Parentstock//Management Guide
Insufficient water supply: Water consumption rises dramatically with increasing ambient temperatures as illustrated in the table below. If insufficient watering space is available, or if the watering system or supply is insufficient to meet maximum demand, fertility and production can be drastically reduced. Impact of House Temperature on Water Consumption* Maximum Daily House Temperature* (°C)
Liters of Water Consumed/ 1000 Birds/Day
5
154.4
10
165.8
15
176.4
20
200.6
25
252.8
30
335.4
35
406.9
* From M. O. North and D. Bell, Commercial Chicken Production Manual, 4th Edition, 1990, p. 333.
High bird density. Overstocking of facilities may result in increased social pressure and reduced fertility. Mite and lice infestations. Severe infestations of parasites will reduce mating activity and therefore fertility. Litter and floor problems. Wet litter and splinters on slats may result in sore feet and reduced mating activity. Disease problems. Diseases may affect males and females in a flock, resulting in fertility loss due to reduced mating activity as well as increased early embryonic mortality and/or loss of hatchability due to poor shell quality and/or internal egg quality.
34
Hatchery Tips Incubation Times Length of incubation for eggs produced by “Brown Nick” parent stock and stored from one to five days require the following incubation periods: Age of the Breeder Flock at Lay (Weeks)
Length of Incubation for 1 to 5 day-old Hatching Eggs*
< 30
21 days plus 6 hours
30 – 50
21 days plus 3 hours
> 50
21 days plus 6 hours
Length of incubation for eggs produced by “White Egg” parent stock and stored from one to five days require the following incubation periods: Age of the Breeder Flock at Lay (Weeks)
Length of Incubation for 1 to 5 day-old Hatching Eggs*
< 30
21 days plus 12 hours
30 – 50
21 days plus 9 hours
> 50
Add an hour for each 5 weeks over 40 weeks of age (Example: 21 days plus 12 hours at 65 weeks of age)
* Season, hatchery location, type of equipment and incubation temperature affect the hatching time so the individual hatcheryman will have to adjust the above times to fit his own conditions.
Parentstock//Management Guide
If the hatching eggs are to be held for more than five days, add 1 hour incubation time per storage day exceeding five days.
Evaluating Chick Quality at Hatch Quality in a product has been defined as the inherent properties which determine the productâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree of excellence. A day old chick is considered to be of good quality if it is able, given good management, to grow quickly and achieve its maximum genetic potential. Fortunately for the hatchery manager, there are several characteristics which separate prime quality chicks from second quality chicks. The chick should have a body well developed in both length and in the abdomen. The abdomen should appear filled or plump. The down must shine and stand out well in all directions. The down should not be sticky to the touch. The chicks must have good color according to their breed. The legs must appear relatively stout, and have straight extended toes. The chick must also show an erect stance with clear eyes and act lively when not asleep. The navel must be well closed, dry and smooth, with a slight indentation. Chicks which do not meet these standards are less than prime quality, and are subject to higher mortality. The relationship between chick abnormalities and breeder flock and/or incubation problems appears in the following table.
Analyzing Poor Chick Quality Abnormality
Probable Cause
Abnormal stance, crippled toes, bloody navel knob or navel.
Temperature too high.
Small, short, fat, flabby, pale down, short down, down dry-sticky with pieces of shell.
Temperature too high; low humidity; turned infrequently; eggs transferred too late; eggs stored too long; shells are thin and porous.
Large, soft, abdomen too full, wet-sticky covered with albumen, navels not completely closed.
Humidity too high; temperature too low; poor ventilation; old eggs.
Chicks appear dehydrated, scales on shanks and toes are pronounced and dark in color.
Humidity too low; eggs set too early; chicks remained in hatcher too long.
Clubbed down.
Riboflavin deficientbreeder ration.
Examining the chicks after hatch can indicate whether anything went wrong during incubation and how well they will perform in the future. Chicks which appear weak or show serious abnormalities should be culled. Culling improves the average quality of the layer chicks that will be shipped to your customers, and decreases disease susceptibility. (Copied from University of Georgia Poultry Tips.)
35
Parentstock//Management Guide
Observation
Possible Cause
Observation
Possible Cause
Clear Eggs.
Infertile. Very early mortality.
Bloodring (embryonic death 2 – 4 days).
Diseased breeding flock; incubating temperature too high; incubating temperature too low; old eggs. Fumigation between 24 to 96 hours of incubation.
Fully developed embryo dead with beak not in air cell.
Temperature too high, 20 – 21 days; humidity too high, 20 – 21 days; inadequate breeder ration; incubator air circulation poor.
Chicks pipping early.
Temperature too high, 1 – 19 days.
Chicks dead after pipping shell.
Temperature too high, 20 – 21 days; inadequate breeder ration; inadequate air circulation; 20 – 21 days; incorrect temperature, 1 – 19 days. Temperature too low immediately after egg transfer is made to hatcher. CO2 content of air is too high, 20 – 21 days. Thin-shelled eggs; disease in breeding flock.
Trays not uniform in hatch or chick quality.
Inadequate incubator air circulation. Eggs of different sizes. Eggs of different breeds. Eggs of different age when set. Disease or stress in some breeder flock.
Sticky chicks (shell, down sticking to chicks).
Humidity too low, 20 – 21 days; temperature too high, 20 – 21 days. Down collections not adequate; eggs transferred too late.
Sticky chicks (albumen sticking to chick down).
Temperature too low, 20 – 21 days; inadequate air in hatcher. Air speed too slow, 20 – 21 days; humidity too high, 20 – 21 days; old eggs.
Chicks too large.
Large eggs. Humidity too high, 1 – 19 days.
Dead embryos 2nd week of incubation.
Temperature too high; temperature too low; eggs not turned; inadequate breeder ration. Too much CO2 in air (not enough ventilation). Eggs not cooled prior to incubation.
Hatch late.
Temperature too low, 1 – 19 days; humidity too low, 1 – 19 days; incorrect thermometer; large eggs; old eggs. Temperature too low in hatcher; variable room temperature.
Hatch early.
Air cell too small.
36
Temperature too high, 1 – 19 days; incorrect thermometer; small eggs; humidity too high, 1 – 19 days. Humidity too high, 1 – 19 days; inadequate breeder ration; large eggs.
Air cell too large.
Humidity too low, 1 – 19 days; small eggs.
Fully developed embryo dead with beak not in air cell.
Temperature too high, 19th day; humidity too high, 19th day; inadequate breeder ration.
Parentstock//Management Guide
Observation
Possible Cause
Chicks too small.
Small eggs. Humidity too low, 1 – 19 days. Thin, porous shells; eggs produced in hot weather.
Crippled chicks.
Variation in temperature, 1 – 21 days.
Mushy chicks.
Unsanitary incubator conditions.
Unhealed navel, dry.
Humidity too high, 20 – 21 days; temperature too low, 20 – 21 days. Inadequate breeder ration; humidity not lowered after hatching completed.
Chicks cannot stand.
Improper temperature, 1 – 21 days; humidity too high, 1 – 19 days; breeder ration inadequate.
Unhealed navel, wet and odorous (mushy chicks) Soft chicks (abdomen).
Omphalitis. Unsanitary hatchery and incubators. Humidity too high, 1 – 19 days; temperature too low, 1 – 19 days.
Closed eyes.
Loose down in hatcher. Down collectors not adequate. Temperature too high, 20 – 21 days; humidity too low, 20 – 21 days.
Chicks dehydrated.
Humidity too low, 20 – 21 days. Eggs set too early. Chicks left in hatcher too long after hatch complete.
Malpositions.
Continuous light in incubators. Inadequate breeder ration. Old breeders, eggs set small end up.
Hatchery Records Accurate hatchery records are essential in order to evaluate overall performance and for use in analysis of hatchability and chick quality problems. The following information should be monitored continuously and recorded regularly. 1. Egg storage conditions. 2. Setter and hatcher conditions including any problems such as high temperature alarms or turning failures. 3. Total hatchability percentage. 4. Percent hatch of saleable pullets. 5. Percent fertility as determined by candling and breakout of eggs incubated 7 to 10 days. 6. Percent hatch of fertile eggs. 7. Early embryonic death (EED) loss as determined by candling and breakout of eggs incubated 7 to 10 days. 8. Middle and late incubation death loss as determined by breakout and analysis of unhatched eggs on hatch day.
37
Parentstock//Management Guide
Table 8: Production Goals “White Egg” Parent Stock Age Weeks
38
Rate of Lay
Egg Number
HH %
per Week
HD %
cumulative
Hatching Eggs
Hatch %
%
per Week
cumulative
total Chicks
Number saleable Chicks
saleable Chicks
per Week
cumulative
21
30.0
30.0
2.1
2.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
22
56.0
56.0
3.9
6.0
30.0
1.2
1.2
65.6
32.0
0.4
0.4
23
73.1
73.2
5.1
11.1
60.0
3.1
4.2
73.6
35.9
1.1
1.5
24
83.4
83.6
5.8
17.0
70.0
4.1
8.3
77.7
37.9
1.5
3.0
25
88.9
89.2
6.2
23.2
80.0
5.0
13.3
80.6
39.3
2.0
5.0
26
91.6
92.0
6.4
29.6
85.0
5.5
18.8
82.6
40.3
2.2
7.2
27
92.8
93.3
6.5
36.1
90.0
5.8
24.6
84.5
41.2
2.4
9.6
28
93.4
94.0
6.5
42.6
93.0
6.1
30.7
85.9
41.9
2.5
12.1
29
93.6
94.3
6.6
49.2
94.0
6.2
36.8
87.1
42.5
2.6
14.8
30
93.7
94.5
6.6
55.8
95.0
6.2
43.1
87.7
42.8
2.7
17.4
31
93.6
94.5
6.6
62.3
96.0
6.3
49.4
88.4
43.1
2.7
20.1
32
93.6
94.5
6.6
68.9
96.0
6.3
55.7
88.8
43.3
2.7
22.9
33
93.6
94.6
6.6
75.4
96.0
6.3
61.9
89.0
43.4
2.7
25.6
34
93.5
94.6
6.5
82.0
96.0
6.3
68.2
89.2
43.5
2.7
28.3
35
93.2
94.5
6.5
88.5
96.0
6.3
74.5
89.0
43.4
2.7
31.0
36
93.1
94.5
6.5
95.0
96.0
6.3
80.8
89.0
43.4
2.7
33.8
37
92.8
94.4
6.5
101.5
96.0
6.2
87.0
88.8
43.3
2.7
36.5
38
92.6
94.3
6.5
108.0
96.0
6.2
93.2
88.6
43.2
2.7
39.1
39
92.3
94.2
6.5
114.4
96.0
6.2
99.4
88.4
43.1
2.7
41.8
40
92.1
94.1
6.4
120.9
96.0
6.2
105.6
88.2
43.0
2.7
44.5
41
91.8
94.0
6.4
127.3
96.0
6.2
111.8
87.9
42.9
2.6
47.1
42
91.5
93.8
6.4
133.7
96.0
6.1
117.9
87.7
42.8
2.6
49.8
43
91.2
93.6
6.4
140.1
96.0
6.1
124.0
87.5
42.7
2.6
52.4
44
91.0
93.5
6.4
146.5
95.0
6.1
130.1
87.3
42.6
2.6
54.9
45
90.5
93.2
6.3
152.8
95.0
6.0
136.1
86.9
42.4
2.6
57.5
46
90.1
93.0
6.3
159.1
95.0
6.0
142.1
86.7
42.3
2.5
60.0
47
89.6
92.7
6.3
165.4
95.0
6.0
148.1
86.5
42.2
2.5
62.5
48
89.3
92.5
6.3
171.6
95.0
5.9
154.0
86.1
42.0
2.5
65.0
49
88.8
92.2
6.2
177.8
95.0
5.9
159.9
85.7
41.8
2.5
67.5
50
88.3
91.9
6.2
184.0
95.0
5.9
165.8
85.5
41.7
2.4
70.0
Parentstock//Management Guide
Age Weeks
Rate of Lay
Egg Number
HH %
HD %
per Week
cumulative
Hatching Eggs %
per Week
cumulative
Hatch %
Number saleable Chicks
total Chicks
saleable Chicks
per Week
cumulative
51
87.7
91.5
6.1
190.2
95.0
5.8
171.6
85.1
41.5
2.4
72.4
52
87.3
91.2
6.1
196.3
94.0
5.7
177.4
84.7
41.3
2.4
74.8
53
86.7
90.8
6.1
202.3
94.0
5.7
183.1
84.3
41.1
2.3
77.1
54
86.2
90.4
6.0
208.4
94.0
5.7
188.7
83.8
40.9
2.3
79.4
55
85.6
90.0
6.0
214.4
94.0
5.6
194.4
83.4
40.7
2.3
81.7
56
85.0
89.6
6.0
220.3
94.0
5.6
200.0
83.0
40.5
2.3
84.0
57
84.4
89.2
5.9
226.2
94.0
5.6
205.5
82.6
40.3
2.2
86.2
58
83.7
88.7
5.9
232.1
94.0
5.5
211.0
82.0
40.0
2.2
88.4
59
83.0
88.2
5.8
237.9
93.0
5.4
216.4
81.6
39.8
2.2
90.6
60
82.4
87.7
5.8
243.7
93.0
5.4
221.8
81.0
39.5
2.1
92.7
61
81.6
87.2
5.7
249.4
93.0
5.3
227.1
80.6
39.3
2.1
94.8
62
80.9
86.6
5.7
255.0
93.0
5.3
232.4
80.0
39.0
2.1
96.8
63
80.2
86.1
5.6
260.7
93.0
5.2
237.6
79.5
38.8
2.0
98.9
64
79.4
85.5
5.6
266.2
92.0
5.1
242.7
78.9
38.5
2.0
100.8
65
78.6
84.9
5.5
271.7
92.0
5.1
247.8
78.3
38.2
1.9
102.8
66
77.9
84.3
5.5
277.2
92.0
5.0
252.8
77.7
37.9
1.9
104.7
67
77.1
83.7
5.4
282.6
92.0
5.0
257.7
77.1
37.6
1.9
106.5
68
76.2
83.0
5.3
287.9
91.0
4.9
262.6
76.5
37.3
1.8
108.3
69
75.3
82.3
5.3
293.2
91.0
4.8
267.4
75.9
37.0
1.8
110.1
70
74.4
81.6
5.2
298.4
91.0
4.7
272.1
75.2
36.7
1.7
111.8
71
73.5
80.9
5.1
303.5
90.0
4.6
276.8
74.4
36.3
1.7
113.5
72
72.7
80.2
5.1
308.6
90.0
4.6
281.3
73.8
36.0
1.6
115.2
39
Parentstock//Management Guide
Table 9: Production Goals “Brown Nick” Parent Stock Age
40
Rate of Lay
Egg Number
Weeks
HH %
HD %
per Week
cumulative
Hatching Eggs
Hatch %
%
per Week
cumulative
total Chicks
Number saleable Chicks
saleable Chicks
per Week
cumulative
21
20.0
20.0
1.4
1.4
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
22
49.0
49.0
3.4
4.8
50.0
1.7
1.7
51.3
25.0
0.4
0.4
23
69.3
69.4
4.9
9.7
60.0
2.9
4.6
69.3
33.8
1.0
1.4
24
81.4
81.6
5.7
15.4
70.0
4.0
8.6
76.5
37.3
1.5
2.9
25
87.7
88.1
6.1
21.5
80.0
4.9
13.5
80.2
39.1
1.9
4.8
26
90.8
91.3
6.4
27.9
85.0
5.4
18.9
82.4
40.2
2.2
7.0
27
92.1
92.7
6.4
34.3
90.0
5.8
24.7
83.8
40.9
2.4
9.4
28
92.5
93.3
6.5
40.8
93.0
6.0
30.8
85.1
41.5
2.5
11.9
29
92.7
93.6
6.5
47.3
94.0
6.1
36.9
85.9
41.9
2.6
14.4
30
92.6
93.7
6.5
53.8
95.0
6.2
43.0
86.7
42.3
2.6
17.0
31
92.6
93.8
6.5
60.2
95.0
6.2
49.2
87.3
42.6
2.6
19.6
32
92.4
93.8
6.5
66.7
95.0
6.1
55.3
87.7
42.8
2.6
22.3
33
92.3
93.8
6.5
73.2
95.0
6.1
61.5
87.9
42.9
2.6
24.9
34
92.1
93.8
6.4
79.6
95.0
6.1
67.6
88.2
43.0
2.6
27.5
35
91.9
93.7
6.4
86.1
96.0
6.2
73.8
88.2
43.0
2.7
30.2
36
91.7
93.7
6.4
92.5
96.0
6.2
79.9
88.2
43.0
2.6
32.9
37
91.5
93.6
6.4
98.9
96.0
6.1
86.1
88.2
43.0
2.6
35.5
38
91.2
93.4
6.4
105.3
96.0
6.1
92.2
88.2
43.0
2.6
38.1
39
90.9
93.3
6.4
111.6
96.0
6.1
98.3
87.9
42.9
2.6
40.8
40
90.6
93.2
6.3
118.0
96.0
6.1
104.4
87.9
42.9
2.6
43.4
41
90.2
93.0
6.3
124.3
95.0
6.0
110.4
87.7
42.8
2.6
45.9
42
89.8
92.8
6.3
130.6
95.0
6.0
116.4
87.5
42.7
2.5
48.5
43
89.5
92.6
6.3
136.8
95.0
6.0
122.3
87.3
42.6
2.5
51.0
44
89.0
92.3
6.2
143.1
95.0
5.9
128.2
87.3
42.6
2.5
53.5
45
88.6
92.1
6.2
149.3
95.0
5.9
134.1
86.9
42.4
2.5
56.0
46
88.1
91.8
6.2
155.4
95.0
5.9
140.0
86.7
42.3
2.5
58.5
47
87.7
91.5
6.1
161.6
95.0
5.8
145.8
86.5
42.2
2.5
61.0
48
87.2
91.2
6.1
167.7
95.0
5.8
151.6
86.3
42.1
2.4
63.4
49
86.6
90.8
6.1
173.7
95.0
5.8
157.4
85.9
41.9
2.4
65.8
50
86.1
90.4
6.0
179.8
95.0
5.7
163.1
85.7
41.8
2.4
68.2
Parentstock//Management Guide
Age
Rate of Lay
Egg Number
Hatching Eggs
Hatch %
Weeks
HH %
HD %
per Week
cumulative
%
per Week
cumulative
total Chicks
saleable Chicks
Number saleable Chicks per Week
cumulative
51
85.5
90.0
6.0
185.8
94.0
5.6
168.7
85.3
41.6
2.3
70.6
52
84.9
89.6
5.9
191.7
94.0
5.6
174.3
84.9
41.4
2.3
72.9
53
84.4
89.2
5.9
197.6
94.0
5.6
179.9
84.5
41.2
2.3
75.2
54
83.7
88.7
5.9
203.5
94.0
5.5
185.4
84.1
41.0
2.3
77.4
55
83.2
88.3
5.8
209.3
94.0
5.5
190.8
83.6
40.8
2.2
79.7
56
82.5
87.8
5.8
215.1
94.0
5.4
196.3
83.2
40.6
2.2
81.9
57
81.9
87.3
5.7
220.8
94.0
5.4
201.7
82.6
40.3
2.2
84.0
58
81.1
86.7
5.7
226.5
93.0
5.3
206.9
82.2
40.1
2.1
86.1
59
80.4
86.2
5.6
232.1
93.0
5.2
212.2
81.6
39.8
2.1
88.2
60
79.6
85.6
5.6
237.7
92.0
5.1
217.3
81.2
39.6
2.0
90.3
61
78.9
85.0
5.5
243.2
92.0
5.1
222.4
80.6
39.3
2.0
92.3
62
78.0
84.3
5.5
248.7
92.0
5.0
227.4
80.0
39.0
2.0
94.2
63
77.3
83.7
5.4
254.1
92.0
5.0
232.4
79.3
38.7
1.9
96.1
64
76.4
83.0
5.3
259.4
92.0
4.9
237.3
78.7
38.4
1.9
98.0
65
75.6
82.3
5.3
264.7
90.0
4.8
242.1
77.9
38.0
1.8
99.8
66
74.7
81.6
5.2
269.9
90.0
4.7
246.8
77.3
37.7
1.8
101.6
67
73.9
80.9
5.2
275.1
90.0
4.7
251.4
76.7
37.4
1.7
103.4
68
72.9
80.1
5.1
280.2
90.0
4.6
256.0
75.9
37.0
1.7
105.1
69
72.1
79.4
5.0
285.3
90.0
4.5
260.6
75.0
36.6
1.7
106.7
70
71.1
78.6
5.0
290.2
90.0
4.5
265.0
74.4
36.3
1.6
108.3
71
70.2
77.7
4.9
295.1
90.0
4.4
269.5
73.6
35.9
1.6
109.9
72
69.2
76.9
4.8
300.0
90.0
4.4
273.8
72.8
35.5
1.5
111.5
41