Hatchery management

Hatchery management

The larger the size of the hatchery, the more important it is to have well-trained personnel. In large operations it is easier to lose sight of the details. And in a good team, tasks can be backedup among team members. Incubation entails more than simply reading the manual supplied with the incubator and following the instructions. Proper training and keeping up to date on the latest insights and developments is essential. The hatchery manager’s experience is also an important factor. Creating the optimal conditions requires a lot of verifying the programs and adjusting the procedures. The hatchery manager must also continuously assess the interim and final results and adapt the process accordingly. In the end, the hatchery manager is responsible for the final results. A functional database supports the manager to analyse the hatching results. Needless to say, the data must be entered and analysed correctly! By looking closely at the results, you can recognise patterns after poor hatchabity: is this always the same incubator, the same breeder farm or is it a matter of ‘Monday Blues’ and is it related to a human factor? In addition, incubation is a complex logistics process that demands good planning and stock control. The hatchery manager and the planner should therefore coordinate daily.

Start at the end

The incubation process at a hatchery starts with planning of which batches of hatching eggs are going to be incubated. This planning depends on the market demand for meat or eggs for consumption. So you actually start at the end of the chain. The planning is prepared by a logistics manager. The hatchery manager is responsible for the incubation process and discusses the planning with the various supervisors for the following aspects: 1. Egg storage and disinfection. 2. Pre-warming/filling the setters, start up and daily inspections of the process. 3. Egg transfer from the setters to the hatchers. 4. Pulling the chicks and preparing them for transport.

LOOK-THINK-ACT

What is the similarity between incubating chicks and the smell of babies? The hatchery manager should be able to recognise good chick quality by the smell. The smell in the hatcher should resemble a baby with a mildly damp neck. A sulphur odour is abnormal and indicates rotting (H2S: rotten eggs). copyright protected There are usually two main managers at a hatchery: the hatchery manager for the incubation process and the logistics planning manager for planning/staff/ placing eggs in the setter, etc. Ideally, they can replace each other for a large part. Each hatchery also often has its own contracted veterinarian and quality assurance manager. The quality assurance manager monitors and measures egg quality and collects data on chick quality. The QA manager reports to the hatchery manager and often also to the logistics manager (especially regarding egg quality).