Egg Quality
Incubation is interaction
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People
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Incubation is a process where egg quality, technology and people (hatchery personnel) have equal influence on hatchability and chick quality. If any of these elements performs less well than expected, the results will be immediately visible in both hatchability and chick quality.
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Multi-stage and single-stage Hatching systems can be either multi-stage or single-stage. In single-stage incubators, a single batch of fresh eggs is set for 18 days and machine settings are adapted to meet the changing embryonic requirements with age. In multi-stage incubators, eggs from different embryonic ages are mixed. Typically, in North and Latin America and developing countries more multi-stage incubators are used, whereas in Europe single-stage incubators are more common. In some cases, even eggs for layers are placed in the setter with eggs intended for the broiler industry. Obviously, that is a far from ideal method.
Technology
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It takes more to hatch an egg than just an incubator. You need good basic material in the shape of uniform, fertile hatching eggs. The characteristics of these eggs largely depend on the type of egg (for broilers or laying hens), but also on the genetic background (breeds and lines). In addition, incubation involves certain processes that must be performed properly by skilled staff. Even though machines have been perfected and automated over the years, the human element remains an important factor in this process. After all, it is people who are responsible for ensuring smoothly running processes, and they can also intervene if things turn out differently than planned. The conditions are different at each hatchery, so there is no one-size-fits-all incubator suitable for all circumstances. Each hatchery manager works with their own settings and determines their own goals. One possible goal could be, for example, a higher than 93% hatch of fertile and less than 1% chick mortality in the first week.
Fahrenheit or Celsius? Two temperature systems are used worldwide: Fahrenheit and Celsius. This usually depends on the country, with most countries using Celsius whereas Fahrenheit is mainly used in the USA. However, in hatcheries, the most commonly used unit of temperature is Fahrenheit. Therefore, this book sometimes uses both units.
°C = (°F – 32)/1.8 or vice versa °F = (°C × 1.8) + 32
Incubator or setter? The total incubation process of about 21 days is split into two main phases: setting for 18 days and hatching for 3 days. In a hatchery the terms setter and hatcher are used, but the term incubator is also used to indicate the room where the eggs are kept during the first 18 days. In this book the terms setter and incubator are both used.
1. Intro d u c t i o n
For an easy conversion tool, scan this QR-code. All other measurements are stated in the metric system. • Distance: 1 m = 3.3 ft = 1.1 yards • Weight: 1 kg = 2.2 lbs, 1 g = 0.035 oz • Area: 1 m2 = 10.8 sqft • Ventilation: 1 m3/h = 0.59 cfm • Air velocity: 1 m/s = 3.3 fps
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