Transcript Hatching Best Management practices

Hatching Best Management
Practices
Dan Campeau
Area Specialized Agent – Poultry
Chatham, Lee, Randolph, Moore
& Harnett Counties
Resources – Dr.Mike Wineland and NCSU Publications
From the Farm back to the Farm
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Breeder Flock Considerations
Egg Handling/Storage
Hatchery Environment
Cleanliness/ The Best Management
Practice
Evaluating your Sanitation program
The End Product- Healthy Chicks
Breeder Flock Considerations
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Age of birds - Younger birds will lay smaller
eggs. Older birds will lay larger eggs. Medium
to large eggs will produce the best quality
chicks.
Make sure Diets are more than adequate for the
breeder flocks age and production level.
Vaccine Status- All flocks should be on same
protocol. May want to use NPIP protocols as a
place to start.
Egg Handling on the farm
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Need to collect eggs at least twice per day
Need to save only clean eggs.
Do NOT store eggs for more than seven
days.
Cooler needs to be running at 65 F and
75% relative humidity.
Keep room intake filters clean to decrease
contamination by bacteria or fungi.
Egg Storage: Temperature
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Hatching eggs normally stored at
temperatures between 12-18º C (54-65º F)
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Cools egg - limits embryo development
Minimizes bacterial growth
Egg Storage
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Optimum storage temperature should be
decreased with increased storage time
(Mayes & Takeballi, 1984) (Wilson, 1991)
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10-12º C (50-54 F) more than 7 days
Egg Storage: Humidity
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Humidity 70-80% to minimize water loss
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Higher humidity favor mold and bacteria
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Air movement has little effect upon
additional loss
Egg Orientation and Hatchability
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Some evidence that during long term
storage that eggs should be turned
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Eggs should be set with large end up
Hatch and Embryo Mortality for
Different Egg Types
Egg Type
Fert.
Normal
Early Mid
Late Hatch
Wt.
Dead Dead Dead /Fertile Loss
98.3
3.9
0.0
4.5
91.6 10.7
Pimpled
93.8
30.0
0.0
12.5
57.5
13.3
Wrinkled
98.4
21.7
0.0
16.7
61.6
11.9
Round
90.0
30.0
0.0
20.0
49.7
12.7
Misshapen
95.2
25.1
0.0
11.9
63.0
13.0
Egg transport from Farm to
Hatchery
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Transfer of eggs from farm to hatchery.
Vehicle needs to have a refrigeration unit
so eggs do not get warm while in transit
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Trucks need to be kept washed and
sanitized between pickups and before
returning to hatchery
Hatchery Environment
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Building layout
Egg traffic patterns
Air Flow
All in – all out concept
Separation from Flock and uninvited
visitors
Hatchery-Building Layout
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Thought should be given to traffic patterns from egg
entry to chick transport to farm
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Have separate rooms for cool storage, setter, hallways
(optional), hatchers, chick processing and chick
transport rooms
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Make sure air flow is correct, i.e., intake is from cleanest
part of hatchery to the out flow (into other parts of
hatchery). Try to maintain positive air pressure.
*Remember that Hatcher and Setter get their Air Intake
from their individual rooms that they are in.
Hatchery- Egg Traffic patters
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Egg enters hatchery from farm via transport vehicle into
Cool/Storage room.
Eggs are transferred to Setter racks.
Eggs are then brought up to room temperature in Setter
room that is maintained at 75º F and 50% RH.
Eggs are then transferred into Setter for first 17-18 days.
Eggs are then moved to Hatchers in a separate room.
Hatching room needs to also be maintained at 75º F and
50% RH.
Hatcher – Egg/Chick Traffic
patterns (continued)
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Chicks are taken to a separate processing
room where they are vaccinated and
counted into baskets of 102 birds
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Chicks are then taken to Loading area
where they are put in climate control
vehicles to be taken to the Broiler or End
Farm
Cleanliness- The Most Important
Best Management Practice.
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Need to think about thoroughly cleaning multi stage
setters using periodic washings and sanitizing foggers.
If using single stage setters then wash and sanitize
between batches of eggs.
In using Hatchers, make sure to contain all organic
matter in the room. Thoroughly clean Hatcher and room
between batches.
Clean Chick processing area after each use.
Cooler, Halls and the rest of the Hatchery building
should be cleaned on a weekly basis.
Cleanliness- The Most Important
Best Management Practice.
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Chick transfer vehicles should be cleaned and
sanitized before and after they are used.
Egg transfer vehicles should be cleaned and
sanitized before and after each use.
Loading area needs to be cleaned between
hatchings.
Consider having a separate wash area for
vehicles away from Hatchery.
Evaluating your total Sanitation
program
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Hatchability percentages
Embryo mortality rates
Number (percentage) of rotten eggs in
setter
First 4 day post hatching mortality rates of
chicks
Results from Bacterial and Fungal cultures
Evaluating- Cultures
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Simplest way is to use agar plates.
Put them out in different parts of hatchery
building (label them) for 10 minutes.
For Bacterial cultures - put them in zip lock
bags and put them in Setters for 2 days.
For Fungal cultures put them in zip lock
bags and put them out at room temp for 45 days.
Evaluating Cultures (cont.)
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Use the following chart to see if you need
to improve your cleaning habits.
Setter & Egg Rooms (after cleaning):
Number of colonies per air plate
Bacteria
Mold
Rating
0-10
0
Clean
11-20
1-3
Slightly contaminated
21-30
4-6
Moderately contaminated
31 or
more
7 or
more
Heavily contaminated
Evaluating Cultures (cont.)
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Use the following chart to see if you need
to improve
imp
your cleaning habits.
Hatcher & other Rooms (after cleaning):
Number of colonies per air plate
Bacteria
Mold
Rating
0-15
0-3
Clean
16-30
4-6
Slightly contaminated
31-45
7-10
Moderately contaminated
46 or
more
11 or
more
Heavily contaminated
Cleaning supplies
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Please see handout.
The End Product- Healthy Chicks
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A Healthy Biddy