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

2. From the Farm back to the Farm
Breeder Flock Considerations
Egg Handling/Storage
Hatchery Environment
Cleanliness/ The Best Management Practice
Evaluating your Sanitation program
The End Product- Healthy Chicks

3. Breeder Flock Considerations
Age of birds - Younger birds will lay smaller eggs. Older birds will lay larger eggs. Medium to large eggs will produce the best quality chicks.
Make sure Diets are more than adequate for the breeder flocks age and production level.
Vaccine Status- All flocks should be on same protocol. May want to use NPIP protocols as a place to start.

4. Egg Handling on the farm
Need to collect eggs at least twice per day
Need to save only clean eggs.
Do NOT store eggs for more than seven days.
Cooler needs to be running at 65 F and 75% relative humidity.
Keep room intake filters clean to decrease contamination by bacteria or fungi.

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

6. Egg Storage
Optimum storage temperature should be decreased with increased storage time (Mayes & Takeballi, 1984) (Wilson, 1991)
10-12º C (50-54 F) more than 7 days

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

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

9. Hatch and Embryo Mortality for Different Egg Types

10. Egg transport from Farm to Hatchery
Transfer of eggs from farm to hatchery. Vehicle needs to have a refrigeration unit so eggs do not get warm while in transit
Trucks need to be kept washed and sanitized between pickups and before returning to hatchery

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

12. Hatchery-Building Layout
Thought should be given to traffic patterns from egg entry to chick transport to farm
Have separate rooms for cool storage, setter, hallways (optional), hatchers, chick processing and chick transport rooms
Make sure air flow is correct, i.e., intake is from cleanest part of hatchery to the out flow (into other parts of hatchery). Try to maintain positive air pressure. *Remember that Hatcher and Setter get their Air Intake from their individual rooms that they are in.

13. Hatchery- Egg Traffic patters
Egg enters hatchery from farm via transport vehicle into Cool/Storage room.
Eggs are transferred to Setter racks.
Eggs are then brought up to room temperature in Setter room that is maintained at 75º F and 50% RH.
Eggs are then transferred into Setter for first days.
Eggs are then moved to Hatchers in a separate room. Hatching room needs to also be maintained at 75º F and 50% RH.

14. Hatcher – Egg/Chick Traffic patterns (continued)
Chicks are taken to a separate processing room where they are vaccinated and counted into baskets of 102 birds
Chicks are then taken to Loading area where they are put in climate control vehicles to be taken to the Broiler or End Farm

15. Cleanliness- The Most Important Best Management Practice.
Need to think about thoroughly cleaning multi stage setters using periodic washings and sanitizing foggers.
If using single stage setters then wash and sanitize between batches of eggs.
In using Hatchers, make sure to contain all organic matter in the room. Thoroughly clean Hatcher and room between batches.
Clean Chick processing area after each use.
Cooler, Halls and the rest of the Hatchery building should be cleaned on a weekly basis.

16. Cleanliness- The Most Important Best Management Practice.
Chick transfer vehicles should be cleaned and sanitized before and after they are used.
Egg transfer vehicles should be cleaned and sanitized before and after each use.
Loading area needs to be cleaned between hatchings.
Consider having a separate wash area for vehicles away from Hatchery.

17. Evaluating your total Sanitation program
Hatchability percentages
Embryo mortality rates
Number (percentage) of rotten eggs in setter
First 4 day post hatching mortality rates of chicks
Results from Bacterial and Fungal cultures

18. Evaluating- Cultures Simplest way is to use agar plates.
Put them out in different parts of hatchery building (label them) for 10 minutes.
For Bacterial cultures - put them in zip lock bags and put them in Setters for 2 days.
For Fungal cultures put them in zip lock bags and put them out at room temp for 4-5 days.

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

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

21. Cleaning supplies
Please see handout.

22. The End Product- Healthy Chicks
A Healthy Biddy