After disinfection
Fan to disperse mist
Spraying nozzle
Vertical ventilator to support air circulation
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The layout of a disinfection room. The spray nozzles are installed in the ceiling. There is a fan next to the nozzles, which disperses the disinfectant mist. After disinfection and neutralisation the fan ventilates the room to remove residual vapours.
The eggs must dry thoroughly after disinfection. Drying is usually an automatic phase of a disinfection program that includes a ventilation phase. But in fact, drying should not be necessary, because eggs getting wet should always be prevented, even during disinfection. Formalin vapour can be neutralised with NH3 so it is not toxic for humans. However, the use of formalin is prohibited in many countries. Or it is not listed with a registration number so it cannot be included in the quality assurance procedures. Use a Rodac plate to check the effectiveness of disinfection. Check the undersides of the eggs and spots where the egg touches the setter tray in particular. The setter tray should have been disinfected beforehand. Check according to a protocol; not by random sampling. Do not leave the eggs in the disinfection room for too long after disinfection. If the disinfection program includes sufficient ventilation/air exhaust, a short period in the disinfection room is not an immediate problem. However, the eggs should be taken to the storage room as soon as possible, so that they are in the correct climate conditions! And in a clean zone of the hatchery to prevent recontamination. Be careful when disinfecting moist eggs (from the cool storage): residues settle in the pores of the egg shell. These residues can be released again when the incubator warms up. If you keep the incubator closed for the first few days, the disinfectant (such as formalin) is released again, which can cause up to 10% fewer chicks. A solution might be to include a few phases of extra ventilation in the first days of the incubation process.
Young embryos are very sensitive to disinfectants, especially formalin. Always ventilate the room thoroughly after disinfection And use ‘chick and human friendly’ disinfectants. BioClean is applied here.
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After wet disinfection, always perform a visual inspection of the eggs to check whether the mist or fluid has reached all the eggs. You should see a fine film on the surface of the eggs.
Ha tc he ry S i gnal s
