Small Hatchery Management Breeding Stock Eggs Incubators Coordination Lessons Learned

Small Hatchery Management - Breeding Stock - Fertility Egg Production Feed Requirements

Small Hatchery Management - Breeding Stock - Fertility Considerations: Breed Characteristics Health – NPIP status and physical freedom from parasites and disease Male to Female Ratio Spurs and Feathers

Small Hatchery Management - Breeding Stock - Egg Production Considerations: Male Fighting and Hen Harassment Lights – 14 Hours Parasite Management Disease Management Timing Production

Small Hatchery Management - Breeding Stock - Feed Considerations: Breeder Feed Fresh, Clean, Unfrozen Water Oyster Shell Wheat Germ Oil Cod Liver Oil

Small Hatchery Management - Eggs - Proper Storage Condition Shipping Candling

Small Hatchery Management - Eggs - Storage Considerations: Location – out of sun and drafts, with constant temperature; a cooler is ideal Temperature/Humidity – ideal is 60 degrees F Air Cell Up Rotate – daily rotation will improve hatch Duration Effects on Hatchability/Viability – best results are obtained from eggs 7 days and less, 10 days or less provide good results, but viability drops sharply from day 10

Small Hatchery Management - Eggs - Condition Considerations: Odd Shapes – likely not viable; may indicate poor air cell position Cracks – will allow entry of bacteria; can be sealed using candle wax Dirt – infect incubator with bacteria; wet dirty eggs likely not to hatch due to infectious agents being drawn into the egg

Small Hatchery Management - Eggs - Shipping Considerations: Effect on Viability – jarring can damage air cell and loosen embryo attachment Proper Methods – wrap in newspaper or paper towel so that movement with egg carton is prevented; when mailing, allow several inches of cushioning material around cartons Resting Overnight – allow eggs that have been transported/shipped to rest over night at room temperature, this will allow air cells to reform and result in better hatch

Small Hatchery Management - Eggs - Candling Considerations: Candle at 7-10 Days Again at Day 18 Method Meanings of Observations

Small Hatchery Management - Incubators - Location Temperature/ Humidity Incubation Cycle Cleanliness

Small Hatchery Management - Incubators - Location Considerations: Constant Temperature and Humidity Away from Sun Clean Environment

Small Hatchery Management - Incubators - Temperature and Humidity Considerations: Constant 99.5 degrees F Humidity 55% during First Two Weeks 65% during Hatch/Last Two Weeks Low Temperature can Delay Hatch High Temperature can Accelerate Hatch Low Humidity can cause Pipping with Inability to Hatch High Humidity can cause failure to seal navels and drowning during hatch

Small Hatchery Management - Incubators - Incubation Cycle Considerations: Run Incubator for 5 Days with Correct Temp/Humidity before Setting 2 Weeks in Incubator 1 Week in Hatcher

Small Hatchery Management - Incubators - Cleanliness Considerations: Clean Incubator and Hatcher at Start of Season Separate Hatcher allows Succession Settings without Debris Concerns Use 1-2 Tablespoons of Pinesol per Gallon of Water for Humidity Dry, Vacuum, and Spray between Hatches

Small Hatchery Management - Coordination - Hatch Planning Chick Distribution Cleaning Cycle vs. Incubation Cycle

Small Hatchery Management - Coordination - Hatch Planning Considerations: It Takes 2 Weeks to Know Sire Once Lay Commences, Save Eggs for 1-2 Weeks It Takes 3 Weeks to Hatch It can take 4-7 Weeks from Commencement for First Chicks to Hatch

Small Hatchery Management - Coordination - Chick Distribution Considerations: Once Chicks Hatch They must be Placed Power Outages and Other Temperature Fluctuations can Alter Hatch by 1-2 Days Number of Chicks Hatched may be Greater of Fewer than Number Planned Shipping Chicks Requires Additional Planning and Labor

Small Hatchery Management - Coordination - Cleaning Cycle vs. Incubation Cycle Considerations: When Setting Once Every 2 Weeks, Plan to Clean Hatcher within 2 Days of Chick Removal When Setting Once Per Week, Hatcher must be Cleaned on Day of Hatch

Small Hatchery Management - Lessons Learned - Pedigree Hatch Cycle Management Issues Other People

Small Hatchery Management - Lessons Learned - Pedigree Considerations: Pedigree is useful in Planning Matings Pedigree Marking of Day-old Chicks is Done by Toe-punch Chicks must be Separated According to Mating before They Hatch Labor to Pedigree increases Time Spent to Take-off Hatch from 15 Minutes to 50 Minutes

Small Hatchery Management - Lessons Learned - Hatch Cycle Considerations: Hatching Every 2 Weeks is better due to Reduced Workload and Increased Hatch Sizes Setting Every Hatch on the Same Weekday makes Keeping Track of Hatch Due Dates Much Easier Maintaining Hatch Intervals is Useful, Giving Regularity to Schedule

Small Hatchery Management - Lessons Learned - Management Considerations: Broody Hens cause Fertile Eggs to begin Growth, Saving these Started Eggs Kills Embryo Someone must Maintain Breeding Flock Breeder Replacements must be Grown, Selected, and Maintained

Small Hatchery Management - Lessons Learned - Other People: When Pooling Hatching Eggs: May have Schedule Conflicts May have Different Expectations (breed performance, chick availability, expenses) May Attempt to Reduce Feed Costs by Using Lower Quality Feed – thus Reducing Viability Industry Controls Each Segment – feed, breeding stock, incubation, housing, processing – for Good Reason