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Based on a paper presented at the European Poultry Conference (EPC) 2010.
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Broiler Welfare Can Be Improved Through Nutrition
POULTRY Digital Expert Knowledge at your Fingertips February 2011 - Issue 1
Cost of Hatching Eggs Could Reach New High in 2011 Hatching egg cost will come close to doubling per dozen later in 2011 as birds that have been raised on higher priced grains come into production. Mr Donohue commented that hatching egg cost could go even higher, since corn prices could reach $7.50 per bushel or more later this year.
Work in hatcheries and on breeder farms has increased in value, said poultry economist, Mike Donohue, at the Hatchery-Breeder Clinic organised in conjunction with the International Poultry Expo (IPE) 2011 in Atlanta, US. He added that the cost per dozen hatching egg could reach new high this year. It was not that long ago when the industry average broiler hatching egg cost was around $1.30 per dozen, according to Mr Donohue, vice president, Agri Stats Inc.Addressing the audience at the 2011 Hatchery-Breeder Clinic held in conjunction with the IPE and International Feed Expo, he said that the cost per dozen hatching eggs has increased 54 per cent because of the increase in corn and soybean meal prices.
Because of the near doubling in hatching egg production cost, Mr Donohue said that the work of people in hatcheries and on breeder farms has twice the value it did before. He suggested that managers educate employees about the higher value of each egg and the impact they can have on the bottom line. Hatchery managers cannot control the cost of corn, but they can have an impact on labour utilisation. Labour costs make up 40 to 45 per cent of hatching cost, he added. The industry's chicksper-man-hour keeps improving but fully loaded labour cost per hour, which includes all benefit costs, has almost doubled in the last 23 years. Hatcheries have experienced a 50 per cent increase in energy costs over the last 12 years. Continued on page 4 1