| I've
had both the good fortune of good fertility and a great
hatch during a year that seemed disappointing for others,
and the opportunity to study some of the latest methods
used in the commercial poultry industry to increase their
HATCHING SUCCESS. Since this topic comes up frequently
through email questions, I'd like to share some general
information with everyone.
First, and foremost, please
provide those laying females with a vitamin and probiotic
supplement before, during, and after breeding. The before
and during vitamin supplement will increase her eggs'
hatchability - yes, really. And, please provide her with
a clean nest at all times.
Pick up your eggs three
times a day if possible, and don't wash them. Washing
them removes the protective coating ('bloom' or cuticle),
on the surface of the egg, which is nature's way of
protecting the egg from the entry of bacteria and
prevents a too-rapid loss of moisture and CO2 from the
egg. The temperature of the egg when laid is
approximately 105oF. As the egg begins to cool, it
creates a vacuum and simply 'sucks' in all bacteria the
egg has contact with. If you wash your eggs 2 hours after
lay, the damage is already done, and you're doing more
harm than good by removing the bloom. No sanitizer will
reach bacteria that entered through the pores. Also,
without the bloom, the egg is more susceptible to
exposure to new bacteria. Heavily soiled eggs should be
discarded and lightly soiled eggs should be gently wiped
off with a paper towel. No sanding please - sanding also
removes the bloom and forces bacteria into the egg.
(For those who won't sleep
unless they sanitize their eggs, here's how. Spray them
lightly with an egg sanitizer - I prefer Oxine - mixed in
water warmer than the egg. You must spray them within 1-2
hours after they're laid or you're wasting your time. Let
them air dry. No rubbing please.)
Place your (hopefully)
fertile eggs in an egg flat in your basement, if you have
one. Otherwise, shoot for 60-65oF for eggs stored less
than 7 days or 55oF for storage more than 7. Do not
refrigerate. Keeping the eggs at these temperatures will
arrest the development of the embryo - which is what you
want. When eggs are warm enough to begin development
before incubation, the embryos often die once placed in
the incubator. If you're storing eggs for more than 10
days, store them UPSIDE DOWN in the trays. (This is the
ONLY time you'd store eggs upside down.) The goal here is
to prevent too much CO2 loss from the air cell at the top
of the egg, and moisture loss during storage. I'll talk
about moisture loss later, but CO2 loss will change the
pH and turn the environment toxic. This is one reason for
losses where no bacteria or fungi have been identified
upon studying the dead embryo. Turning (or rocking), eggs
that are stored upside down is unnecessary. Eggs stored
less than 10 days can be placed right side up and need
rocking.
To rock, stick something
small under one end of the tray in the morning, and
reverse its location at night. The rocking motion will
change the eggs' center of gravity, and keep the embryo
from 'sticking' to the air cell. (The embryo is located
right at the surface of the air cell.) You may lightly
mist the eggs once a day with water warmer than the egg -
or - you can provide a small humidifier close by. Both
water sources should contain 7 drops of Oxine per 1
gallon of water to eliminate new bacteria introduction.
Place your eggs in the
incubator right side up or on their side please. If
you're using a large incubator that allows for humidity
changes to speed up moisture loss if needed, then seal
off the airflow for the first 10 days. This will retard
moisture and CO2 loss, but more importantly, help prevent
death from fungal or bacterial infection - which
typically occurs within the first 5-10 days of
incubation. Do not seal off airflow on small incubators.
You'll have a hard time speeding up moisture loss later
if you need to.
Since everyone's incubation
method and equipment is different, I'll only say that you
must make sure that your temperature, turning, and
moisture source are carefully monitored for the most
stable of conditions. The obvious is that you disinfect
your incubators and brooders prior to each use, and
again, I recommend using Oxine. Oxine is 200 times more
effective than chlorine bleach and less irritating to
work with than Tek-Trol.
During incubation, you want
no more or less than a 12-14% moisture loss from the egg.
Hatchability and bird quality are effected by percentages
above or below this. You can determine moisture loss
simply by weighing the eggs. You should weigh them when
they're set, and then again when you put them into the
incubator to see how much you've already lost. For those
who hatch en mass, you can manage this by weighing an
entire egg flat. Those with small flocks could manage
this by weighing each egg. (If you weigh each egg while
incubating, make it quick while you're hand turning so
you don't chill the egg.)
If you think I've
concentrated little on the actual incubation, you're
right. I believe in and practice good prevention. And
that begins BEFORE breeding.
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