Circadian

incubation™
Next generation design for the
future-focused hatchery

Pas Reform
Hatchery Technologies
The ultimate goal of the modern
hatchery is to produce large
­numbers of uniform, r­ obust day
old chicks: traits that originate in
the embryo and correlate directly
with the performance and
­resistance of chicks on the farm.
The following two articles discuss ­progress in the development
of modular single-stage equipment for Circadian ­Incubation™,
i.e. equipment that supports the use of thermal stimulation for
the ­production of uniform batches of robust, high quality chicks
in the future-focused h­ atchery.

Circadian Incubation™
 Circadian
incubation™
The next generation of modular,
single-stage technology
Introduction
Modern poultry production requires birds that grow uniformly
and efficiently, which means that most of the bird’s nutrition is
directed to production. Efficient birds are resistant to stressful
conditions and use only small amounts of nutrients for the
maintenance of basic physiological systems. Geneticists have
introduced the concept of robustness to describe these efficient,
modern birds in more biological terms, so that today, robustness
also defines an important trait for selection, related to animal
health and welfare (Star et al., 2008 J. of agricultural and
­environmental ethics; McKay, 2009, In: Biology of Breeding
Poultry. Ed. P. Hocking).
Robustness is a health criterion that originates in embryonic life
and correlates with growth and the resistance of the individual
chicks under different farm conditions. We define a robust day
old chick as a first class chick that delivers predictable growth
and production under different farm designs and fluctuating
conditions, such as high and low temperatures. Batches of robust
day old chicks show low mortality, need less medication and
have the potential for optimum growth even under adverse
farm conditions.
To support the development of robust day old chicks, Pas Reform
has introduced Circadian Incubation™ as a natural and progressive
development of single stage incubation. Circadian incubation™
is based on observations that embryonic ‘training’ – or the
imprinting of body functions – stimulates robustness on the
farm. This ‘imprinting’ is achieved by exposing the embryo to
2 Circadian Incubation™
environmental triggers during critical periods of the maturation
of physiological control systems - and has been shown to cause
long-lasting alterations in the perinatal epigenetic programming
of body functions (Tzschentke and Plageman, 2006). In poultry,
the best understood physiological system is the maturation of
thermoregulation and its dependence on incubator temperatures.
Study shows that embryos exposed to short periods of heat or
cold develop an improved capacity to control body temperature
during periods of heat or cold in the farm (Decuypere, 1984;
Janke t al. 2002). Consequently, these birds retain most of their
feed for growth – and use much less for the maintenance of
body functions.
Circadian incubation™ is a single-stage protocol that includes
periodic stimulation, by increasing temperature during certain
sensitive periods of embryonic development. The term ‘circadian’
literally means ‘about a day’ as it derives from the latin
(‘circa’= about and ‘dies’= day). Circadian thus refers to daily
biological rhythms observed in most organisms, such as the
day-night rhythm in body temperature. The biological rhythms,
also called the circadian or biological clock, are essential for
regulating the daily metabolic rhythm and other physiological
functions. In contrast to nature, embryos hatched in a convential
incubator are not exposed to a daily rhythm. This changes when
the Circadian Incubation™ technique is implemented.
The development of a robust day old chick
To understand day old chick robustness, we need first to under-
stand the development and maturation of physiological systems
in the embryo (Tzschentke and Plagemann, 2006; Gilbert and
Epel, 2009).
Embryonic development comprises a number of complex
­physio­­logical interactions between cells and groups of cells, ­
best understood by simply observing the development that
takes place in different phases.
The first phase of development is called the Differentiation
Phase. This is when the different embryonic structures and
premature organ fields are determined and differentiated.
The second phase – the Growth Phase – is so called because this is
when the different organs and tissue grow to their final s­ tructure
and size. Not only do the organs develop their final form, they
also acquire the capability to function physiologically, although
at this point they are not yet integrated into a physiological
control system.
The third and final phase of embryonic development is known
as the Maturation Phase, characterized by the maturation of
physiological functions and the development of integrated
­physiological and endocrinal controlling systems.
Embryonic development is a continuous process. Each embryonic
phase overlaps, while the embryo moves gradually from an
embryonic state to that of a hatchling. Normal post-natal
­performance is only possible when functional maturation of
the organs and fine-tuning of the integrated physiological
circuits have taken place, during the final days of incubation.
A good example of an ‘integrated physiological circuit’ is the
thermoregulatory system, which controls body temperature in
the late-stage embryo and the chicken. Organs involved in
­thermoregulation – such as the hypothalamus, thyroid and
­pituitary gland – develop and grow during the mid-period,
or Growth Phase, of incubation. Final maturation of the thermo-
regulatory systems, however, occurs during the last days of the
Maturation Phase in the embryo and the first days post-hatch.
To further understand the route to achieving a robust day old
chick that can cope with varying farm conditions, we need to
look at a lower level of embryonic development: that of cell-to-
cell interaction and differential gene expression. Each phase of
embryonic development described above is recognized by
specific cellular interactions and the expression of genes.
As the embryo develops after fertilization, the number of cells
increase – and these cells become differentiated as each adopts
the characteristics of its ultimate restricted fate. Some cells grow
to form muscle tissue, while others become part of the skeleton.
The differentiation of cells is the result of differential gene
expression: muscle cells express genes for contractive proteins
while bone cells produce proteins that can bind calcium, for
example. Thus differential gene expression is the fundament of
Circadian Incubation™ 3
the three phases of embryonic development – and the differential
activation and expression of genes has formed a key focus for
research and publication in the field of developmental biology
(eg. Gilbert, 2006).
It is now generally understood that minute variations in the
environment of embryonic cells will induce variations in the
expression of genes. Embryos derived from the same parents,
having inherited basically the same genetic potential, develop to
different phenotypes when exposed to different environmental
inducing agents: the agents that prepare and adapt the embryo
to cope with varying conditions after birth.
A term often used to explain embryo-environment interaction is
epigenetic adaptation: the study of how changes in gene expres-
sion patterns mediated by the environment can cause variations
in phenotypes (Gilbert and Epel, 2009). Today’s discussions on
the embryonic origin of human health and heart failure in later
life, for example, refers to epigenitic affects during the embryonic
and foetal development of the baby.
In poultry research, the idea that the embryo can be acclimatised
to a certain trigger for better performance later in life is becoming
more widely accepted (Decuypere, 1984, Minne and Decuypere,
1984; Nichelmann and Tzschentke, 2002; Yahav et al, 2004).
Currently, the most studied trigger for epigenetic adaptation
is the exposure of the embryo to brief periods of high or low
temperature. Critical periods, when the embryo is prone to
thermal adaptation, have been found during the early phase of
development, when the differentiation of specific structures is
being induced – and again in the later phase of development,
when the organs and physiological systems mature.
A four-day thermal-manipulation during the differentiation
phase has been shown to influence the proliferation of muscle-
type cells in turkey embryos, to subsequently and positively
affect post-hatch muscle development (Maltby et al., 2004).
In the chicken, short periods of increased temperature from
embryonic days 4 - 7 encouraged embryonic movement and
activity, promoting leg and muscle growth in the embryo
(Hammond, et al., 2007). Broiler embryos can be thermally
­conditioned during their final days in the setter, such that
they achieve tolerance to heat challenge at an early age in the
farm (Moraes et al, 2003; Collin et al., 2007), thus altering post-
natal growth (Collin et al., 2005; Halevy et al., 2006a,b). Short
periods of cold exposure (60 min at 15 ºC) at days 18 and 19 of
embryonic development shows an improved performance at
38 days of age (Shinder, et al, 2009).
Long lasting adaptation occurs when periodic thermal
­manipulation is applied during the last part of the Maturation
Phase, when the integrated circuits for the thermoregulatory
system are well developed - and therefore most responsive to
‘training’ (Tzschentke, 2007; Tzschentke , 2008; Tzschentke and
Halle, 2009). Thermal manipulation during this late phase in the
setter and hatcher shows an improvement of 1.5 % on hatcha­
bility, a 2.9 % improvement in male growth and improved feed
conversion (Tzschentke and Halle, 2009): all indications of
enhanced robustness in the day old chick. (See table 1 on page 5)
4 Circadian Incubation™
More research will decipher specific, sensitive embryonic phases
and conditions, to engender the further use of thermal stimula-
tion in commercial incubators, to induce enhanced robustness in
day old chicks from different flock ages and commercial breeds.
In the meantime, promising scientific results already ratify the
development and introduction of Circadian Incubation™.
From single-stage incubation to Circadian Incubation™
If the goal of the modern hatchery is to produce uniform, robust
day old chicks, the multi-stage system does not deliver the
degree of control required – and single-stage incubation requires
further development. Single-stage incubators can of course be
adjusted and set such that climate conditions match the needs
of modern embryos, to improve day old chick quality and unifor-
mity (Boerjan, 2002). Today, the basic assumption for the design
of single-stage incubation programs is that optimal embryonic
development occurs under constant conditions, without fluctua-
tion. However, the idea that the embryo can be adapted to
certain stress factors (high or low temperatures, for example) to
improve robustness and deliver better performance later in life is
gaining significant acceptance. In the poultry sector, where
substantial growth is indicated over the next two to three
decades, Circadian Incubation™ signals an important bridge
to meeting next generation demands and opportunities in
commercial hatcheries.
The majority of thermal conditioning investigations have been
performed under controlled experimental conditions, in small
incubators. In collaboration with a commercial broiler hatchery
and Wageningen University Research Centre, Pas Reform has
undertaken trials on a commercial scale with four flocks of 35,
42, 48 and 56 weeks respectively.
In each experiment, Ross 308 eggs from three different suppliers
were incubated in a modular, single-stage incubator, adapted to
enable the Circadian principle with a capacity of 115,200 hen
eggs. For each batch of eggs, a thermal conditioning period of
three hours was applied by increasing temperature set points
from 36.7 ºC (98 ºF) to 38.1 ºC (100.6 ºF) for three hours on days
16.5, 17.5 and 18.5 in the setter. (See figure 1 on page 5)
In all four experiments, the egg shell temperatures raised
­immediately after increasing the set point. At the end of the
thermal conditioning period, average egg shell temperature was
measured at 39.8 - 40.1 ºC (103.6 - 104.2 ºF). On each experimental
day, egg shell temperatures returned to normal and were
comparable with egg shell temperatures in the control incubator
1.5 hours after completing the period of thermo-conditioning,
by returning set points to normal (36.7 °C / 98 °F) temperature.
Each batch demonstrated positive influences on hatching results,
as a result of thermal conditioning. A clear, positive trend on
growth performance was observed, with 1 to 2 points improve-
ment in feed conversion ratios.
 104,00

Figure 1
103,00 Temperature stimulation in a
modular, single-stage incubator,
adapted to enable the Circadian
average eggshall temperatures (ºF)

102,00 Incubation™ principle. A thermal

conditioning period of three hours
was applied by increasing
101,00
temperature set points from 98 ºF
to 100.6 ºF for three hours on day
100,00 16.5, 17.5 and 18.5. Eggshell
temperatures were measured
automatically by means of contact
99,00
thermistors.
16,0 16,5 17,0 17,5 18 18,5

day of incubation

Table 1
Overall (females + Male: weight gain Male: final body Male: Feed ­conversion Temperature stimulation
males) hatchability of g/broiler/day 1 - 35 weight (35 d) rate (1 - 35d)
fertile eggs (%) Eggs (337) exposed for 2 hr/day
at 38.5 ºC during the last 4 days
Control 94.6 62.2 ± 2.9 2270 ± 203 1.50 ± 0.04 of incubation (days 18 - 21).
incubator (Tzschentke B. and Halle I (2009).
Influence of temperature
Temperature 97.0* 64.6* ± 2.0 2336* ± 191 1.47* ± 0.02 stimulation during the last 4 days
stimulation of incubation on secondary sex
ratio and later performance in
*(P< 0.05) male and female broiler chicks.
Br. Poultry Sci 50(5): 634 - 640)

Further studies will improve the protocols for thermal condi-
tioning in practice for different commercial breeds and flock
ages. For this reason, Pas Reform has initiated a collaborative
research project with dr. B. Tzschentke from Institute of Biology,
Working Group Perinatal Adaptation at the Humbold University
of Berlin (HU) and dr I. Halle from Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI),
Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Animal
Nutrition, Braunschweig.
We know, however, that thermal conditioning is only beneficial
when applied in a clear, controlled manner, for specific time
points and duration. A Circadian Incubation™ program can only
be applied in commercial practice, if the hatchery’s single-stage
incubation system contains individually controlled sections for
accurate climate control and (thereby) delivers homogeneous
eggshell temperature. The system must also be equipped with
sufficient, cooling and heating devices – to deliver short, highly
accurate cold or heat stimuli for the incubating embryos to
result in uniformly robust day old chicks.
Used correctly, Circadian Incubation™ opens the door for the
hatchery manager to produce uniform, highly robust day old
chicks that will go on to deliver robust, improved performance
at farm level.
Conclusions
The ultimate goal of modern hatchery management is to
produce uniform, robust day old chicks. Robustness is a health
criterion that originates in the embryonic lifestage of the
chicken and correlates directly with the performance and
­resistance of individual chicks under differing farm conditions.
Robustness requires a specific incubation trigger during
so-called critical periods, eg. stimulation by heat or cold, to
­physiologically imprint the embryo such that the chicken thrives
in its farm environment. Short-term thermo-conditioning using
Circadian Incubation™ improves hatching results and produces
long-lasting effects, with 1 - 2 % increase in final body weight
and 1 - 2 points better feed conversion rates. Batches of uniform,
robust day old chicks improve uniformity at slaughter age and
thereby improve efficiency and performance throughout the
entire production chain. However, to support the use of
Circadian Incubation™, the incubator should provide accurate
climate control, to promote tight temperature uniformity.
Each egg must receive a consistent flow of conditioned air
for optimum thermal conditioning.

Circadian Incubation™ 5
 Next generation design
for the modern hatchery
Creating an adaptive environment
Introduction
In the previous article titled ‘Circadian Incubation™’, Pas Reform
discussed the effects of thermal stimulation on subsequent post
hatch performance. Research shows a positive and sustained
effect on hatchability, robustness, final bodyweight and feed
conversion ratios, when periodic temperature increases are
administered during the last days of incubation (maturation
phase).
This article discusses progress in the development of modular
single-stage equipment for Circadian Incubation™, i.e. equip-
ment that supports the use of thermal stimulation for the
production of uniform batches of robust, high quality chicks in
the modern hatchery.
6 Next generation design for the modern hatchery
1 The challenge of temperature homogeneity
Thermal stimulation can only be applied in practice when
­incubation equipment delivers a homogeneous climate for
uniform embryonic development. Only the smallest variations
in temperature and therefore in heat transfer can be tolerated,
which is largely determined by air temperature and velocity
around the eggs.
For incubator manufacturers, the challenge today is to design
incubators capable of supporting uniform, optimised embryonic
development for each egg at every stage of its development.
This means providing every one of a very large number of eggs
in a closely packed environment with an optimal airflow for
uniform temperature distribution. Air must move freely around
the eggs at all times.
This challenge is complicated by the trend towards larger capacity
incubators. Because of increased heat production by modern
embryos, it is more difficult to maintain homogeneity in egg
shell temperature and air movement rates for each egg in such
large incubators.
Further complications can arise as a result of airflow obstruction in
the incubator. The even distribution of temperature and humidity
within the incubator depends on the ease with which air can pass
through the setter trays and over the surface of the eggshells.
Poorly designed trolleys and trays can result in air passing around
the mass of eggs, rather than passing evenly between them, which
leads to non-homogeneous temperature distribution.
Figure 1
Building a 3D simulation model
of a separately controlled
incubator section.
There are three additional sources of non-uniform air tempera-
ture in incubators:
1 The ambient temperature and relative humidity of inlet air
usually differs from average temperature and relative
humidity inside the machine, resulting in localised tempera-
ture and humidity variation at the point of intake.
2 Both cooling and heating in the incubator generate localised
temperature variations.
3 The evaporation of water to control humidity levels for
optimum egg weight loss can lead to temperature differences.
The challenge of modern incubator design is to exchange energy,
CO2/O2 and moisture without affecting homogeneous tempera-
ture around the eggs.
The following chapters demonstrate how a redesign of the
­incubator can improve homogeneous temperature distribution,
creating the ability to operate within the strict parameters
required to successfully apply Circadian Incubation™. Chapter 2
introduces the application of Computational Fluid Dynamics
(CFD) simulations, to gain valuable insights into the incubator’s
air flow pattern and temperature distribution. Chapter 3
­presents the aerodynamics of a fully optimised airflow and air
redistribution system for Circadian Incubation™. Finally, chapter
4 shows how the homogeneous temperature achieved with an
optimised airflow system is further improved by the use of a
system newly developed by Pas Reform and known as ‘Adaptive
Metabolic Feedback™’.
2 Computational Fluid Dynamics: a first in the
hatchery sector
Traditionally, new developments in the design of airflow systems
have relied upon the actual, physical development of a prototype
and in-practice testing: a lengthy and expensive process, limited
by the number of practical situations and product alternatives
that can be physically tested.
While looking at ways to optimise temperature uniformity,
Pas Reform started to implement Computational Fluid Dynamics
(CFD) to simulate the airflow and the heat transfer inside the
incubator. CFD is a scientific discipline, in which the flow and the
heat transfer of any gaseous or liquid medium can be simulated
within a virtual environment. It uses numerical algorithms to
calculate airflow and temperature distribution, thereby allowing
deeper insights into the internal physics of the incubator and
other environmental factors.
CFD was first applied in Aerospace development about 30 years
ago, followed by the automotive industry, which now routinely
uses CFD in new product development and testing. Despite its
proven accuracy and dependability in these highly specific and
demanding arenas, Pas Reform is the first to apply CFD for new
product development in the hatchery sector. In its application of
CFD for incubator design, the company worked in collaboration
with FlowMotion, an engineering company that specialises in
fluid dynamics for industrial applications, with a proven track
record in food technology.
Next generation design for the modern hatchery 7

The application of CFD in product development can be separated
into three phases: pre-processing, solving and post-processing:
1 In the first phase, Pre-processing, a 3D model of an incubator
section is created. With a completed 3D model, the calculation
region is divided into millions of small cells, for which the
governing equations need to be solved numerically.
(See figure 1)
Boundary conditions are prescribed for all incubator surfaces,
inlets, outlets, fans, etc. – ie. all the areas that are instrumental
in generating airflow and producing heat transfer, including
the hatching eggs. The design of the calculation grid and the
definition of all boundary conditions are the most critical
processes in CFD, because they have the largest influence on
the viability and accuracy of results. This phase requires
sophisticated expertise and experience in fluid dynamics.
2 In the second phase of CFD, Solving, the computer calculates
governing equations for each grid cell. And there are millions
of cells. This process can take anything from a couple of hours
for a small number of cells, to a number of days for complex
flows.
8 Next generation design for the modern hatchery
Figure 2
The most effective method of
exchanging energy, CO2/O2 and
moisture in the incubator, is to
generate as many vortices as
possible of a specific dimension
and intensity in the wake of the
air pump blade. (Colours indicate
difference of airspeed)
3 The final phase of CFD is Post-processing – where the data
produced in the previous two phases is visualized. Crucially,
this is where the expertise of Pas Reform Academy’s R&D
team, with its detailed understanding of the needs of the
growing embryo – joined forces with the expertise of
FlowMotion to fulfil these needs in terms of aerodynamics,
to analyse the huge amount of simulation data produced
against the real world air flow requirements of modern
incubators.
3 Aerodynamics of a new airflow principle
From conception, Pas Reform’s Smart modular single-stage
­incubators were designed to overcome the drawbacks of
­conventional incubation described in the first paragraph of
this article.
Smart’s modular single-stage design creates sectional environ-
ments, each with the capacity for up to 19,200 hen eggs. During
incubation, each section climate can be individually controlled –
the only way to guarantee homogeneous incubation tempera-
ture in incubators containing more than 100,000 eggs. Separate
temperature, heating, cooling, humidification and ventilation
systems in each section of the incubator provide a homogeneous
environment around the incubating eggs.
Figure 3
The Vortex™ draws in an optimum
amount of fresh air from the
setter room and circulates it
through each separate section of
the incubator. (Colours indicate
difference of airspeed)
Smart is a trusted system in hatcheries around the world.
And as an innovator in the hatchery industry, it was logical for
Pas Reform to look for ways in which this established platform
could be further improved, to fully maximise the benefits of
homogeneous climate control for Circadian Incubation™.
The application of CFD made it possible to gain valuable further
insights into the airflow pattern and temperature distribution
produced in each separate section of an incubator. With this
data, the detailed investigation of various incubator designs
became viable – and Pas Reform has focused its attention on a
number of variations, including the number and shape of air
pump blades, air inlet principles, section partitions, size of
mixing zone, air pushing or pulling principles, trolley and tray
design, heating, cooling and humidifying principles, air tightness
and footprints. After three years of intensive and varied flow
simulation, Pas Reform has developed a fully optimised airflow
and air ­redistribution system – with the following aerodynamics:
Air pump blade principle
The basis of the new airflow and air redistribution system is
Pas Reform’s ‘Vortex™’, a newly designed air pump named after
the vortical movement of airflow it produces. (See figure 2)
With the intensive analysis of many different, simulated air
pump blade shapes, it is clear that the most effective method of
exchanging energy, CO2/O2 and moisture in the incubator, is to
generate as many vortices as possible of a specific dimension
and intensity in the wake of the blade. The shape of the air pump
Figure 4
The inlet air moves around the
eggs along the side of the setter
trolleys, to avoid ambient air from
making contact directly with the
eggs. (Colours indicate difference of
airspeed)
blades also positively influences the pumped flow rate of fresh
air, the amount of torque required to achieve maximum tempe­ra­
ture uniformity, the electrical power consumption of the system
and the flow along the cooling/heating elements of the incubator.
Air Preparation principle
Through the inlet in the ceiling of each incubator section,
the Vortex™ draws fresh air from the setter room, which flows
through a vertical channel and through the hub and inner
­structure of the air pump blades, creating a radial pump for
the air. (See figure 3)
Each separate section of the incubator is equipped with a Vortex™,
that circulates the ‘fresh air’ from the tip of its air pump blades
to partitions on each side of the incubator section.
The partitions direct the air along the side of the setter trolleys,
into the so-called ‘mixing zone’ of the incubator. The primary
advantage of this flow pattern is that ambient air never makes
contact with the eggs directly, so avoiding significant, localised
changes in egg temperature. (See figure 4)
Next generation design for the modern hatchery 9
Figure 5
The mixing zone minimises
remaining variations in air
temperature. (Colours indicate
difference of airspeed)
Air Mixing principle
Once the air has passed the trolleys, it reaches the ‘mixing zone’,
where remaining variations in air temperature are minimised by
mixing the air before it is drawn over the eggs. The size of this
mixing zone is crucial for its impact on egg temperature homo-
geneity within each separate incubator section. (See figure 5)
Exchange Principle
The Vortex™ pulls the mixed air in vortical spirals through the
egg trays and over the eggs, back towards the centre of the air
pump. (See figure 6)
This has two significant advantages over conventional airflow
systems. By pulling (instead of pushing) vortices over the eggs,
the surface of the hatching egg is exposed for an optimum
exchange of heat and humidity. The specific flow direction along
the eggs changes constantly, ensuring that uniform egg shell
temperature is created and maintained for each egg throughout
incubation. Additionally, the vortices move in parallel with the
turning direction of the setter trolleys, managing airflow such
that it reaches the entire surface of the eggshells. This prevents
the development of ‘dead spots’ where there is little air move-
ment, to provide unique, homogeneous air distribution within
each incubator section.
10
Figure 6
Principle drawing showing how
the Vortex™ pulls the mixed air in
vortices through the setter trays
and over the eggs.
To further reduce obstruction by the setter trays, new tray design
incorporates an open, spacious grid that prevents the develop-
ment of dead spots and allows the free movement of air vortices
through the trays, to reach each individual hatching egg.
(See figure 7)
When the vortices finally flow out of the trays, they reach the
‘Exchange zone’ of the incubator section. Here the primary target
of the air pump is to exchange energy, CO2/O2 levels and moisture,
to condition the air before recirculation throughout the incubator
section, for homogeneous egg temperature distribution. The
shape of the Vortex™ has explicitly been optimised to mix ‘old’
air coming from the incubator section with ‘fresh’ air from the
tip of the Vortex™ and the integrated heating/cooling of the
incubator, by its specific vortices in the wake of the blade.
(See figure 8)
Next generation design for the modern hatchery
Figure 7
The redesigned setter tray allows
the free movement of air vortices,
to reach every individual hatching
egg.
4 Maximising uniformity by Adaptive Metabolic
Feedback™
The advancements in airflow design described in chapter 3
of this article produce an environment that can be precisely
controlled: a prerequisite for thermal stimulation – or the
deployment of Circadian Incubation™. In this chapter, we show
how temperature homogeneity, achieved by optimising airflow,
can be further maximised using so-called ‘Adaptive Metabolic
Feedback™’.
Adaptive Metabolic Feedback™ (AMF™) enables the control
parameters of the incubation process to be adapted, according
to the time-varying metabolism of a specific batch of embryos
in the incubator. Ultimately AMF™ maximizes uniformity, by
optimising airflow and air redistribution such that Circadian
Incubation™ can be applied.
Incubators must ventilate, to allow enough oxygen to come in
and to allow the gases produced during the process of incuba-
tion to escape. The ventilation system controls the rate of air
refreshment and, consequently, the level of carbon dioxide and
relative humidity in the incubator. Carbon dioxide percentages
and relative humidity increase when the valves are closed and
ventilation is zero. Levels of carbon dioxide and relative humidity
are strongly associated and should ideally be controlled simulta-
neously, with equal sensitivity.
Figure 8
The Exchange zone conditions the
air before recirculating throughout
the incubator section, for
homogeneous egg temperature
distribution. (Colours indicate
difference of airspeed)
The aspect of increased humidity is often neglected – despite
the fact that increased levels of relative humidity in the incubator
limit the evaporation of water from the eggs, decreasing egg
weight loss and the effects of evaporative cooling. High levels of
relative humidity have physical as well as physiological influences
on embryo development. The evaporation of water is a physical
process that uses heat – and therefore the eggs lose heat during
that process, also known as evaporative cooling. The continuous
evaporation of water from the eggs during all stages of the
­incubation process – measured as egg weight loss – is essential
for maintaining mineral balance in the different embryonic
compartments at a physiological level.
In non-ventilated incubators, actual relative humidity rises above
set points and as the incubator humidifiers are not in operation,
cold spots are avoided. Embryo temperatures increase because
evaporative cooling is limited as a result of increased moisture
content in the incubator air. However, increased moisture content
in the non-ventilated incubator limits egg weight loss, affecting
embryo development to finally increase the risk of poor chick
quality, bad navels and large yolk sacs.
The control of the moisture-carbon dioxide couple in commercial
incubators must therefore follow physical as well as physiological
rules. It is important that the modern incubator has the ability to
operate according to varied moisture-carbon dioxide profiles,
suited to local circumstances.
Next generation design for the modern hatchery 11
This knowledge formed the essential background for the deve­
lopment of Pas Reform’s ‘Adaptive Metabolic Feedback™’ system
for ventilation. Based on the actual metabolism of the incubating
eggs in a commercial incubator, the uniquely adapted moisture –
CO2 couple determines the ventilation rate of the incubator, in
line with the rate of development of the incubating eggs.
Because both moisture and CO2 are monitored continuously
against specific setpoints, AMF™ optimises incubation by
­minimizing cold spots from ventilation and humidifiers, while
simultaneously avoiding the excessive build-up of CO2. The fine
control delivered by AMF™ ensures that the natural evaporation
of water from the eggs is unaffected, while the incubator meets
the time-varying needs of the growing embryo in its different
stages throughout the cycle.
Adaptive Metabolic Feedback™ achieves this continuous control
over both recirculated and fresh air by listening to the embryo’s
metabolism, as reflected in the production of moisture and
carbon dioxide. In this way energy, CO2/O2 and moisture are
exchanged without affecting the incubator’s homogeneous
temperature.
12
Conclusions
Since the Circadian Incubation™ principle greatly challenges
the incubator’s homogeneity, new design concepts are needed
to further improve homogeneous temperature distribution.
Three years of intensive (flow) simulations and empirical field
studies have shown that the combination of (1) a modular
­incubator design, (2) a new airflow principle based on the
creation of vortices and (3) Adaptive Metabolic Feedback™,
produce the highly precise environmental controls that are
a prerequisite to the successful use of thermal stimulation.
The combined use of these three components1 makes it possible
to exchange energy, CO2/O2 and humidity without affecting
homogeneous temperature around the eggs. This delivers
­significant advantages for the modern hatchery, including
homogeneous egg temperature distribution in the maturation
phase of incubation. Short, accurate increases in temperature for
each of the embryos is possible, to deliver the benefits of
Circadian Incubation™ on hatchability, robustness, final body-
weight and feed conversion ratios.
1 Patent Pending with Worldwide Intellectual Property Rights
Next generation design for the modern hatchery
References
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© Copyright Pas Reform 2010. All rights reserved.
Pas Reform Hatchery Technologies

Pas Reform is an international company,

which has specialised in the development
of innovative hatchery technologies for
the poultry sector since 1919.
The company has earned its position as one
of the world’s leading hatchery e ­ quipment
manufacturers, through decades of
research into the bio­­logical and physio-
logical aspects of embryo development,
combined with a thorough understanding
of all aspects of the poultry production
chain – and a dedicated focus on the
future.

Pas Reform Hatchery Technologies

Pas Reform is an international company, which has specialised in the development

of innovative hatchery Technologies for the poultry sector since 1919.

The company has earned its position as one of the world’s leading hatchery e
­ quipment

manufacturers, through decades of research into the biological and ­physiological

aspects of embryo development, combined with a complete u

­ nderstanding of all

aspects of the poultry production chain - and a dedicated focus on the future.
Pas Reform
Hatchery Technologies

Pas Reform
P.O. Box 2
7038 ZG Zeddam
The Netherlands

Phone +31 314 659 111

Fax +31 314 652 575
E-mail info@pasreform.com
Internet www.pasreform.com