
the egg
happens, will have
there caused
contents
are some
usually
will egg lifter has caused damage to the
blood clots
caused by rupture of the external blood vessels.
when
drying
Transfer
generally the
out, tray
damage or
especially
still buggy
be liquid).is caused has
of the by to
shell be
blunt end does
Transfer damage of the egg.
not always damage the shell; this shows
pushedhandling
membranes,
rough hard but to when gettheitcontentsinto
the eggs position. will
are Damage
a late dead embryo where rough handling has caused bleeding,
and the blood has caused
then clotted.by a ridge or bar on
It tends
still
moved
The be
damage to be
soft
from (iftheseen
thesetter
shown eggonin was the top
the
tray topto the the handling equipment. First published in International Hatchery Practice
Transfer damage does not always
trays
infertile,
hatcher
photograph
Hatchery (after or the
basket
Tips transfer) embryo
is usually(cracks orcaused
on
died
from whole early
ear- damage the shell; this shows aPage late 11
buggies
in incubation if thethe hatcheryegg contents floor is will dead embryo where rough handling
Egg turning is a key input for normal embryo development. Brooding
hens roll the eggs in their nests; in hatcheries, trays of eggs must be
tilted to either side of horizontal. For the best hatchability, eggs should
be tilted once an hour to achieve a 38-45° angle to each side. Hatcha-
bility will be depressed if turning angles are too shallow, or
turning is not frequent enough, especially in the first 7 days.
Tip 10
CheckDuring
Hatch Debris
the early stages Regularly
of embryonic To Identify Egg Turning
Problems CHECK HATCH DEBRIS
growth, the chorio-allantoic membrane
(CAM) forms to enclose the albumen.
REGULARLY TO IDENTIFY
This is the source of the network of
Brooding hens
EGG TURNING PROBLEMS
blood vessels seen on the inside of theUnfortunately, the critical sealed period is also the most
Egg turning is a key input for normal embryo development.
eggrollshell in hatch
the eggs debris.
in their nests; If turning is critical
in hatcheries, in- period for egg turning.
trays of eggsadequate
must be tilted for any reason, the CAM willIn order to identify and resolve egg turning issues,
to either side of horizontal. For
Eggeggs
the best hatchability, turning
should isbea tilted
key onceinputanforhour
normal embryomild
especially development.
chronic ones,Brooding
a routine hatch debris
not
to achieve a 38-45° form properly,
angle to each and
side. short-circuits
Hatchability
hens roll the eggs in their nests; inbreakout will the
hatcheries, traysshould
program of eggs be must be
implemented in every
be depressed small endangles
if turning
tilted to ofeither
theareegg,
side leaving
too shallow,
of a
or turning
horizontal. hatchery.The
For the A rise
best in both
CAM did
hatchability, early
not and late
reach
eggs deads with poor
the
should
is not frequent enough, especially in the first 7 days.
circulartiltedpatchonce withannohour covering of aCAM growth, malposition II or III or residual albumen
pointed end toof each
the egg, leaving
During the earlybe stages of embryonic to achieve
growth, the 38-45°
on angle
the hatched chick side.
is a strong Hatcha-of a turning
indication
blood
chorio-allantoic vessels. forms to enclose issue. some
bility will be depressed if turning angles are too shallow, or
membrane (CAM) Check albumen
the turning unavailable
angle in todirections, and
both
the albumen. This is the source of the network of make sure thattheeggs
developing embryo
are turned once an hour with
blood vessels seen turning is inside
on the not frequent
of the eggenough,
shell in especially 7 days.
in the firstopening
regular inspection, the setter door to do so.
Failure
hatch debris. of egg
If turning turning for
is inadequate or any
inadequate
reason,
the CAM willegg
not turning (frequency
form properly, or angle)
and short-circuits will cause raised levels of early dead
the
During the early stages of embryonic
small end of the egg, leaving a circular patch with no
(membrane
covering of bloodgrowth,
and blood ring) and late
vessels. the chorio-allantoic membrane
dead embryos. The late deads will
Failure of eggshow characteristic
(CAM)
turning forms signseggofthe
to enclose
or inadequate turning
albumen.
turning failure due to poor growth of the
(frequency or CAM, This is the source of the network ofbottom of the egg. There will also
leaving
angle) will residual
cause raised albumen
levels of in
early the
dead (membrane and blood ring) and late dead embryos.
be more
The late deads willblood undersized
showvessels seen
characteristic
embryos,
on the
signs
and the
inside
of turning
incidence of two specific
of the
egg shell in hatch debris. If turning is in-end of the egg) and
failure due tomalpositions,
poor growth of malposition-II
the CAM, leaving (head
residual in small
albumen in malposition-III
the bottom of the(head
adequate foregg. anyThere
to will will
left)
reason,
more undersized embryos, and the incidence of two
also be
the beCAMraised.
will This specific combination of
embryo mortality
not form
specific malpositions, categories
properly,
malposition-II and
(head inissmall
a typical the
short-circuits indicator of egg turning issues
in the
end of the egg) and hatchery.
malposition-III
small (head to left) will be
end of the egg, leaving a The CAM did notThe CAM
reach the did notend
pointed reach
of thethe
egg, leaving some
raised. This specific combination of embryo mortality
circular patch with no covering
categories is a typical indicator of egg turning issues of albumen pointed
unavailableend
to theofdeveloping
the egg, embryo.
leaving
bloodproblems
Turning
in the hatchery. vessels. are one of the more some albumen unavailable to
common
Turning problems are oneissues
of the seen by Aviagen
more common issues hatchery the developing embryo
seen by Aviagen hatchery specialists when visiting
commercialspecialists
hatcheries. of eggare
Failure There
when turning
visiting
two main or reasons
inadequate
commercial
egg turning (frequency
hatcheries. There are two main
for this. In older hatcheries, multi-stage or angle)
incubators reasonswill cause
for raised levels of early dead
are getting older.(membrane
Their turning systems have become
and blood ring) and late dead embryos. The late deads will
this. Inthey
worn. Occasionally olderfail hatcheries,
completely, ormulti-stage
more often
do not manage show
incubators characteristic
to achieve areadequate signsangles.
gettingturning
older. of turning
Their turningfailure due to poor growth of the
CAM,
In newer hatcheries, leaving
with residual
single-stage albumen
incubators,
systems have become worn. Occasionally it in the bottom of the egg. There will also
can be tricky to spot problems because the focus is
on keeping they
be
failmore
the machines
undersized
completely,
sealed for the
embryos,
or more
first few often and the incidence of two specific
days do not
and this canmanage
make to achieve adequate turning in
malpositions,
people very malposition-II
reluctant to open (head
the an- small end of the egg) and
A chick with residual albumen on the down.
setter doors to check the turning. The
malposition-III veryto
(head bigleft)
modern
will be raised. This specific combination of
setters put agles. Inonnewer
big load hatcheries,
the turning mechanism with
andsingle-stage
this
can cause turning embryo
incubators,
angles to itmortality
can
drop be categories
tricky
below to spot
the optimum. is aproblems
typical indicator of egg turning
First published issuesHatchery Practice
in International
in thethe
hatchery. A chick with residual
Page 12
because focus is on keeping the ma- albumen on the down.Hatchery Tips
chines sealed for the first few days and this
Turning problems are one of the more
bulb temperature,
electronic humidityrather purity,
sensor.
bulb thanTwoideally
a of laboratory
percentage
temperature, these RH,grade.
compounds
rather then aare
than the predictedforRH, then the predicted
suitable
percentage
reading
use will altersetter
to calibrate slightly or depending
readinghatcher on the
willelectronic
alter air
slightly (dry
humidity bulb)
depending temperature
sensors on at in bulb) temperature in
the air (dry
force at the time of temperatures
incubation/hatcher calibration.
force at the The tableofbelow
(98-100°F).
time showsThe
calibration. what to expect
table below atshows what to expect at
different dry bulb temperatures
Steps:
different dry for both
bulb chemicals.
temperatures Correct
for both chemicals. Correct
preparation of
Magnesium the solution
nitrate hexahydrate is very[Mg(NO
preparation of the3)solution
important. 2.6H Too2O]muchiswillveryread 50% andToo much or insufficient
orimportant.
insufficient
sodium
water addition chloridewill [NaCl] 1.
givewater willFill the
read
inaccurate sensor
75%
addition results. protection
RH.give
will IfSalts
theinaccurate bottle
machine
should beshows quarter
results. afull
wet should be of consistent
of consistent
Salts
with theideally
adry salt. Prepare a syringe full of water.
bulb Tip 11
purity,temperature,
ideally laboratory
reading will alter slightly
rather purity,than
grade.
2. depending
percentage
Add a smallonamount
laboratory
the air of
RH,grade.
(dry
then
water
the predicted
bulb)totemperature
the salt and in
forceCalibrating
at the time of calibration. shake
Electronic well.
The tableHumidity below shows what Sensors to expect at
Steps: Steps:
3.
different dry bulb temperatures for both chemicals. Correct stick to
When the salt becomes sticky (it will
preparation of the solution the bottle)
is verythe solutionToo
important. is ready
muchtooruse. Turn off
insufficient
1. Fill the
waterCalibrating sensor protection
additionthewillhumidity the
1. humidity
Fill
give inaccurate bottle
the sensor alarm
quarter of
full
protection
results. can
sensors in incubators
the machine.
bottle
Saltsbeshould be quarter
Oneofbatch
full
consistent
of solution can be used for five
with
purity, the
tricky. dry salt.
However, Prepare 4.
with
if the machine
ideally laboratory grade. Screw
a syringe
the the
dry
has bottle
full
salt.
electronic of to the
water.
Prepare
humidity fitting
a syringe above full
machines. the
of hu-
water.
sensors a saturated solution of a specific chemical
2. Add a small amount midity
2. of water
Add sensor.
a to
small
compound, presented to the sensor in a sealed container,
the Thesalt
amount humidity
and of reading
water It is togoodthe will
salt
practiceand
to repeat this calibration every set
for single stage machines and every month for multi-
shake willwell.
give an accurate and stabilise
shake once
well.
predictable readingthewhichsalt solution
can has reached in-
Steps:
3. When be used thetosalt becomes
calibrate thecubation
3.machine.
When temperature
stickythe (it salt
will becomes
Saturated
of different salts will, depending on the temperature,
stick (about
solutionsto sticky
stage machines.
an hour).
(it will stick to
the bottle) the solution 5.is
the Once
ready
bottle) the
to
always give the same reading on an electronic humidity humidity
use.
the Turn
solution becomes
off is ready stable,
to use. calibrate
Turn off
1. Fill
the the sensor
humidity
sensor. Two alarmprotection
of these of theyour
compounds sensor
the machine.
humidityare toalarm
bottle quarter
suitablethe expected
for fullthe machine.
ofuse to value for the ma-
calibrate setter or hatcher electronic humidity sensors
4. Screw
with the the
dry bottle
salt. to
Prepare chine
4.
the temperature
fitting
a syringe
Screw
at incubation/hatcher temperatures (98-100°F). above
the full
bottlethe
of at
to the
hu-
water.
the time
fitting (seeaboveTable).
the hu-
2. Add
midity sensor.
Magnesium The
a smallnitrateamount 6.ofRemove
humidity
midity
hexahydrate reading
water tothe
sensor. the bottle
will
The
[Mg(NO3)2.6H2O] towill
salthumidity
and finish calibration,
reading will turn
stabilise
shake read onceandthe
well.
50% sodium on
salt chloride
solutionthe[NaCl]
stabilise alarm
has
once and
readrun
reached
will the 75%in-
salt the
RH.machine
solution has normally.
reached in- Hu-
If the machine shows a wet bulb temperature, rather than
3. When
cubation the
a percentage saltRH,
temperature becomes midity
then(about
cubation willtemperature
sticky
an
the predicted shortly
(itreading
hour). start
will stick toshowing
(about
will alter an actual
hour). level.
5. Once
the bottle)
slightlythedepending
thehumidity
solution One
5.
onbecomes airbatch
is Once
the ready to
(drythe ofuse.
stable,
bulb) solution
calibrate
humidityTurn off
temperature canin be used
becomes stable,for five ma-
calibrate
force at the time of calibration. The table below shows
your sensor toalarm
the humidity the expected
of thechines.
your value for
machine.
sensor
what to expect at different dry bulb temperatures for
to thethe expected
ma- value for the ma-
4. Screw
chine bothtemperature
chemicals. atto the
the bottleCorrect the
chine time
fitting (seeabove
temperature
preparation ofTable).
thethe athu-
solution theistime (see Table).
very
6. Remove
midity important.
sensor. theThe Too
bottle much
humidity orgood
toIt6.finish insufficient
isRemove practice
calibration,
reading water
thewill bottle toaddition
turnrepeat
to finishthis calibrationturn
calibration,
will give inaccurate results. Salts should be of consistent
on the
stabilise alarm
purity, once
ideallyand
the run
saltthe
laboratory every
solution
on theset
machine
grade. has
alarmfornormally.
single
and runstage
reached in-
the machinesnormally.
Hu-machine and every Hu-
midity
cubation will
Steps: shortly
temperature start month
showing
(about
midity for
an
will multistage
actual
hour).
shortly level.
start machines.
showing actual level.
5. Once
One batch theofhumidity
solution becomes
can
Onebe used
batch stable,
1. Fill the sensor protection bottle quarter full with
offor calibrate
five
solution ma-can be used for five ma-
your
chines. sensorthe dryto salt.
the Prepare
expected Dry
chines. bulbfull
value
a syringe forofthewater. ma- Approximate Dry bulb wet bulb temperature
Approximate wet bulb temperature(°F)
(°F)
2. Add a small amounttemperature of water to the salt and temperature
chine temperature at the time (see Table). (actual machine
It6.isRemove
good
shake well.
the
practice bottle
to to
repeat
It (actual
finish
is this
good machine
calibration,
calibration
practice turn
to repeat Sodium
this calibration Sodium
temperature) Magnesium
Chloride nitrate
Magnesium
Nitrate Hexahydrate
3. When the salt becomes sticky (it will stick to the
on
every theset alarm
bottle) and
for single runstage
the solution the temperature)
ismachine
every machines
settofor
ready use.normally.
andTurnevery
single chlorideand every
Hu- machines
stage
off the hexahydrate
100 92.5 83.5
humidity alarm of the machine.
midity
month will
for shortly
multistage start showing
machines.
month
100
4. Screw the bottle to the fitting above the for actual
multistage level. machines. 92.5 99.5 92.0 83.5 83.0
One batch of solution can99.5
humidity sensor. The be used for five ma-
humidity reading will
92.0 98.5 91.0
83.0 82.2
Dry bulb
chines. stabilise once the salt Drysolution
bulbhas reached
Approximate wet bulb temperature
Approximate 98.0 wet(°F)
bulb
90.5 temperature 81.8(°F)
incubation temperature (about an hour).
temperature
5. Once the humidity becomes temperature
98.5 stable, calibrate 91.0 82.2
It (actual
is goodyour machine (actual
sensor to the expected
practice to repeat Sodium
this machine
value for the
calibration Magnesium
Sodium nitrate Magnesium nitrate
machine temperature 98.0 at the time (see Table). 90.5 81.8
temperature)
every set for single stage chloride
temperature)
machines
6. Remove the bottle to finish calibration, turn and every hexahydrate
chloride hexahydrate
100 foron
month the alarm and
multistage run the machine
Amachines.
service
100 92.5 to hatchery
Humidity will shortly start showing actual level.
normally. personnel from Aviagen
92.583.5 www.aviagen.com
83.5
99.5bulb
Dry 99.5 92.0 First published in92.0 83.0 Hatchery Practice 30.2 83.0
International
Hatchery Tips Approximate wet bulb temperature (°F) Page 13
temperature
98.5 98.5 91.0 91.082.2 82.2
high humidity levels and at incubation temperature, condensation on
the walls and pipework is almost unavoidable, and the water soon drip
down to the floor. The best way to prevent the humidity building to suc
a high level is to open the dampers slightly once the setter is up to
temperature, leaving it very slightly open for the first 24 hours of
incubation. Once the dampers are closed, the humidity will build again
so it is usually best to start ventilating the setter after day seven of in-
cubation at the latest.
Tip 12 Once single stage setters are being ventilated, or in a hatchery which
Keep Setter Floors Dry uses multi stage setters, then the floors should always be dry. If water
is seen on the floors, then action needs to be taken to stop it. Wet floo
in incubators can be caused by:
l Leaking connections to the cooling pipes, the humidity spray nozzle
Wet setter floors are often seen in hatcheries. or Staff do
solenoids. Wet floors in incubators can be caused by:
not usually pay much attention, and often think they
l Pinholes • in theLeaking
copperconnections
cooling pipes.
to the cooling pipes, the
are unavoidable.
l Condensation humidity
from thespray
cooling pipesororsolenoids.
nozzles solenoids – especially if the
Wet floors can have several negative effects on incubation • is set
Pinholes in thenecessary.
copper cooling pipes.
water
conditions and chick quality. Firstly, water will evaporatechiller colder than
• Condensation from the cooling pipes or
off the open water surface, causing localisedl Catching troughs
cooling or gutters not in place, blocked or leaking.
solenoids – especially if the water chiller is set
of the surface. The rising water vapour will l Spray
then hit nozzles colder
not functioning properly.
than necessary.
the eggs placed on the lower egg trays. This has a • Catching troughs or gutters not in place,
cooling effect on these eggs slowing down their embryo
Most of the aboveblocked
causesorhave
leaking.
to do with maintenance and can be
development compared to eggs in other positions • Spray nozzles preventative
not functioning properly. plan in place
avoided
in the setter. In addition, with machine temperatures by having an effective maintenance
around 100ºF (37.8ºC) the wet warmth provides an Most of the above causes have to do with maintenance
ideal environment for promoting the growth of mouldStanding water
and on
can the
be floor
avoided ofbya single
having stage
an setterpreventative
effective at the end of th
and bacteria – especially on wet surfaces. The sealed maintenance plan in place.
waterperiod.
vapour can also carry bacteria and mould spores which
can settle on the egg shell or penetrate through micro
fissures in the shell into the egg. In other words eggs on
the bottom of a machine with a wet floor will be cooler
and in danger of becoming contaminated.
With some single stage setters, especially if they are
sealed for most of the first half of incubation, it is very
difficult to avoid wet floors and walls. The eggs release
moisture through the egg shell, and in a well sealed
incubator humidity builds up to very high levels. At these
very high humidity levels and at incubation temperature,
condensation on the walls and pipework is almost
unavoidable, and the water soon drips down to the
floor. The best way to prevent the humidity building to
such a high level is to open the dampers slightly Standing water on the floor of a single stage setter at the end of
once to hatchery
A service personnel from Aviagen www.aviagen.c
the setter is up to temperature, leaving it very slightly the sealed period.
open for the first 24 hours of incubation. First published in International Hatchery Practice volume 30.3
Once the dampers are closed, the humidity will build

again, so it is usually best to start ventilating the setter
after day seven of incubation at the latest.
Once single stage setters are being ventilated, or
in a hatchery which uses multi stage setters, then
the floors should always be dry. If water is seen on
the floors, then action needs to be taken to stop it.

13 chicks – the CO2 level in the room should
not go over 2000ppm.
The chicks will be calmer if the chick holding room has dim b
High CO2 level m
in a holding room
sufficient v
Temperature, humidity and air speed all interact to determine

temperature around the chicks. A good ventilation system wil
hot, humid air from around the boxes, without creating a draf
Tip 13 on to the chicks. Air temperature at chick level inside the box
around 30-32°C (86-89.6°F), 60-70% RH.
Keeping Chicks Comfortable
Chicks use behaviour to help control their body temperature,
monitor chick behaviour to know if they are comfortable or no
eir body temperature and rely

Newly hatched chicks can not regulate their body vent temperature
Chicks useisbehaviour
body temperature.
temperature and rely on suitable environmental conditions temperature,The
easy to measure,
optimum
so monitor chick
chick
and highly
to help control theircorrelated
body
vent temperature
behaviour
w
to know if is 39
to keep them comfortable. In an ideal production system, they are comfortable or not. Chick vent temperature is
ep them comfortable. In an
chicks would be moved from hatcher to farm promptly
and quickly. In real production systems there canl
(103-105°F).
easy to measure, and highly correlated with deep body
beChicks that are too
temperature. Thecold, vent chick
optimum temperature below 39.4°C
vent temperature is (
moved from hatcher to farm

several hours between take off and when the chicks
are placed on the farm.
start to39.4-40.5°C
l Chicks
huddle and (103-105°F).
• atChicks
have cold legs and feet.
correctthat
temperature
are too cold,are quiet
vent and evenly spread
temperature
stems there can be several

The best first week mortality and post-hatch performance
l Chicks that are39.4°C
below too hot, abovestart
(103°F), 40.5°C (105°F),
to huddle start panti
and have
will be seen from chicks kept in good conditions between cold legs and feet.
leaving the hatcher and placement on the farm. Suitable • Chicks at correct temperature are quiet and
ks are placed on the farm.Chick
room conditions are:
•
vent temperature measurements can be used to check
evenly spread out.
comfort in hatchers, chick rooms, in chick trucks and during
Room air temperature 22-28°C (depending on • Chicks that are too hot, above 40.5°C (105°F),
air speed around the boxes). two days of start
brooding. Chicks should be sampled throughout
panting.
• Relative humidity 50-65%. where they
Chickare
ventbeing held and
temperature from near the
measurements cantop, middle
be used to and
• 85m3 fresh air per hour per 1000chicks – the check chick comfort in hatchers, chick rooms, in chick
CO2 level in the room should not go over
chick box stacks. Pay particular attention to areas:
trucks and during the first two days of brooding. Chicks
2000ppm. l Where chicks
should are observed
be sampled to be
throughout thepanting or huddling.
area where they are
l Where there is fast air movement around the chick
being held and from near the top, middle and bottomboxes.
of chick box stacks. Pay particular attention to areas:
l Near walls and doors.
• Where chicks are observed to be panting or
huddling.
• Where there is fast air movement around the
A chick
good layout forboxes.
a chick holding room with well spaced bug
• Near walls and doors.
High CO2 level measured in a holding room with insufficient

ventilation.
The chicks will be calmer if the chick holding room has
dim blue light. Temperature, humidity and air speed all
interact to determine the temperature around the chicks.
A good ventilation system will remove hot, humid air from
High CO2 level measured

around the boxes, without creating a draft directly on to
the chicks. Air temperature at chick level inside the box A good layout for a chick holding room with well spaced buggies.
should be around 30-32°C (86-89.6°F), 60-70% RH.
in a holding room withA service
in- to hatchery personnel from Aviagen www.a
First published in International Hatchery Practice volume 30.4
sufficient ventilation
Periods where eggshell temperat
delay the hatch and can also incr
and damage chick quality. A furth
Tip 14 issue when eggs are set cold into
Pre-Warming Eggs warm, humid incubator is that the
may ‘sweat’. This surface conden
14
Single-stage setters are very popular nowadays, but sation will increase the likelihood
circumstances, multi-stage setters are very stable, with bacteria getting into the egg and
there are still a lot of multi-stage setters in use. In normal
PRE-WARMING
EGGS
a lot of the heat needed coming from the older embryos.
For this reason, they are not usually equipped with causing rots and bangers.
as much setters
Single-stage heating are or
verycooling capacitybut
popular nowadays, asthere
is needed
are still a by
lot
ofsingle-stage setters.
multi-stage setters in use.InIn some circumstances,
normal circumstances, this lack
multi-stage
setters are verycapacity
of heating stable, withcan
a lotbeof the heat needed coming
a disadvantage. from and
Hatch the
older
chick
much
embryos.
warmed
quality Forcan
heatingbefore
this be
or cooling
reason,
badly
capacity
they
theyaffected
are set.
are not usually equipped
if eggs are notwithpre-
as
as is needed by single-stage setters. To minimise temperature shock a
In some circumstances, this lack of heating capacity can be a
Fig. 1 below
disadvantage.
five
not
shows
Hatch
days incubation,
pre-warmed
shellquality
and chick temperatures
before they immediately
are set.
of affected
can be badly eggs atif around
after a new batch of
eggs are warmed to the setter room tempe
To minimise temperature shock and sweating, eggs
eggs had been added to a multi-stage setter. The red
Fig.
line1 below
shows shows shell temperatures
temperature changesof eggs at around
when the five
new days in-
eggs
setting.
should be pre warmed to the setter room temperature
cubation, immediately (75-79°F, 23.9-26.1°C) before setting.
were set directly after
froma newthe batch
egg of eggs (59°F,
store had been added to
15°C). Thea
multi-stage
blue line setter.
shows Thethe
red much
line shows
lesstemperature changeswhen
severe impact when the
the • Move eggs from the egg store to the setter
new eggs were set directly from the egg store (59°F, 15°C). The blue
new eggs had been pre-warmed before they were set.
line shows the much less severe impact when the new eggs had been
When eggs were set cold, then egg shell temperature
pre-warmed before they were set. When eggs were set cold, then egg
l Move eggs from the egg store
room 6-8 hours before setting. Leave 20cm
gaps between trolleys and away from walls, so
dropped by 9.0°F (5.1°C),
by 9.0°Fand tookandfour hours to return that air can circulate easily.
shell temperature
to optimum
turn
dropped
incubation
to optimum incubation
(5.1°C),
temperature.
temperature
took four hours to re-
setting.
• Leave 20cm gaps betwee
Run ceiling fans to create air circulation though
the eggs (avoid blowing air directly onto them).
101 that air can circulate easily.
The thermal image, left, shows uneven eggshell
Eggshell temperature (°F)
99 temperatures in trolleys after pre-warming

97 without forced air circulation.
95
93
91 With pre-warming l
c
89 Without pre-warming
87
16.05 16.35 17.05 17.35 18.05 18.35 19.05 19.35 20.05 20.35 21.05
Fig.1. 1.
Fig. Eggshell
Eggshell
immediatelyafter
immediately
temperature
temperature
aftermore
moreeggs
eggs
areare
changes
changes
setset either
either
in part-incubated
in part-incubated
fromfrom
eggs eggs
the cold
the cold storestore or
or after
b
after pre-warming.
pre-warming.
th
Periods where eggshell temperatures are low
Periods where eggshell temperatures are low (< 99.0°F, 37.2°C) will
(< 99.0°F,
delay the hatch37.2°C)
increase
and can alsowillincrease
delaylevels
the of
hatch and can
early embryo also
mortality e
and damage levels of early
chick quality. embryo mortality and damage
A further
chick
issue whenquality.
into ahumid
warm, warm,
A set
eggs are further
humid
incubator
cold intoissue
incubator
is that
a when eggs are set cold
they is that they may ‘sweat’.
p
This
may
sation
surface
‘sweat’.
of bacteria
condensation
This surface
will increase
conden- will increase the likelihood
the likelihood
getting into the of egg and causing rots and c
bacteria getting into the egg and
bangers.
causing rots and bangers. First published in International Hatchery Practice
ToPage 16 temperature shock and sweating, eggs should be pre-

minimise Hatchery Tips
warmed to the setter room temperature (75-79°F, 23.9-26.1°C) before
setting. A service to hatchery personnel
the machine probe without opening doors or air vents.
Alternatively, higher CO2 levels can be calibrated using a CO2 gas

mixture with a known, certified CO2 concentration while the machine is
empty. These are used to fill a cap or bottle sealed around the sensor
unit. Mixtures with certified CO2 concentrations of 5,000 and
Tip 15 8,000ppm (0.5 and 0.8%) are readily available on the market.
Calibrate CO2 Sensors Regularly
Having calibrated the sensors, you must then make sure that the
machine is still able to support higher levels of CO2. Levels can only
rise if the incubator is well sealed
Most modern single-stage setters and hatchers are
against air leakage. Check that the
well sealed against air leakage. Check that the seals
fitted with carbon seals
dioxidearound doorsautomating
(CO2) sensors, and dampers aredoors
around not worn, and make
and dampers are notsure
worn,that both
and make
adjustment of the machine dampers according to sure that both can be closed tightly. The calibration on
can be closed tightly.
the CO2 accumulated from the developing embryos.
The calibration on damper opening should also
damper opening should also be checked. An easy way
be
This can work well,checked.
but only ifAntheeasy
CO2 way to are
sensors checktothat checkthe
thatmachine
the machinecan can be properly
be properly sealed is to
accurate. Sensors which under or over record will result stand inside the empty, powered down incubator with
sealed
in the machine being is toventilated.
incorrectly stand inside the empty,
When this powered
the doors and dampersdown incubator
closed. If you canwith thelight,
see any
doors
happens, it can lead and dampers
to gradually closed.
declining chick quality If you can seewillany
the machine light,
not seal the machine will
properly.
and hatchability.
not seal properly.
The first step is to make sure that the CO2 sensors
High CO2 levels will not of themselves improve hatchability
or chick quality. However, measuring CO2 build up can
are all reading correctly. Prolonged exposure to high be a useful tool to show when a machine needs fresh
humidity levels during sealed incubation, and to chick air. For this to work consistently the sensors need to be
High CO 2 levels will not of themselves improve hatchability or chick
fluff and humidity during hatching or even washing calibrated accurately and the rate that CO2 accumulates
quality.
water can all affect However,
the sensor measuring
or sensor protection CO build
in2the up can
machine mustbe be a useful tool
predictable. to show
If either of these
cap leading to inaccurate readings. The sensors must fail, then ventilation rates will be incorrect.
when a machine needs
be calibrated regularly.
Ideally, the sensorsfresh
shouldair.beFor this toatwork
calibrated low, mid
and high CO2 levels,consistently
proving that thetheysensors
are reading
correctly across the desired range. A simple calibration
can be done usingneed to be calibrated
an electronic meter (which is itself
regularly calibratedaccurately
against known and the rate
standards) that
to check
that both machine and calibration sensor are giving the
same reading at roomCO2CO accumulates inusually
2 levels. This will the be
higher than the 400ppm (0.04%) normal for fresh air;
machine must be
both people and chick embryos will be producing CO2
predictable.
in the building which will drive theIf concentration
either of theseup.
However, mid- and high-end values can be checked
fail, then ventilation rates
during incubation only if your calibration instrument
will be
sensor can be inserted intoincorrect.
the incubator next to the
machine probe without opening doors or air vents. The photograph above shows typical CO2 sensors in a setter, protected
Alternatively, higher CO 2 levels can be calibrated
The photograph above shows by
using a CO2 gas mixture with a known, certified CO2
typical CO2 sensors
sensor protection caps. If the in
capsabecome
setter, protected
clogged with dust
or condensation, the sensor will give an artificially high reading.
concentration while the by sensor
machine protection
is empty. caps. If the caps become clogged with dust or
These are
used to fill a cap or bottle sealed around the sensor
condensation, the sensor will give an artificially high reading.
unit. Mixtures with certified CO2 concentrations of 5,000
and 8,000ppm (0.5 and 0.8%) are readily available on
the market. A service to hatchery personnel from Aviagen www.aviagen.com
Having calibrated the sensors, you must then make
sure that the machine is still able to First
support higher
published in International Hatchery Practice volume 30.6
levels of CO2. Levels can only rise if the incubator is

the machine probe from outside the setter door. In situations lik
it is not possible to find a close location, the only way to achiev
satisfactory calibration reading is to look for a reachable positio
runs at a similar temperature to that around the machine senso
When looking for such a position, the machine should be fully l

and turned to the calibration position following manufacturer’s
suggestion. Machine doors and seals should be checked and
Tip 16 maintained as necessary to avoid false readings due to air leak
Temperature Calibrationsingle-stage Probesmachines, check between days 2 and 3. For mult
machines, check at least 24 hours after the last set. First, the m
probe should be calibrated properly. For this purpose it is worth
extra trouble to place the calibration probe right next to the ma
It is important to check and calibrate the temperature extra trouble to place the calibration probe right next
sensors in setters and hatchers regularly, using probe,a however
to the difficult
machine this may
probe, be. After
however completing
difficult this may an be.accur
calibrationAfter
calibration probe which is accurate to 0.2°F, and readable at the sensor, an
completing place the calibration
accurate calibration at probe in differen
the sensor,
to 0.1°F. With regular calibration we start to see benefits
positions toplace
findthe calibration
a spot whichprobe
runsinatdifferent
the same positions to find
temperature as
in consistency and predictability between machines, a spot which runs at the same temperature as next to
because their temperatures are exactly the same. the sensor. Each time the probe is moved, allow
the sensor. Each time the probe is moved, allow the the machine to
Today, with advancing technology, we have normally a great for at leastto one
machine hour before
run normally for atreading
least onethe temperature.
hour before
the machine
opportunity to use new, more accurate tools to calibrate reading
probetheand
temperature. When
calibration the machine
probe readings probe
are and
similar (
setters and hatchers. It is possible now to buy reliable calibration probe readings are similar (less than ±0.2°F
and difference),
±0.2°F difference), drill a hole in the wall or roof to allow the the c
drill a hole in the wall or roof to allow
accurate calibration thermometers (accuracy of ±0.2°F)
sensor
at an affordable price. However, it can be a challenge to to be insertedsensor
calibration at thatto point. Onceatyou
be inserted thathave Oncethe be
found
point.
check inyou
get the calibration probe into the right place toposition one machine, the same location can be usedthefor all
have found the best position in one machine,
the machine sensor. In principle, the best place to put same location can be used for all the other machines
machines of
the calibration probe is right beside the machine probe.
of that
thattype
typeandandcapacity.
capacity.
Unfortunately, this may not be possible if the probe
does not have a long lead to reach into the machine.
For this reason, probes are often inserted through a
specially drilled hole to just inside the machine door,
without first checking how closely the temperature there
corresponds to the temperature next to the machine
sensor. To achieve a proper calibration, the calibration
probe has to be placed at a location which is consistently
within 0.2°F points of the air temperature at the machine
probe. Without doubt, a position next to the machine
probe will give the best accuracy. Unfortunately, some
calibration devices have very short cables and simply will
not reach to the machine probe from outside the setter A hole drilled in the door and protected with a metal plate allows the
A hole
door. In situations like this, if it is not possible to find a drilled in the door and protected with a metal plate a
insertion of the calibration probe close to the temperature sensor.
close location, the only way to achieve a satisfactoryinsertion of the calibration probe close to the temperatur
calibration reading is to look for a reachable position
which runs at a similar temperature to that around the
machine sensor(s). A service to hatchery personnel from Aviagen www.avi
When looking for such a position, the machine should First published in International Hatchery Practice volume 30.7
be fully loaded and turned to the calibration position
following manufacturer’s suggestion. Machine doors
and seals should be checked and maintained as
necessary to avoid false readings due to air leakage.
For single-stage machines, check between days 2 and
3. For multistage machines, check at least 24 hours
after the last set. First, the machine probe should be
calibrated properly. For this purpose it is worth the First published in International Hatchery Practice

against a wide range of micro-organisms; it forms a dry gas so does
not wet the egg surface; and it is harmless to the paused embryo in the
fertile hatching egg. It is also cheap. However, a variety of alternative
disinfectants are being suggested.
AnyTip 17 product needs to give a satisfactory kill rate of the

alternative
micro-organisms
Assessing Alternative on the shellHatching surface, ideally Eggwithout
Disinfectantswetting the egg
shell. It needs to be gentle enough not to damage the cuticle covering
the egg shell – with no cuticle left the eggs are more open to internal
Hatching eggs need to have the shell surface disinfected hatch potential of the eggs going into each treatment.
contamination
at some point betweenafter treatment
the farm – This
and the hatchery. and is it Always
needs haveto be safe
a control forwhere
treatment, the eggs
embryo
are given
inside the
this was doneegg.
good practice and often a legal requirement. Traditionally
using formaldehyde gas, but there are
your current standard treatment. To set up this sort of
trial you could:
increasingly stringent regulations making its use on
farms and in the hatchery more difficult. • Put alternate setter trays from every collection
into treatments A or B as they are packed.
When offered
Formaldehyde an alternative
is a difficult hatching
disinfectant to replace. It is egg
• treatment, always ask
Or compare eggs packed Monday, Wednesday
very effective against a wide range of micro-organisms; and Friday with those packed Tuesday,
questions.
it forms a dryWhatgas so doesis the active
not wet the eggingredient?
surface; How is the treatment
Thursday and Saturday.
and it is harmless to the paused embryo in the fertile
delivered?
hatching egg.Does It is alsoitcheap.
needHowever,
to bea dissolved
variety of
•
in water? What percentage of
Or even compare whole houses, but switch the
treatments at intervals so each house is its own
alternative disinfectants are being suggested.
theAnymicro-organisms on the egg shell will it kill? Most suppliers will be
alternative product needs to give a satisfactory
control.
Aim to use at least 2,000 eggs per treatment per run,
able to
kill rate answer
of all these
the micro-organisms on questions,
the shell surface,butand
ideally without wetting the egg shell. It needs to be
may have
to repeat eachmore trouble
comparison at least with the
10 times over
a range of flock ages.
most
gentleimportant one. “This
enough not to damage product
the cuticle covering the
egg shell – with no cuticle left the eggs are more open
killsWithout
bacteriathis sorton the egg
of careful shellyou–willcan
comparison, never
you prove to me that it won’t kill the embryo
to internal contamination after treatment – and it needs really know
inside the egg shell?”
whether the treatment is giving you results
that you expect, has made things worse or (very rarely)
to be safe for the embryo inside the egg.
given better hatch or chick quality.
When offered an alternative hatching egg treatment,
To be confident that the chemical,
always ask questions. What is the active ingredient? How
is the treatment delivered? Does it need to be dissolved
or the method of application, will
in water? What percentage of the micro-organisms on
the egg shell will it kill? Most suppliers will be able to
support good hatchability, you
answer all these questions, but may have more trouble
with the most important one. “This product kills bacteria
need to see trial results (or run
on the egg shell – can you prove to me that it won’t kill
the embryo inside the egg shell?”
your
To beown).
confidentWhenthat theyou startor the
chemical, to method
think of
application, will support good hatchability, you need to
about
see trialexisting
results (or rundifferences
your own). When you start to think
between flocks, the between egg
about existing differences between flocks, between egg
collections through day, egg storage conditions and
collections through the day, egg
even individual incubators, it is obvious that the trials will
need to be carefully designed, will need to take account A fumigation cabinet.
A fumigation cabinet.
storage
of a lot of conditions
variables and and
should useeven
a lot of eggs.
starting point, trials should include eggs from young,
As a
individual
prime and oldincubators,
flocks – old flocksitareis obvious
probably that the trials will need to be carefully
the most
vulnerable to mistreatment of any kind. Trials should be
designed,
repeated, andwill needbetodesigned
they should taketoaccount
equalise the of a lot of variables and should use
a lot of eggs. As a starting point, trials should include eggs from young,
prime and old flocks – old flocks are probably the most vulnerable to
POSITIONING
ER BUGGIES
18
leaving too much gap between them some of the air will
baskets of the air they need.
as an easy path of return to the fans, depriving some of t
baskets of the air they need.
One of the
CT POSITIONING common
One of the
CHER BUGGIES
y of modern hatchers is calculated by the problems
ure that enough fresh air is introduced and waste
common we see
inproblems
hatcherieswe seeis
insideTip 18 are designed to provide an
the hatchers when the
in hatcheries is
e eggsoformodern
apacity chicks hatchers
in the hatcher baskets.
is calculated When
by the when theare not stacked correctly at transfer,
baskets
oset
Correct
ensure that enough
Positioning Of Hatcherbaskets are
allowing Buggies
thenot stacked
stack to leancorrectly
away atfrom
transfer,
the vertical. The
up, they preventfresh
hot air is introduced
spots or CO2 buildand waste
up
eerheating
fans insideorthe hatchers are designed to provide allowing
above
an the
clearly stack
show to lean
the away from
consequences the vertical.
when the Theoute
pai
excessively high CO2 levels in theabove clearly show the consequences when the outer bu
rr all the eggs
broiler or chicks inortheinhatcher
performance extreme baskets.
cases away from the vertical, is creating a larger air gap at
When
rectlyThesetventilation
up, theycapacity
preventof hot spots
modern away when
build up
or COis2calculated
hatchers from the
theouter
vertical, is leaning
creating a larger airvertical,
gap at the
nd higher culling rates.to ensure that enough fresh airsuch, is lacking thebuggy,
necessary away from the
airflow through the tra
by the manufacturers
ks. Overheating or excessively high CO levels in such,
the
is isiscreating
lacking a the necessary
larger air gap at airflow through
the top and, the istrays. T
as such,
2
introduced and waste air removed. The fans inside the image shows how
imagelacking
showsthehow
this creates
necessary a hot the
airflow through
this creates a hot spot
spot in the
intrays. Theuppe
the upper rig
se poor broilerare
hatchers performance or in extreme
designed to provide cases over
an even airflow
of thethermal image shows how this creates a hot spot in
hatcher.
look allforthetheeggs
path of least
or chicks
bility and higher culling rates. resistance
in the and therefore
hatcher baskets. Whenof thethe hatcher.
upper right hand corner of the hatcher.
nsideeverything is correctly set up, they prevent hot spots
the machine it will take the easiest route
or CO2 build up around the chicks. Overheating or
ioningexcessively
lways thefor
look hatcher
the path
high buggies
CO2 leastinthe
oflevels thecorrect
resistance
hatcherandway,
will therefore
cause So
poor broiler performance or in extreme cases reduced
ound hatchability
inside the and
machine it will de
turers’ recommendations is take the easiest
therefore
higher culling rates.
route to
essential
. Positioning the hatcher buggies the correct way, ha
airflow over the eggs or chicks.
Moving air will always look for the path of least resistance
ba
nufacturers’ recommendations
and therefore when pushed around is therefore
inside theessential
machine to
eded itairflow
will takeover the eggs
the easiest routeorbackchicks.
to the fans. Positioning to
rent the
fanhatcher
arrangements
buggies the in correct
different way,makesfollowing ofthe of
a centrally
s different mounted
manufacturers’
fan arrangements
to providing
fan
recommendations
the needed airflow
will throw
in over
different the
is therefore
the eggs makesfresh
essential air
(see Some older designs of hatcher have baffles installed
above).
of(see above).
or chicks. toward the
In these
Infront
these machines
machines
of the
it is crucial
it isabove).
sidewalls (see
that
crucialIn that the baffle
thesethe b
sd with
draw a the
There areair
centrally back
mounted
various in towards
different fan the centre
will throw
fan arrangements the of good
fresh
in differentthe
good repair, and
air machines
repair, it isthat
and thethat
crucial
that theouter
the buggies
outer baffles areare
buggies kepttouching
are in good thes
touching
hasand
ets the
makes fans
draw mounted
of the
hatcher. to
Hatchers
air back in pushwith aair
towards upwards,
centrally
the mounted
centre order
with
oforder to force
repair,
the baffles
andthe thatairthethrough the hatcher
outer buggies baskets
are touching these back to
fan will throw the fresh air around the baskets and draw to force the air
in order through
to force the airthethrough
hatcher baskets ba
the hatcher
hrough
esignthe
has the
airthehatcher
back fans baskets
mounted
in towards to back
the centre push tofan.
air
of the the A negative
upwards, with baskets back to the fans.
different
heownfans.
through
designBoth the
has systems
thehatcher work
fans mountedbaskets towell.
back
push However,
airto We talk
inwith
the negative
upwards, Weatalklot about controlling embryotemperature
temperature in thein the
air then drawn down through the hatcher baskets backWe to talk
how a lotaand
overheating
setters,
lot about
about
how
controlling embryo
controlling
between days
overheating 11embryo
betweenand 18
daystemperature
affects
11 and 18 not onl in
elow the
atcher fans. Bothare
thebuggies
systems
not work well. correctly
areapositioned
However, in
negative pressure below the fans. Both systems how overheating
affects
and chick not only
quality, but between
hatchability days growth
and
also broiler 11 andand
chick 18liveability.
quality, affects noN
but also
fbetween
the hatcher
work them buggies
well. someareof
However, in not
thepositioned
either air will use
scenario ifcorrectly
thethat gap
hatcher broiler growth and liveability. New research is showing
and chick
showing quality,
that that keeping but also broiler
tight control growth
of eggshell and liveabili
temperatur
h gaptobuggies
urn between
the
arethem
fans, some ofsome
not positioned
depriving the airofwill
correctly leaving
the use toothat
hatcher
muchgap keeping tight control of eggshell temperature in
gap between them some of the air will use that gap showing hatcher
as that
the right
hatcher keeping
up to
right the
up totight
point control
of external
the point of eggshell
pipping
of external pipping is tempe
critical
is
of return to the
pathfans, depriving
to the some of the hatcher
need.an easy
r theythe
need.
of return fans, depriving some of
hatchercritical if the best performance in the hatchery and the
performanceright up
in the to the
hatcherypoint of
and external
the broilerpipping
farm areis tocrib
hatcher baskets of the air they need. broiler farm are to be targetted.
performance in the hatchery and the broiler farm are
A service to hatchery personnel from Aviagen ww
e A service to hatchery personnel
First published in International from
Hatchery Aviagen
Practice volume 30.9
First published in International Hatchery Practice volume
stacked
ed correctly
correctly at transfer,
atcommon
transfer,
One of the problems we see in hatcheries is
ck to lean
whenaway from the vertical. The pair ofat pictures
ean away from
the the are
baskets vertical.
not The correctly
stacked pair of pictures
transfer,
ow theallowing
consequences
the stack towhen the outer
lean away buggy,
from the leaning
vertical. The
eertical,
consequences
pair
is ofcreating
picturesawhen
above the
air outer
largerclearly show
gap buggy,
atthe top leaning
theconsequences
and, as First published in International Hatchery Practice
, is necessary
the creating aairflow
largerthrough
air gapthe at trays.
the topTheand, as
thermal
cessary airflow through the trays. The
w this creates a hot spot in the upper right hand cornerthermal
and hatchery ventilation systems must
e are two ways to calibrate pressure sensors. The first one is to do
then be designed to deliver the required
range calibration
room static (Span)
pressures. Oncewhich includes the zero and extremes of
in service,
ange covered
air spaces willby thetosensor.
need This method
be monitored with needs some special
pment andpressure
suitable procedures
sensors,and
so is therefore
that the air not always possible to
Tiphatchery
y under
pressure 19 conditions.
can be corrected The second method is to apply only a
as necessary
LIBRATION
onZero
a continuous
calibration.
OF
basis
By this
Calibration
PRES-
(right).
method, the sensor
Of Pressure can be calibrated at neutral
Sensors
NSORS
sure to zero.
There are two ways to calibrate pressure sensors. The first one is to do
Incubators will usually only work properly if there is an air • Or if the sensor has a setup menu, follow the
a full
y only work range
pressure properly
gradientcalibration
if therethe
between is air (Span)
aninlet
airand thewhich
exhaust. includes
pressure the zerotoand
menu instructions extremes
make the reading zero.of
eeair
areinlet
This manyaircovered
and
means the kinds of
exhaust.
that the rooms This
and pressure
means
plenums that the
supplying and
theexhausting
supplying
range
and need to operate
exhausting air
byneed
the
at sensor.
the correct
to operate
This
pressure
at the
method needs some special
The zero point should now be set and, if a display is
present, the display will read zero. A zero calibration
orsequipment
andThe most andofsupplierthemwillhave
procedures and
differential. The incubator supplier will provide the
erential. incubator
specifications needed provide
for their machines,
ahatchery
and the is therefore
should benot always
performed possible
at least once to hatchery
a month. The
environment is potentially a very challenging one, with the
ial
d forbutton,
apply
their under jumper,
machines,
ventilation
to deliver screw or
hatchery
systems must
then be designed
conditions. The second possibility ofmethod
the sensor.
is to
water, chemicals
This can affect
andapply onlyaround
fluff particles
sensor accuracy.
a
Some
ion systems mustroom static
zero
udeliver
to allow
the calibration.
required
zero
the required
pressures. Once
By this method, the sensor
calibration
in service,
cananbeautomated
sensors have calibrated at neutral
zero calibration option,
but it is still wise to check the sensors regularly to see
pressure
mples
s. Once inshown to
air spaces will
service,
monitored
zero.
need to be
right and below).
with suitable
if they are working correctly. Accurate control of static
pressure in the hatchery is critical if the incubators are
to be pressure
monitored with so that
sensors,
erform
nsors,the
There
a
so air
that
corrected
zero
pressure
are many
calibration,
the air can
as necessary
be first
kinds of pressure
on
to work properly. Regular zero calibration of the pressure
sensors will help to make this possible.
ectedaas necessary
vesensors
allcontinuous
the tubes mosttoentering
basis (right). the a
There areand
s (right). two ways of them have
or,special
leaving button,thesensors.
calibrate pressure hose
jumper, screw or
The first one is to do a full
range calibration (Span) which includes the zero and
o calibrate pressure sensors. The first one is to do
ectors
menu
n (Span) vented
extremesto
which allow
of into
the range
includes zero the
covered
the equipment
bysame
calibration
zero and and
the sensor. This
extremes of
method
(examples
needs some special
shown right and
procedures
below). Zero switch.
pace.
the By doing this, the
and is therefore
sensor. This not always
method needs possible
some tospecial
hatchery conditions. The second method is to apply
apply under
edures and
To perform is thereforea zero not always
By calibration, possible to can
first
yence between low pressure
only a zero calibration. this method, the sensor
conditions. The at
be calibrated second
neutral method
pressure is
to to apply only a
zero.
hisremove
high all the tubes entering the
ofpressure tubes
button, will
jumper,be
method,
There arethe sensor
many kindscan be calibrated
of pressure sensorsatand neutral
most Zero switch.
sensor, leaving
them have a special
the(examples
hose shown right). To
screw or menu
Depending
perform a zero on
to allow zero
connectors the
calibration
vented into
calibration, make
first removeof
the same all the tubes
entering the sensor, leaving the hose connectors vented
or, Zero switch.
airand thefollowing the
s of pressure
them space.
into
have
between a low By doing
same air space. By this, thethe difference
doing this,
pressure and high pressure tubes will be
ufacturer’s
er, difference
screw
zero.or
Depending directions
between
on the make low
the manufacturer’s directions either:
either:
pressure
of sensor, and following
alibration
essandand high
ht and• below).
hold
pressure the ‘zero’
tubes will be
Press and hold the ‘zero’ switch for about 4-5
h zero.
libration, Depending seconds.
for• about
Or set the 4-5
seconds.
first on the make of
jumper for zero calibration option and
sensor,
entering
roseset holdand
the for 4-5following the
• the jumper forthezero
seconds.
Or turn the screw until display shows zero. Menu driven zero calibration.
manufacturer’s directions either:
ration
to the same option and hold for 4-5 . First published in International Hatchery Practice
his,l thePress and hold the ‘zero’Zero switch

nds.
owswitch
Hatchery Tips
pressurefor about 4-5 seconds.
Page 21
Tip 20
Balancing A Set In Single Stage Setters
Although the optimal eggshell temperature for maximum Embryo (eggshell) temperature will be cooler where
hatch and chick quality is in the range 37.8-38.3°C (or eggs have a lower heat production and these chicks will
100-101°F), it is not always easy to keep within this hatch later and some of them may be culled because
range in a commercial setter. One of the most common they are still wet and lethargic at take-off.
causes of uneven temperatures is when the eggs are Embryo temperature will be hotter where eggs have a
loaded into the setter without allowing for differences higher heat production causing chicks to hatch earlier,
in their potential heat output or when gaps in the set with some of them getting dehydrated before pulling. If
allow air to short circuit the optimal path. eggshell temperature goes to a very high level, 103°F or
Nowadays, more and more hatcheries install enormous above, hatchability and chick quality will be depressed.
setters, to save space and cost. Depending on the Here are some tips to balance egg loading in the setter:
make, there will be one air temperature sensor in each
setter or in each sub-section of it. In principle, the • As a good start, follow the recommendations
sensor controls heating and cooling to keep the air from the incubator manufacturers.
temperature within the machine set-points and keep • When you have to mix egg sources in a setter,
eggshell temperature within the optimal range. For this always choose the ones from similar flock ages
to work properly embryo heat production needs to be and with similar fertility.
spread evenly throughout the setter and all the eggs • Put eggs closest to average next to the
affected by a temperature sensor should be of similar temperature sensors.
size and fertility. Unfortunately in the real world parent • When you can not completely fill a setter,
flock sizes are often variable and never match the always set the eggs in a pattern which will not
setter capacities available. A large setter will have to be change the normal air flow or cause short-cuts
filled using eggs from more than one parent flocks, or of air flow in the setter. Fill any gaps with empty
sometimes run partially full. If not managed carefully, it trays or trollies.
is very easy to create an unbalanced loading pattern. • Always check eggshell temperature and its
The heat output of a batch of eggs will depend on evenness if you try a new egg loading pattern.
several factors. It is important to take these into account
when deciding where to put each batch of eggs in a
large setter.
• Egg size. Large eggs produce large embryos,
which produce more total heat per egg.
• Flock age. Eggs from flocks under 30 weeks
tend to produce less heat per egg than would
be expected for their size.
• Fertility. There are more eggs with live embryos
when fertility is higher. If a flock is more fertile,
heat production per 1,000 eggs will be higher.
Unbalanced egg loading in the setter may exaggerate
variability in eggshell temperature (especially after 12
days of incubation) and consequently widen the hatch
window and cause poor chick quality.

Tip 21
Check Hatching Egg Quality with UV Light
Hatching egg quality has a significant impact on

hatchability and chick quality. Not every problem with
the egg shell can be seen with the naked eye, but a
device in your pocket can help you go beyond that
biological limit. A UV flash light can be an invaluable
tool to help identify egg shell hygiene issues.
Many hatcheries receive only a limited history of the
eggs delivered from the farms. However, wiped, washed,
scraped or otherwise cleaned eggs can cause serious
contamination issues in a hatchery. Even when eggs
are put through selection and grading on arrival, some Poor spray sanitation Scraping
problematic eggs can still go undetected on a simple
visual assessment. If we can find these eggs, segregating Avoid looking into the UV light directly; this can cause
and setting them in a separate incubator or at least serious eye damage. Just like any other type of UV
setting them in the bottom trays, can help a lot to avoid lights, LED UV light sources have a finite life span.
contamination. Change the torch when it becomes difficult to see the
A UV flashlight can be used to identify: colour differences.
If a monitoring system is set up to do regular random
• Washed eggs
checks for all flocks, the information generated can
• Sprayed eggs
provide a timely feedback or warning to increase the
• Wiped eggs
focus on egg selection on farm.
• Scraped/physically cleaned eggs
• Dirty/floor eggs
Using a UV light is very easy. A pocket size UV torch
with 395nm wavelength is sufficient to identify the main
issues. You do need a dark environment when doing
an investigation. Direct the UV light source on the eggs
and try to find shiny and different looking eggs. Some
examples of problem eggs are shown below, with the
cause identified:
Floor egg Dirty egg First published in International Hatchery Practice

Tip 22
What is the best temperature for storing eggs?
Most hatchery planners aim to keep egg age under 7 comparison of the three storage temperatures. The trial
days at set. However, even in broiler hatcheries this is was repeated over four batches of eggs, from young,
not always easy, or even possible. You may need to prime and old flocks.
build up numbers so that a single broiler unit can be The graph below shows how eggs stored at 18°C
filled using eggs from only one breeder flock, order hatched worse than those stored at 15°C by an average
sizes may not be exactly even day to day or there may of 4.4% over 4 comparisons covering young, prime and
be a general slowdown in the market for seasonal or older flock ages. In contrast, when hatch of eggs stored
other reasons. Most advice on egg storage conditions at 12°C was compared with hatch of eggs stored at
suggests that the temperature should be adjusted 15°C, there was no overall improvement.
dynamically depending on the average egg age. However,
in practice the advice is seen as too complicated and
is rarely followed. Consequently, in many operations
egg storage temperature stays firmly at 17-18°C, no
matter what the egg age. In fact, the best advice is
that egg store temperature should always be adjusted
downwards to be optimal for the oldest eggs. Fresh
eggs hatch just as well stored at colder temperatures,
but older eggs suffer badly if the egg store is held too
warm. The only thing you need to watch out for is the
possibility of condensation when moving eggs from the
cold egg store into the setter rooms.
Keeping eggs which need to be stored for longer at a
lower temperature slows down the physical deterioration
to the albumen and yolk membranes which are needed
to support the best hatchability. The embryo will also be
affected by both storage time and storage temperature,
and colder storage slows down the rate of deterioration
in the embryo as well. A recent collaborative study
between Aviagen and Ankara University investigated
the effect of storage temperature on hatchability in
eggs stored for 14 days, as part of a larger investigation Our conclusion from these trials was that unless eggs
into how SPIDES treatments interacted with storage are only being set when very fresh (no more than 4
temperatures. In the study, covering young, prime days old) it is probably better to run egg stores at
and old grandparent flocks, hatchability was much 15°C rather than 18°C. When setting eggs within
better when 14-day-old eggs were stored at 15°C the hatchery condensation is unlikely to be a problem
rather than 18°C. More unexpectedly, eggs stored at following storage at 15°C, but if you are worried check
12°C hatched no better than those stored at 15°C. the dew point table in Investigating Hatchery Practice
The hatchery where the trials were done is unusual to make sure.
in having three separately controlled egg stores, so it
was possible to run comparisons of the three storage
temperatures simultaneously which gave a very robust

Tip 23
Egg Yolk Mottling
Levels of mottling in egg yolks seem to be quite high at and raw materials in the feed mill will be helpful, along
the moment. Mottling is something that is often identified with a review of the birds’ behavior. This should include
when there are reports of high levels of very early dead periods of observation in the house, watching the
embryos, or particularly poor hatch after egg storage birds feeding, selecting nests to lay in and during peak
longer than 4-5 days. Opening candled clear eggs mating times.
shows that there is very little embryo development. But
unlike infertile eggs, often the yolk membrane has broken
and the yolk is mingled with the albumen.
Examining fresh eggs usually shows that fertility is normal
for the flock age, but that the yolk surface looks different
– there are areas of the yolk that look translucent in mild
cases (picture 1) but a tan color in more severe ones
(picture 2). This is due to changes in the membrane
around the yolk which allow water to collect between
the layers. This makes the yolk more fragile, and less
able to support normal embryo development.
It is normal to see some mottling, which will get worse as
eggs age. It will not necessarily be easy to see in fresh
eggs on the breeder farm. However, if the incidence of
Picture 1
candled clear eggs is higher than expected and fertility is
normal, it is worth checking eggs carefully for mottling.
Mottling can be caused by a variety of factors affecting the
breeder hens. One of the best known is contamination of
the feed with Nicarbazine (or an anticoccidial containing
Nicarbazine). Wormers such as Piperazine can cause
mottling, as can gossypol from cottonseed meal (above
0.005%) or tannins from sorghum (above 1%). Yolk
mottling also tends to be high in years where fungal
diseases in wheat and maize cause a high or erratic
mycotoxin burden in finished feed.
Management factors which put the birds under stress
can also cause them to lay eggs with mottled yolks.
Over mating is a surprisingly common cause – which
tends to escalate if the candled clears are perceived to Picture 2
be due to poor fertility, triggering early or over generous
spiking. The bird handling necessary for taking blood
or swab samples can also cause a rise in mottling.
Sometimes the cause of mottling is not immediately
obvious. In this case, a review of the feed formulation

Tip 24
Maintain the fans in your setters and hatchers
Incubators sold by the various manufacturers have start up. This can cause the fan to slow down. If
a range of fan designs. However, the fans all have the belt is too tight it will grind into the pulley and
the same function, which is to move fresh air into the wear out more quickly.
cabinet, and to provide an airflow pattern within the filled b. Pulley size, condition and alignment – a worn pulley
cabinet which is balanced and of sufficient airspeed should be replaced using one of the same size.
over all of the eggs or chicks to keep them at their Once in place, the fan belt should sit in the pulley
optimal temperature. groove, with its top surface level with the edge.
Regular and effective maintenance is crucial if the fans If the belt sits proud or inset, either it is worn, or
are to deliver the right amount of air in the right places the wrong belt is being used. Make sure that the
and at the right speed. There are several aspects of pulleys are in a straight line.
fan set up, wear and (lack of) maintenance which will c. Belt worn out – fan belts tend to become brittle,
cause the fans to need attention. glazed or cracked. Belts are relatively cheap, so
Fan blade damage – if the fans are bent or dented, replace them regularly as part of a preventative
they will not deliver optimal airflow. Damaged blades maintenance programme.
should be replaced as soon as possible. d. The rating of the fan motor – when replacing a failed
Fan positioning is important, and problems can be or failing motor, make sure that it has the correct
seen after a fan has been replaced if it is not positioned specification to be an exact replacement. Check
correctly. This is especially important when the fan that the voltage supplied to the new fan is correct.
needs to be mounted in a fan housing. The fan must
be mounted at the correct height within the housing, Fan cleanliness – especially in multistage machines
so that the air can only move in the desired direction. and hatchers dust, dirt and chick fluff can settle on and
If the fan is mounted slightly above the housing, air will stick to the fan blade edges, making them less efficient.
tend to escape to the sides. This should be cleaned off regularly. If the water used
The fan must always be for humidification has a high mineral content, a hard
mounted centrally within the residue can form on the fan blades, again making
housing – if it is offset then them less efficient. The residue should be removed
a ‘blow-by’ effect can be carefully, making sure that the blade is not deformed
caused, where some air is in the process.
sucked back away from the
desired airflow. Make sure
that the fan is pushing the
air in the correct direction.
Clean fan blades, well centred fan and correct height.
Fan speeds need to be checked regularly using a

suitable tachometer. Regular maintenance should be
set up to check:-
a. Belt tension – too loose and the rubber belt will
slip on the metal pulley - listen for a squeal on Incorrect fan belt sitting low Worn fan belt
in the pulley
Tip 25
Be careful when you change
to different fans in an incubator
One fundamental requirement for hatching good quality Setting pattern, egg size and even turning angle can
chicks is providing the correct eggshell temperature affect airflow - air always goes by the easiest route where
(EST) throughout incubation. The incubator is set up to there are fewer or no obstacles, although resistance
control air temperature, which is not the same as EST. can increase with air speed.
Two factors make the two temperatures diverge –the heat So, the air flow pattern in the setter can be very tricky.
production of the embryos as they grow and develop and When we try to change ventilation inside of the setter,
the ability of the air moving through the machine to take we should always evaluate the change by checking
up and remove surplus heat. Embryo heat production how actual eggshell temperature changes. Information
increases rapidly after 10 days of incubation and then about how to measure eggshell temperatures can be
plateaus briefly at 17-18 days of incubation at around found in Aviagen Hatchery How To No. 6.
138mW/egg. Air movement within the setter plays an
important role in removing surplus heat from around The EST area plots show that despite the higher air
the eggs, its effectiveness driven mostly by air speed speed, the average EST was higher, with more eggs
between the setter trays. falling into the band above 102F which is where problems
of quality may be expected to start.
In reality, air speed varies within the setter. Eggs located
in a position with low air speed, will have higher eggshell
temperature in the last week of incubation than eggs
located where air speed is higher. It can be a big
challenge to achieve even air speed (and hence eggshell
temperature) in the setters in many hatcheries.
One way to get a more uniform air speed is to replace
or speed up the fans. In a European hatchery with fixed-
rack multi-stage incubators it was felt that the original
propeller fans were not strong enough to deliver the
air all the way down to the floor. In trial machines, the
fans were replaced with stronger axial fans, but this did In a setter, air
not improvement chick quality or hatchability. In fact, it doesn’t always
made things worse: the machine became too cold at take the route we
floor level and too hot higher up. During the experiment, expect. Setting
air was measured with a hot-wire anemometer and pattern, egg size
eggshell temperature was measured with Tiny Tag and even turning
temperature loggers. angle can affect
airflow - air always goes by the easiest route where
The new fans increased air speed by an average of there are fewer or no obstacles, although resistance
0.5m/s. However, the average EST increased, with the can increase with air speed.
hottest area moving from the bottom of the machine
to the top. So, the air flow pattern in the setter can be very tricky.
When we try to change ventilation inside of the setter,
The EST area plots show that despite the higher air we should always evaluate the change by checking
speed, the average EST was higher, with more eggs how actual eggshell temperature changes. Information
falling into the band above 102F which is where problems about how to measure eggshell temperatures can be
of quality may be expected to start. found in Aviagen Hatchery How To No. 6.
In a setter, air doesn’t always take the route we expect.
Tip 26
Analyzing egg handling with a thermal imaging camera
Thermal imaging cameras used to be large, heavy and is occurring and the problem would only be detected
very expensive. In the last few years smaller, much when pre- incubation is seen when opening fresh eggs.
more affordable versions have become available, often Thermal imaging can also be useful to show if the eggs
as attachments for a mobile phone. This has opened are being boxed while they are still warm, which can also
up new possibilities for investigating egg handling and cause pre-incubation in the farm or during transport.
holding conditions. Eggs should always be allowed to cool down before
Allowing hatching eggs to cool down promptly and being boxed into cardboard boxes. Cardboard is an
evenly, and to stay cool, is very important if the eggs effective thermal insulator and will slow cooling of the
are to hatch well. Starting when eggs are collected eggs if they are put into the boxes still warm. Figure 3
from the nests, we need to make sure that embryo shows eggs that weren’t allowed to cool down before
development is completely paused. Do we really know being boxed. They arrived in the hatchery still warm.
if all our fertile eggs are kept under ideal conditions? Fig 3: Eggs still warm when arrived in the hatchery egg
There may be thermometers or temperature sensors room after transport
in a farm egg room or hatchery egg room that indicate
temperatures in a limited number of locations, but we In the hatchery, the thermal imaging camera can be
don’t get a full picture of the thermal environment to used to check that a delivery of eggs is at the correct
which the eggs are exposed. Nor can we see how the temperature, and that all the eggs in the delivery are
cooling eggs interact with the environment. of a uniform temperature. Getting this stage right gives
a better hatchability, because all the embryos will be
Thermal imaging has proved to be a valuable tool for properly cooled at the same time. It will also minimize
investigating not only the environment where the eggs the hatch spread within a batch of eggs.
are stored but also egg temperature in different locations
within the trolley, egg boxes or pallet.
All objects emit infrared radiation (heat) that is invisible
to the human eye, but can be captured by the thermal
imaging camera. The camera software then converts
the temperature into colors depending on the surface
temperature. The final result is a picture where each
color represents a specific temperature.
Fig 1: Thermal imaging of
Thermal imaging can be used to audit eggs handling
farm storage room
practice and conditions in farms and hatchery egg stores.
Fig 1: shows uneven temperatures in between the
eggs in a farm storage room. The dark blue spots
show the coldest eggs, while the orange eggs are still
warm. In this case we can see that very warm eggs
are brought inside the room and are being stacked on
the top of eggs that are already cold, which can be a
problem - each additional layer of warm eggs will re-heat
the eggs that have already cooled down. Just looking
at the egg room (Fig 2) and the read out of the room Fig 2: Normal imaging of Transport
thermometer, we would not be aware that the situation farm storage room

Tip 27
Are you measuring and calculating
your chick yield correctly?
Most commercial hatcheries nowadays measure and At Transfer

use chick yield as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) to When transferring, make sure to move the labels correctly
evaluate both hatch timing and incubation. But the big to each hatcher basket so that the final chick weight can
question is: Are you recording your chick yield correctly? be associated with the correct initial egg tray weight.
Chick yield is the average weight of the chicks at pull, At Hatch
expressed as a percentage of the average egg weight
at set. It tells you when the eggs are losing enough Chicks should be weighed immediately after they are
water during incubation, and also whether the chicks are removed from the hatcher.
being pulled at the right time at the end of the hatcher Before weighing any chicks, place an empty chick box
period. It is usually measured on sample trays – two on the scales and zero (tare) the display. Skipping this
or three trays per farm per set – and the full procedure step will give an artificially high chick weight.
is described in Hatchery How To Measure Chick Yield It is important to count all the first class chicks from each
which is available on the Aviagen website. labeled hatch basket into the empty box one group at
It is worth auditing the procedure in your hatchery regularly a time. Record the number of chicks and the weight.
to make sure that the method being used is correct, Don’t weigh cull chicks as they will not be typical of
and has not drifted over time, or with changes in staff. first class chicks on the tray, and so will affect the
At the start average weight.
The fresh egg weight is based on the average weight
of the eggs on a full setter tray. The empty tray weight
must be measured and recorded, and subtracted from
the full tray weight every single time. Even in a new
hatchery, tray weights will vary; and, once they have
been topped up to replace damaged units, it is highly
likely that there will be between-tray differences in weight.
Check the eggs on the sample trays before they are
weighed, including a quick pass over a candling table.
Remove and replace any dirty eggs, any with abnormal Calculate average chick weight for each tray:
shells and any broken or hairline-cracked eggs before Average Chick Weight = All Chicks weight in the box
the full tray is weighed. Number of chicks in the box
When setting these trays,
make sure to place them Calculate Chick Yield %:
in different representative Chick Yield% = Average Chick Weight x 100
locations in the setter, Average Fresh Egg Weight
distributed top to bottom
and front to back of the Record all the background details on a spreadsheet,
incubator. Record setter number and location. along with the weights and calculated yield. This will
allow you to check which machines are delivering the
Calculate average fresh egg weight: best chick yield, and to focus attention on the machines
Avg fresh egg weight = weight of full egg trays - weight of empty trays which need adjustment.
Number of eggs in tray

Tip 28
If you are heat treating stored eggs to improve
hatchability (SPIDES), how long should the
eggs be kept warm?
Aviagen’s early SPIDES trials were aimed at defining the When designing a SPIDES programme, for optimal
safe limits for heat treating eggs during storage – how results the treatments should be set up so that the
long, how often and how hot the treatments should be. cumulative EST>32oC is between 5 hours and 15 hours.
In these trials, we held eggs for 21 days, and gave up to
5 treatments during the storage period. We found that
in this situation, individual treatments were best kept as
short as possible. If we pushed the length and number
of treatments too far, hatchability got worse. Chart 1
shows the percentage of lost hatch that was recovered
after different treatment combinations, compared in
terms of the cumulative time the egg shell temperature
was held above 32oC (EST>32oC).
We showed that hatch recovery was achieved in any
treatments where the cumulative time above 32oC was
between 6 and 24 hours, but that the optimum effect
was seen when the cumulative time above 32oC was
12-15 hours. There was a steady deterioration in the
hatchability recovered for treatments above 15 hours,
which dropped to no benefit when EST >32oC was over
26 hours and almost complete hatch failure when the
cumulative treatment time was 39 hours.
The trial summarised in Chart 1 does not show what
impact, if any, there might be in further shortening the
cumulative exposure time from 6 hours. However, some
recent trials which were performed in collaboration with
Prof Okan Elibol at the University of Ankara have shown
that shorter treatment times can also be suboptimal.
These trials were done using a Petersime® Re-store
cabinet, and a storage period of 14 days. The eggs were
treated once only, on the 5th day of storage, and were
given either 3.5 or 5.5 hours above 32oC EST. There
were three repetitions, using eggs from flock ages of
37, 54 and 55 weeks. There was no fresh egg control
in these trials; so it was not possible to calculate how
much hatch was lost due to storage, or the percentage
recovery. However, in each of the three comparisons, a
single exposure of 5-5.5 hours gave a higher hatchability
than the shorter exposure of 3-3.5 hours.

Notes

Aviagen and the Aviagen logo are registered trademarks of Aviagen in the US and other countries.
All other trademarks or brands are registered by their respective owners.
© 2018 Aviagen.
www.aviagen.com

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Hatchery

Page 2 Hatchery Tips

Air temperature, humidity, and air

Hatchery Tips Page 3

Provided that everything is

Check the egg shell temperature on day 2 of

CAN AFFECT THEIR GROWTH?

All hatchery managers are busy and it can be difficult

It is easy to see if chicks are

uncomfortable from their

Chicks that are cold will huddle

A service to hatchery personnel from Aviagen www.aviagen.com

Page 6 Hatchery Tips

CHICK QUALITY by entering the temperatureseggshell

The pale coloured chick was Hot

Identifying all the eggs that have cracked shells on arrival

Page 8 Hatchery Tips

During During hatcheryhatchery visits

Page 10 Hatchery Tips

Once the dampers are closed, the humidity will build

First published in International Hatchery Practice

Page 14 Hatchery Tips

Temperature, humidity and air speed all interact to determine

eir body temperature and rely

moved from hatcher to farm

stems there can be several

High CO2 level measured in a holding room with insufficient

High CO2 level measured

First published in International Hatchery Practice volume 30.4

99 temperatures in trolleys after pre-warming

ToPage 16 temperature shock and sweating, eggs should be pre-

Alternatively, higher CO2 levels can be calibrated using a CO2 gas

Hatchery Tips Page 17

When looking for such a position, the machine should be fully l

Page 18 Hatchery Tips

AnyTip 17 product needs to give a satisfactory kill rate of the

First published in International Hatchery Practice volume

his,l thePress and hold the ‘zero’Zero switch

Page 22 Hatchery Tips

Hatching egg quality has a significant impact on

Floor egg Dirty egg First published in International Hatchery Practice

Hatchery Tips Page 23

Page 24 Hatchery Tips

Hatchery Tips Page 25

Fan speeds need to be checked regularly using a

Page 28 Hatchery Tips

Most commercial hatcheries nowadays measure and At Transfer

Hatchery Tips Page 29

First published in International Hatchery Practice

Page 30 Hatchery Tips

Hatchery Tips Page 31

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