Maintaining proper hatchery hygiene is important towards maintaining a good egg fertility rate and below are the top 5 factors required for maintaining proper hatchery hygiene:
1. Handling of Fertile Eggs
Apart from the congenital infection, eggs are normally bacteriologically sterile when they are laid. Any contamination of the eggs which occur is picked up from the external environment between laying and hatching.
Eggs are particularly susceptible to infection during the first few hours after laying when they are cooling down. Micro-organisms picked up on the surface of the shell can quickly penetrate them.
Because of this, the environment from the nest box onwards is very crucial.
Read Also: Best way to Manage an Hatchery House/Building
2. Fumigate the Eggs
Do this with para-formaldehyde within 4 hours of laying on the farms; special cabinets and mini-fumigators are available for this purpose. Ideally, dirty eggs should not be passed into the hatchery
These eggs are sometimes subjected to varying treatments including ineffective washing which has a disastrous effect on chick quality.
After fumigation eggs must be stored and transported to the hatchery in boxes, trays, trolleys and vehicles which must have been previously sanitized with a heavy-duty detergent sanitizer.
If possible discard fibre trays after using once, otherwise ensure they are thoroughly fumigated.
3. Ensure that the Setter is Clean
Multi-stage setters are usually frequently cleaned and sanitized since they are not emptied for a period of up to two years. In an attempt to control the build-up and transfer of infection from exploding eggs, fogging with disinfectants is standard practice.
Many of the products used for fogging setters are embryonical and have a very adverse effect on hatchability. Avoid fumigation of eggs in the setters from 24 to 96 hours after setting.
Soak setter trays between uses in a pressure washer. Scrub setter room floor twice a week using a suitable disinfectant.
Read Also: The Main Causes Of An Embryo Death
4. Use Appropriate Detergent Sanitizer to Clean the Hatchers
To reduce the number of micro-organisms in the limescale, on the floors and walls of the hatchers as well as on the trolleys and other equipment to an acceptable level of 100/16cm2, the detergent sanitizer used must be capable of penetrating any lime-scale building and destroying the organisms present.
5. Carry out Aerial Disinfection
Many hatcheries fog the total hatchery environment daily. The products used vary from formalin to pine-disinfectants. Quaternary ammonium type disinfectant is very suitable.
Read Also: Benefits of Studying Agricultural Economics
