1. Egg Management From Nest to Incubator
Glenn Bushell
Norway
February 2017

2. Presentation Outline
Hygiene
Handling
Selection
Storage

3. Hygiene The first 3 minutes…

4. How well we doing?
How well are you managing the handling and collection of eggs?
How do you know?
Feedback from the hatchery

5. Bangers!!! Ross 308 Farm x House 1. 47 wks. Farm x House 2.
Ross standard
wks.
Infertile
11,6
8,5
5,5
24hr
0,4
0,3
0,5
48hrs
1,2
1,3
1,0
Bloodring
1,1
2,1
2,5
Eye
0,8
1,5
Mid dead
3,5
Late Dead
Dead pip
0,7
Cracks
0,1
0,6
Dead and culls
% Hatch
82,0
79,5 86
Early rot
Late rot
3,7
Bangers!!!

6. The eggs natural defence
Cuticle
The cuticle: a thin, organic coating that covers the outside of the egg.

7. Function of the cuticle
The cuticle is the first barrier against the
penetration of bacteria
The cuticle of a fresh laid egg is wet, is still forming and it takes about 3 minutes to dry.
When the cuticle is wet, the chance on penetration
of bacteria is much higher than the cuticle has dried.

8. When is the hygiene status of a hatching egg determined?
In the 1st 3 minutes after lay !
 Temperature of 41°C ↓
 Cooling down = shrink
Negative pressure in the egg
 Air is drawn in through the pores
 Creation of the aircell
A chicken egg has between 6000 and pores, concentrated at the blunt side of the egg.

9. 1 mm = 1000 micrometer Average thickness of the egg shell
is 375 micrometer
X 965
1 mm = 1000 micrometer

10. 1 mm = 1000 micrometer Thickness of eggshell: 375 micrometer
Diameter pore:
11 micrometer
Diameter E. coli bacterium:
0,5 – 2 micrometer.

11. Bacterial counts hatching eggs
Freshly laid egg: bacteria/mm2
Clean egg (cooled down):
“Clean” Floor egg:
Dirty egg:
3.000 bacteria/mm2
bacteria/mm2
bacteria/mm2

12. Hygiene status of hatching eggs
EXTERNAL hygiene status of hatching eggs:
Outside of the shell: disinfection
INTERNAL hygiene status of hatching eggs:
Inside of the shell: is “fixed” in the first
3 minutes, after this nothing can be done …………………..

13. The first minutes after an egg has been laid are the most critical minutes for the prevention of an (internal) bacterial contamination. Therefore it is important that an egg does not come into contact with contamination and that the surroundings are as free as possible from bacteria.

14. The first minutes after an egg has been laid are the most critical minutes for the prevention of an (internal) bacterial contamination. Therefore it is important that an egg does not come into contact with contamination and that the surroundings are as free as possible from bacteria.
Best PRACTICE

15. Eggproduction per linear meter nest mat?
90 hens/ linear meter nest
= 45 hens/ linear meter nest mat.
Ross 308: average 175,2 produced eggs/60 wks.
Top 25%: average 181,9 produced eggs/60wks. =
Between and 8000 eggs
per meter of nestmat

16. Clean dry hands! Minimise manual handling
Wash hands before handling and dry them!
Wet hands, wet the egg, absorb bacteria

17. Hatching egg hygiene Timing of feeding.
 Feed 2 hours after lights on to reduce floor laid eggs.
Start to collect floor eggs while the birds are feeding
3-4 lifts per day for the first few weeks until numbers drop to acceptable levels
Then as necessary

18. Managing the nest hygiene
Mats clean at the start of lay
Close off nests to prevent roosting at night
Check for and remove dead birds
Have a supply of spare mats, routine replacement of soiled mats
One complete replacement during the production period at least

19. Egg Selection

20. Egg selection- good quality
Grading –use visibly clean eggs
A clean egg has never been dirty!
Cleaning (buffing) can fill the pores
Shell quality
 no cracked eggs
 no thin shelled eggs
 no abnormal egg shells
 no hair line cracks

21. Egg storage Do not store eggs too cold, they will sweat when removed from the egg store and help bacterial contamination

22. Problem areas Egg store door left open during hot weather
Egg store temperature control insufficient, with high diurnal variations in hot weather due to insufficient cooler capacity or insulation
No air circulation
Trolleys held outside store prior to loading the egg collection vehicle
Egg collection vehicle not cooled
Farm and hatchery stores held at different temperatures
Over-long pre-warm, in an environment fluctuating around physiological zero

23. Fan On – Trollies spaced apart
40cm
35cm
20cm

24. Core egg temperature variations
Top = 17.3 oc*
*Average core egg temperature
Bottom = 15.6 oc*

25. Potential areas of loss
Egg shell quality
Fragile - careful egg handling to avoid disruption to cells
Cracks & hairline cracks - contamination
Nest box hygiene - contamination
Correct collection times and frequency
Method of egg sanitation – wet & dry
Storage – fluctuations (time & temperature & gradients)
Transportation (good suspension on vehicles)
CONTAMINATION
Unfortunately, many factors can transpire against our objective!
Pre-warming– sweating & contamination & early deaths

26. Summary (1 of 2)
Each fertile hatching egg has the potential to produce a quality chick
Once laid we must ‘arrest’ any development of the embryo and minimise any potential contamination (bacterial or fungal)

27. Summary (2 of 2)
Factors which influence shell, albumen or yolk quality will often affect hatchability through specific effects on embryonic mortality
If egg handling is the problem the early dead will increase but the late dead will not increase
By practicing proper egg handling you will help to ensure excellent hatchability and produce first class quality chicks