General info

GENERAL INFORMATION ON HATCHABILITY

• Hatchability is more than mere fertility. It is a combination of two factors, fertility and viability, the strength of spark of life. The first essential to maximum hatchability is the quality of egg itself. Egg quality is first determined in the flock by :
  • Those inherited characteristics which affect hatchability
  • Nutrition and
  • the quality of flock management and the health of the flock.
• Initial egg quality, however essential though, is beyond our scope as manufacturers of incubators. It is equally important as to what happens to the egg between the time it is laid and the time it is placed in the incubator. If initial qualities of fertility and viability are to be preserved, then proper cooling, good sanitation, cleanliness, careful handling and storage (small end down) at correct temperature and humidity, under proper conditions, and for not over a safe length of time, are the various factors which have to be observed and followed.

HOLDING OF HATCHING EGGS

• For maximum results, it is important that proper facilities be provided both on the farm and hatchery for holding hatching eggs, under correct levels of temperature and humidity.
• Chicken eggs should be stored between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. 55 degrees F is generally considered the best. Some experimental results have indicated that 50 degrees is the best, if the eggs are to be held longer than two days and 55 degrees, if these are to be held for less than 2 days.
• Temperature below 50 degrees and above 70 degrees is harmful. Hatchability sharply declines after holding eggs under such conditions, even for, as little periods as two or three days or even less.
• Adequate humidity in the egg holding room is of extreme importance. 75% to 80% (i.e. 47 to 55 degrees FWB) is safe level. Too low level of humidity can contribute to the development of molds, rots and exploders.
• If the eggs are to be held longer than a week, these should be turned daily. It may not be necessary to turn, if the eggs are to be held for less than a week.
• With their age, the eggs loose their ability to hatch well and may even deteriorate, as no good chicks can be produced from them. It is recommended that eggs should not be held for more than 7 days in winter and 2 days in summer, prior to their being placed in the incubator. Even under the best conditions, hatchability drops rapidly, if eggs are held longer than one week.
• In case the eggs are pre-trayed 12 to 24 hours in advance of setting the racks, holding the trays of eggs must be covered on all sides to prevent dehydration, particularly if the trayed eggs are being warmed to room temperature before setting in the machine, as some operators like to do.

Incubation

• Proper embryonic development and metabolism require the correct balance of oxygen supply, carbon dioxide removal, heat and moisture. All sides of the eggs must be exposed to uniform conditions. The essentials for good incubation, therefore, include correct levels of temperature, humidity, supply and air circulation, periodic turning and careful sanitation and fumigation.
• Even though approximately half of all oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide elimination, animal heat production etc. occurs during the hatching period alone, the success of the hatch is not determined in the hatcher. Unless conditions of incubation have been right throughout the development of the embryo in the incubator, no hatcher can produce miracles and salvage the hatch.

Temperature

• Of all the factors of incubation, temperature is the most dramatic in terms of its affect and is the most important single factor. Improper temperature can retard or accelerate the hatch and thereby greatly affect its quality as well as percentage. Hatch in time is very important. Too much of an extreme in temperature, either above or below normal, can kill the entire hatch.

Humidity

• Humidity plays a vital role in the percentage of hatch and even more so in the quality of hatch. The combination of too high a humidity in both setter and hatcher can result in drowning the chicks in the shell. Too low humidity in incubator will result in 'dry sticks' Too high a humidity in hatcher during the first twenty-four to thirty-six hours can result in rough and unhealed navels, although this condition is more frequently due to excessive incubator temperature. Too low a humidity in the hatcher can result in chicks which pip but fail to get out of the shell.

Air Circulation

• Proper circulation of air is the key to control temperature and humidity. It is essential that the three factors of temperature, humidity and air circulation be properly co-related for supply of oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide.
• An egg which is both fertile and high in viability will hatch even in the face of astonishing abuse. An egg which although fertile, is low in viability, will hatch only if all the conditions are favorable. The greatest source for success or failure in incubation are the eggs which are marginal in viability. Such eggs will hatch if everything along the line is 100%.
• It is not easy to remember as to what was done to the incubtion three weeks before. Careful record is therefore, essential to obtain maximum results. The method by which eggs were handled, conditions of temperature, humidity and ventilator settings used throughout the incubation period, should be recorded. Then you are in a position to analyze your results in an attempt to determine what might have been the cause of any deficiency in your hatch. To improve your hatchability, carry out a careful post mortem of the eggs which fail to hatch. Such post morterns require time, but they will pay handsome dividends. Through an analysis of your records and of all the factors of the incubation, you will be able to correct your procedures so as to prevent recurrences of any condition which caused trouble.
• It is advisable to maintain accurate record of the following data in respect of the incubation :
  • Temperature reading-morning and evening.
  • Humidity once a day
  • Method of ventilations, positions of rota-vent openings
  • Position of eggs set
  • Number of eggs set
  • Number of infertile eggs
  • Number of dead germs
  • Number of chicks hatched
  • Number of deformed/crippled chicks.

INCUBATION TROUBLE SHOOTING

INCUBATION TROUBLE SHOOTING
Eggs clear no blood	Eggs infertile due to
	Males sterile or poor hatchability heredity in flock.	Careful Culling and flock Selection for high hatchaability.
	Too many or too fewmales. Males fighting with each other.	Raise males together. Use 4 to 7 males per 100 females with light breed chickens, 5 to 8 males per 100 females with heavy breeds. 8 to 13 males per 100 females for turkeys.
	Males too old	Do not use old males, unless proved valuable breeders.
	Inadequate nutrition or insufficient water (or water too cold) Flock may show poor fleshing in males & females shrunken wattles and combs in males.	Use properly balanced feed of high quality. Provide adequate waterers of good design well distributed, so that, all birds can have easy access to fresh water.
	Birds too closely confined.	Provide adequate floor space per bird in housing.
	Seasonal decline in fertility in late summer and fall	Use early hatched cockerettes timed for best maturity.
	Large Combs and wattles in males interfering with eating and drinking	Dub males to prevent this problem, and also improve fertility.
	Disease in the flock	Carry out approved disease control practice.
	Eggs damaged by being either badly chilled or overheated.	Gather eggs often, cool properly and quickly.
	Eggs held too long or held under improper conditions of temperature and humidity,	Proper conditions for egg holding be observed.
Eggs Candling clear.	Eggs over heated or held at too high temperature.	Gather eggs often. Coo! properly and quickly. Refer instructions for egg holding.
	Improper incubator tem perature at earliest stage of incubation.	Check accuracy of thermometers, Operate incubator at proper temperature.
	Improper fumigation too much fumigant, fumigant not cleared from machine soon enough or eggs fumigated in the incubation period	Refer instructions regarding fumigation of eggs in the incubator.
	Breeding flock out of condition (frozen combs disease).	Do not set eggs from birds with frozen combs or from diseased birds, particularly those infected with pullorum or other salmocilla diseases.
	Improper nutrition of flock.	Feed properly balanced ration of high quality.
	Poor hatchability heredity in flock	Careful culling and flock selection for high hatchability, improve breeding for high hatchability.
Many dead germs	Temperature too high or too low in incubator	Check accuracy of thermometers. Operate incubator at proper temperature.
	Lack of Ventilation	Provide adequate ventilation of the incubator at and proper openings of the Incubator rota vents.
	Improper turning of eggs	Turn eggs at regular intervals.
Chicks fully formed but dead without pipping.	Low average humidity in incubator, too low or too high a humidity at transfer time in the hatcher.	Maintain proper humidity levels throughout incubation and hatching cycle.
Eggs pipped but chicks dead in shell	Low average humidity. This is the most probable cause.	Maintain proper humidity levels throughout incubation & hatching cycle.
	Inadequate ventilation or excessive fumigation during course of hatch.	Provide adequate ventilated room & proper openings of rota vents of machine.
	Low average	Maintain proper temperature throughout incubating & hatching cycle.
Sticky chicks, chicks smeared with eggs contents	Low average temperature	Use proper operating temperature.
	Average humidity too high.	Maintain proper humidity levels throughout incubation and hatching cycle.
	Inadequate ventilation or improper fumigation of eggs in incubator or excessive fumigation in the hatcher.	Provide adequate ventilation of the incubator room and proper opening of the incubator rota vents. Also refer instructions regarding fumigation.
Dry Sticks shell sticking to chicks	Eggs dried down too much.	Proper ventilation and humidity throughout incubation and hatching cycle.
	Low humidity at hatching time.	Proper humidity levels throughout incubation and hatching cycle.
Chicks hatching too early with bloody navels.	Temperature too high.	Maintain proper temperature levels throughout incubating & hatching cycle.
Rough or poorly healed navals	high temperature or wide temperature variation, cubation and hatching cycle.	Maintain proper temperature levels throughout in
	Excessive humidity in hatcher after transfer.	Use less humidity for first 24 to 36 hours after transfer.
Chicks too small	Low humidity.	Maintain proper humidity level throughout incubation & hatching cycle.
Large, soft bodies mushly chicks, dead on trays with bad odous.	Low average temperature	Maintain proper humidity level throughout incubation & hatching cycle.
	Poor ventilation	Provide adequate ventilation of the incubation room& proper openings of the incubator and hatcher rota vents.
	Omphalatia (vavel infection)	Thoroughly clean and fumigate hatcher between hatches Fumigate hatcher at double or triple strength between hatches until trouble eliminated then return to normal strength fumigation of hatcher between hatches. Fumigate eggs in incubator.
Weak chicks	Excessive fumigation in the hatcher	Do not permit temperature in hatcher to be too high. If chicks are to be held in hatcher, reduce temperature after hatch is completed.
	Respiratory diseases as bronchitis or Newcastle.	Provide adequate incubator room ventilation. Maintain adequate rota vent openings in hatcher. Open top ventilator as instructed in this booklet.
Short down on chicks.	High temperature	Maintain proper temperature levels throughout incubation and hatching cycle.
	Low humidity	Maintain proper humidity levels throughout incubating and hatching cycle.
	Excessive ventilation at hatching time.	Reduce openings of hatcher rota-vents. Restrict opening of top ventilations. Do not restrict so far as to permit animal heat to build temperature above safe level.
Gasping chicks.	Average temperature too low.	See instructions on fumigation during the course of hatch.
	Eggs held too long. Improper gathering, holding of eggs.	Carry out approved disease control practice.
Delayed hatch eggs not starting, to pip until 21 st day or later	Excessive temperature in hatcher.	Maintain correct temperature throughout incubation & hatching cycle.
	Inadequate ventilation in hatcher.	Try not to hold eggs more than 3 days.
Draggy hatch some chicks early.	Improper gathering, holding of eggs.	Eggs must be gathered frequently, cooled quickly and held at proper temperature and humidity before setting.
Crippled and malformed chicks,
A. Cross beak	Heredity	Careful flock culling
B. Missing eye	Abnormal & rare. May be due to excessive temperature	Matter of chance.
C. Wry neck	Wry neck suspected as matter of nutrition. Not fully known.
D. Crooked toes	Improper temperature. This can also be caused by setting too few eggs per tray permitting too much freedom of movement to chicks.	Maintain proper temperature levels throughout incubating and hatching cycle. Do not set too few eggs per tray.
E. Sparddle legs	Caused by hatching trays which are too smooth. Almost never encountered in Karamsar Incubators.	Use crinoline cloth in hatch trays.
Malformed chicks or poor hatch. Excessive number of malpositions among dead in shells	Improper turning or setting	Set eggs small end down only. Turn eggs at regular intervals eight times daily.
	Inadequate ventilation	Provide adequate ventilation of the incubator room and proper openings of the incubator and hatcher rota-vents.
	Abnormally high or Abnormally low incubator temperature.	Maintain proper temperature level throughout incubator cycle.
	Insufficient moisture.	Maintain proper humidity level in the incubator.
	Heredity & breeding	Careful culling & flock selection for high quality.
	Improper nutrition	Use properly balanced feed of high quality.
	Non-Pourous shell either from natural causes involved in heredity and nutrition or from foreign material on the shell.	Careful culling & flock selection, properly balanced feed, balance feed of high quality, proper care of eggs.
	Damage to eggs in transit from one place to another	Hatching eggs must be sent in good quality well-protected egg cases, with small ends down. Avoid rough handling.

Abnormal Chicks

RESULTING FROM INCUBATION PROBLEMS