Day-old Chick Quality Research Articles

INSTALLATION OF SOLAR-POWERED ELECTRIC WARMERS FOR DOC-BROODING IN BLITAR CHICKEN FARMERS

Community Service (PPM) is held in Sumberejo Village, Sanankulon District, Blitar Regency. Chicken farmers face several challenges related to heating their chicken coops, including restrictions on using subsidized fuel or LPG, which force them to seek other heating alternatives. Leaks in heating systems that use LPG, which pose a fire hazard. Poor air quality and low oxygen levels in coops that use conventional heating methods (firewood and LPG). These challenges can contribute to the decline in the quality of Day-Old Chicks (DOC). This activity aims to install an electric warmer system that produces a safe and comfortable temperature for Day-Old Chicks (DOC) and is easy to use for breeders. In addition, build an independent energy source to run the heat treatment system equipment in the DOC-Brooding area with a solar panel installation. The installed 600 Wp PLTS system consists of 4 solar panels with a capacity of 150 Wp each, an 850 VA hybrid inverter and 100 Ah VRLA battery. Electrical energy from PLTS can power a 200 W electric warmer. The solar panel installations can produce an average of 3.6 kWh of electrical energy/day. So that the electricity savings from PLN can reach IDR. 162000 per month.

Quality Assessment of Broiler and Pullet Day-Old Chicks Hatched in Ibadan, Oyo State

The quality of day-old chicks determines the foundation and performance of a flock on the farm. This study randomly selected five-day-old chicks from 8 commercial hatcheries within the Ibadan metropolis to assess the quality of day-old broilers and pullets produced. The chicks were subjected to physical examination and microbial screening. Physical parameters checked include chick weight, chick length and agility, while organ swabs cultured produced the following microbes viz., coliform and non-coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, Shigella sp, Salmonella sp and Proteus sp.` The result shows that there were significant effects (P<0.05) of sources on chick body weight, with highest (39.66±0.54g) and lowest (31.80±0.54g), chick body length with highest (17.10±0.17cm) and lowest (13.70±0.17cm), and chick agility with lowest time (0.20±0.03min) and highest time (0.50±0.03min). In most of the hatcheries surveyed, microbial isolates are too numerous to count, which is an indication of contamination due to poor hygiene and sanitation in and around the hatcheries. This will have a negative effect on the quality of the chicks produced and hence their performance. It is hereby recommended that hatcheries should improve on-farm and hatchery hygiene and biosecurity.

Differences and variation in welfare performance of broiler flocks in three production systems

There is a trend toward broiler production systems with higher welfare requirements, that use slower growing broiler strains, apply a reduced stocking density and provide environmental enrichment. Although these separate factors each contribute to increased broiler welfare, there is little information on their combined effect on broiler welfare under commercial conditions, and on the variation in welfare performance of flocks within production systems. The aim of this study was to compare the welfare performance and the between-flock variation in welfare of 3 Dutch commercial broiler production systems differing in welfare requirements: Conventional (C), Dutch Retail Broiler (DRB) and Better Life one star (BLS). We applied a welfare assessment method based on the Welfare Quality broiler assessment protocol, in which we used 5 animal-based welfare measures collected by slaughterhouses and hatcheries (mortality, footpad dermatitis, hock burn, breast irritation, scratches), and 3 resource- or management-based measures (stocking density, early feeding, environmental enrichment). Data were collected for at least 1889 flocks per production system over a 2-year period. To compare the different measures and to generate an overall flock welfare score, we calculated a score on a scale from 0 to 100 (bad-good) for each measure based on expert opinion. The overall flock score was the sum of the scores of the different welfare measures. The results showed that with increasing welfare requirements, a higher total welfare score was found across production systems (BLS > DRB > C; P < 0.0001). Regarding individual measures, C generally had lower (worse) scores than BLS and DRB (P < 0.05), except for scratches where C had highest (best) score (P < 0.001). Both welfare measure scores and the total welfare score of flocks showed large variation within and overlap between systems, and the latter especially when only the animal-based measures were included in the total flock score. Total flock score ranges including animal-based measures only were: 112.1 to 488.3 for C, 113.0 to 486.9 for DRB, 151.3 to 490.0 for BLS (on a scale from 0 [bad]–500 [good]), with median values of 330.8 for C, 370.9 for DRB, and 396.1 for BLS respectively. This indicates that factors such as farm management and day-old chick quality can have a major effect on the welfare performance of a flock and that there is room for welfare improvement in all production systems.

Effect of the In Ovo Injection Site of Electrolytes on Some Biochemical Blood Parameters and Quality of Layer Chicks.

Simple SummaryIn ovo technology is a unique method, the primary goal of which is to administer bioactive substances to eggs during the embryonic development of the bird. Therefore, it is necessary to develop optimal techniques for the implementation of in ovo feeding technology in practical poultry production. This preliminary study may open a window for future research on the site/location of manipulation and solutions and carriers of nutrients used for in ovo injection of laying hen embryos.The effects of the in ovo injection site of electrolytes on selected biochemical blood parameters and the quality of layer chicks were investigated. A total of 120 fertile eggs from Rhode Island Red breeders were randomly distributed into 4 groups, with each group including 30 birds. The groups were as follows: untreated control and groups with different injection sites/locations of 500 µL of 0.9% saline (NaCl) on day 18 of incubation, i.e., into the air cell (AC), through the air cell into the amniotic fluid (AFA), and directly into the amniotic fluid (AF). Measurement at 1 day of age showed that regardless of the injection site, embryos injected with 500 µL of saline had significantly higher Tona score (95/100 points) compared to the control group (90/100 points). Chick length was similar among the injected groups (mean 14.7 cm) and shorter in the control group (13.9 cm). There was no significant effect of in ovo injection on the biochemical blood parameters: total protein, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, glucose, urea, and uric acid. The highest concentration of sodium was noted in the control group (141.59 mmol/L). Regardless of the injection site/location, chicks treated with 500 µL of NaCl were characterized by a significantly lower blood sodium concentration (by 7.45% (AC), 7.90% (AFA), and 4.84% (AF) compared with birds from the control group (p ≤ 0.01)). The influence of saline solution administration in ovo on the blood potassium content of chicks was demonstrated. The concentration of potassium in the control group was significantly higher (by 11.36%) than in the AC group (p ≤ 0.01). In conclusion, the injection of 500 µL of saline solution into the developing chick embryo during the last days of incubation may have a positive effect on the quality of day-old chicks.

ANTIMICROBIALS USE IN BROILER CHICKEN BREEDING: CASE OF THE AIN DEFLA PROVINCE (ALGERIA)

The objective of this study is to assess the use of antimicrobials in the broiler production in Algeria, through a survey completed by private veterinarians of the Ain Defla province. In this context, 65 band breeding were studied for antimicrobial use between October 2019 and June 2020. The results showed that all of the studied bands received antimicrobial treatments for at least 5 days during the breeding period. Quinolones class was the most widely used class of antimicrobials (24.4%), followed by the tetracyclines class (22.5%), sulfonamides (20.1%) and polypeptides (12.1%). Macrolides and beta-lactams come last (4.02% and 3.22% respectively). 160 mg of active compound were administered per kg of chicken meat produced. The number of daily doses (nDDkg) was 10.5, while the treated live weight (nCDkg) was 2.66. Per molecule, chickens were more exposed to colistin, doxycycline, oxytetracycline and enrofloxacin. The withdrawal period of used bands was not respected, and meat from these treated broilers was found to contain antimicrobial residues at 33.9%. The reasons for this frequent use are various: poor conditions and bad practices of breeding, poor quality of day-old chicks, veterinary practices, and difficulties of control by veterinary authorities.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum ve Mycoplasma synoviae için Tanısal Kantitatif Gerçek Zamanlı PCR Geliştirilmesi

Avian mycoplasmas are associated with respiratory disease, synovitis, poor quality of day-old chicks and poor performance. The main approach used for the diagnosis of avian mycoplasmas is isolation and identification of the microorganism. Since the bacteria are slow growing fastidious organisms, conventional methods are time consuming, laborious and require experienced personnel. For this reason, we aimed to develop a rapid detection method for Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). For this purpose, the lipoprotein (lp) and variable lipoprotein hemagglutinin (vlhA) genes were used to detect M. gallisepticum and M. synoviae, respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) of the assay was determined to be 100- 101 DNA/µl from artificially contaminated swab samples. The specificity and sensitivity ratios were 100%. Overall, these results indicate that this qPCR method can be accurately used for detection of MG and MS.

Providing colored photoperiodic light stimulation during incubation: 1. Effects on embryo development and hatching performance in broiler hatching eggs

Providing lighting schedule during incubation has been shown to improve chick quality and reduce stress posthatch. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of providing light of different colors during incubation on embryo development, air cell temperature, the spread of hatch, and hatching performance. Four batches of eggs (n = 2,176, 1,664, 1,696 and 1,600) from Ross 308 broiler breeders were used in the experiment. In each trial, eggs were randomly distributed into 4 lighting treatments. The incubation lighting treatments included: incubated under dark as control, illuminated with white, red or blue lights for 12 h daily. There were no incubation lighting treatment differences in embryo development, the spread of hatch, hatchability, embryo mortality, hatch weight, chick length, navel closure quality, yolk-free body weight, or relative spleen weight. However, embryos incubated under red light had lower average air cell temperature than those in dark, white or blue light treatments. This finding may suggest higher melatonin secretion during the scotophase when illuminated with red light. Male chicks incubated under dark had a higher bursa of Fabricius weight than males illuminated with blue light. In conclusion, these results suggest that the red, white and blue light stimulation during incubation had no negative effects on hatchability, embryo mortality, spread of hatch or day-old chick quality, but may have potential impacts on immunity and energy metabolism in broiler embryos.

Impact of Rotten Eggs on Hatchery Performances: A Multicentric Study.

Simple SummaryImproving day-old chick quality is essential for the overall profitability of the broiler productive cycle and has been associated with a decreased feed conversion rate, increased growth performance, resistance to infectious diseases, and welfare parameters. The hatchery practices are fundamental, since adequate hygiene and handling are crucial in reducing egg contamination and cross-contamination. Particularly, the efficient removal of rotten eggs has been suggested to reduce the overall bacterial burden contaminating the needle used for in-ovo vaccination, the nearby eggs, and the whole incubator/hatching room when broken. In the present multicentric study, including 11 European countries, a remarkable impact of the rotten egg percentage on hatchery productive parameters, such as the hatchability, embryo mortality, and level of contamination, was demonstrated. Efficient rotten egg removal and the application of new generation technologies for appropriate detection and removal tools should thus provide remarkable benefits for hatchery performances and indirectly for downstream poultry production.Day-old chick quality is an essential element for the overall profitability of the broiler productive cycle and has been associated with the growth performance and feed conversion rate. An effect on the development of the immune system was also reported, which could likely account for reduced susceptibility to infectious diseases and improved animal welfare parameters. Besides direct cost reduction, lower antimicrobial use and improved animal welfare are crucial in the directive of European Union legislation and are at the forefront of customer choices. Several factors contribute to determining the chick quality. Breeder flocks genetics, health, and management affect the egg features, quality, and bacterial load. However, hatchery practices play a pivotal role, since adequate hygiene and handling are fundamental in reducing egg contamination and cross-contamination. The presence of rotten eggs is often regarded as a major risk, since the internal bacterial load can contaminate the needle used for in-ovo vaccination, the nearby eggs, and the whole incubator/hatching room when broken. In the present multicentric study, representative of 40 hatcheries located in 11 European countries, a remarkable impact of the rotten egg percentage on the hatchery productive parameters, representative of the hatchability, embryo mortality, and level of contamination, was demonstrated. Efficient rotten egg removal and the application of appropriate detection and removal tools should thus provide remarkable benefits for hatchery performance and indirectly for downstream poultry production.

Effects of on-farm and traditional hatching on welfare, health, and performance of broiler chickens

In on-farm hatching systems, eggs that have been incubated for 18 D are transported to the broiler farm. After hatching around day 21, the chicks have immediate access to feed and water. By contrast, traditionally hatched chicks are in early life exposed to dust and pathogens in the hatcher, handling procedures, and transport and remain without feed and water until they have arrived on the farm 1 to 3 D after hatching. We compared welfare and performance of on-farm hatched (OH) and traditionally hatched control (C) Ross 308 broiler chickens from day 0 to 40, housed under semicommercial conditions. The experiment included 3 production cycles in 4 rooms, with each room containing 1 OH and 1 C pen with 1,150 chickens in each pen. Per cycle, C and OH chicks were from the same batch of eggs of 1 parent stock flock. Day-old chick quality was worse for OH than C chickens (hock and navel score; P < 0.05). On-farm hatched chickens were heavier than C chickens until day 21 of age (P < 0.05). Total mortality was significantly lower in OH compared with C pens (P < 0.05). A tendency for lower footpad dermatitis scores was found in OH pens compared with C pens (P < 0.10), probably because of the dryer litter in OH than C pens (P < 0.05). No differences between treatments were found in gait, hock burn, cleanliness, and injury scores, and no or only minor, short lasting differences were found in pathology and intestinal histology. In conclusion, the present study showed that on-farm hatching may be beneficial for broiler welfare, as it reduced total mortality and resulted in dryer litter which is known to be beneficial for reducing footpad dermatitis.

Comparative analysis of hatcheries contribution to poor development of day-old chicks based on biological and immunological performance.

Background and Aim:The quality of day-old chicks is a cornerstone to successful poultry production. Chicks with a poor quality start slowly in the field and may have high feed intake, poor growth rate, and poor feed conversion ratio. The current study aimed to assess chick quality challenges encountered from day-old chicks hatched in most commercial hatcheries in Ghana.Materials and Methods:A total of 300 day-old chicks each were obtained from commercial hatcheries in Ghana and Europe. The chicks were labeled as locally hatched broiler day-old chicks (LBDOC) and foreign hatched broiler day-old chicks (FBDOC), respectively. Chicks were reared and monitored from day old to 21 days post-hatch. Sample of chicks (n=25) from each hatchery was euthanized weekly at 1, 7, 14, and 21 days and blood samples collected for analysis. The parameters measured included physical, hematological, immunological, histological, and bacteriological characteristics. All data were analyzed by SAS Proc GLM at p<0.05.Results:The live weight of chicks was higher in FBDOC compared to LBDOC on the 1st day. The chick length and shank length of FBDOC were longer than the LBDOC. The 7-day chick mortality was 6% in LBDOC as compared to 1.5% in FBDOC. The LBDOC also had a higher wet and dry residual yolk sac percentages as well as higher residual yolk sac fluid volume than the FBDOC. The rate of yolk sac disappearance of the FBDOC was higher than the LBDOC. More than half of the LBDOC had developed navel strings and leaky navel compared to FBDOC. The LBDOC recorded Escherichia coli, Proteus, Streptococcus spp., and Gram-negative bacteria in the residual yolk sac isolated through the 21 days while FBDOC recorded E. coli, Proteus, and Gram-negative bacteria. The intestinal villi count, lengths, width, and surface area were all not significantly different. The blood monocyte levels appeared higher in FBDOC than LBDOC, which give evidence of higher immunity in FBDOC than LBDOC.Conclusion:The results indicate a challenging situation in maintaining the quality of locally hatched broiler day-old-chicks compared to foreign hatched broiler-day-old-chicks. The study demonstrates that chick quality impact goes beyond the physical characteristics of chick weight and chick length, and the higher performance of FBDOC may be influenced by compliance with international hatchery standards and vaccination protocols.

Accessibility of Agroforestry Farmers to Credit Facilities on Poultry Egg Production in Oyo State, Nigeria

Poultry egg production is an economically viable investment among Agroforestry farmers in Southwestern Nigeria but paucity of funds and high cost of inputs are major problems in their business operations. This study focused on the effects of accessibility and non-accessibility of Agroforestry farmers to credit on poultry egg production. Data were randomly collected from 120 poultry farmers with a structured questionnaire which comprised of 60 credit beneficiaries (CB) and 60 non-credit beneficiaries (NCB) Agroforestry farmers. The data were analyzed with mean, percentages, frequency distribution, logit and multiple regression analyses. The results of the analyses indicated that the mean age of the CB and NCB Agroforestry farmers were ±46 and ±56 years respectively. Majority of the farmers were married CB (77.4%) and NCB (81.0%). The logit regression analysis revealed that the age of the respondents had a positive relationship with access to credit at 5% level of significance. Multiple regression model for credit accessed farmers indicated that age, family size, drug quantity are positively related to output and are significant at 10% and 1% levels. Multiple regression result for NCB farmers shows that the quantity of drug used is positively related to the egg output at 1% level. The hypotheses tested show that there was a significant relationship between socio-economic characteristics and the egg production in the study area and; between the output of farmers who are credit beneficiaries and non-credit beneficiaries. The major constraints to poultry production in Agroforestry system were limited finances, high cost of inputs and poor quality of day old chicks. Accessibility to formal credit facilities has a key role to play in Agroforestry poultry farming. Individuals, Governments and NGOs should therefore facilitate empowerment of youths in poultry egg production.

An evaluation of alternative methods for sanitizing hatching eggs

Different sanitization methods were evaluated as alternatives to formaldehyde fumigation for the reduction of eggshell and yolk sac microbiological counts, improvement of eggshell quality, incubation parameters, and day-old chick quality. A total of 10,080 hatching eggs were collected from a 70-wk-old commercial broiler breeder flock and distributed in a completely randomized block design with seven treatments: fumigation with paraformaldehyde (5.03g/m3/30min), fumigation with ozone (5-15ppm/30min), ultraviolet light-C irradiation (8.09mW/cm2; 120 s; UV-C), hydrogen peroxide spraying (3%; 0.69mL/egg), peracetic acid spraying (0.3%; 0.69mL/egg; PAA), water spraying (0.69mL/egg; water control), and without disinfection (dry control-DC). Spraying eggs with PAA and UV-C significantly reduced aerobic bacteria plate counts compared to the DC group. In addition, eggs disinfected with PAA had lower Enterobacteriaceae counts than the DC and water control groups. Eggshell quality, incubation parameters, and microbiological counts for yolk sac did not differ (P > 0.05) among treatments. This study demonstrated the potential for the application of PAA and UV-C for eggshell disinfection instead of formaldehyde; however, an electronic microscopic evaluation of the eggshell is necessary to determine if these methods cause any damage to the cuticle.

Comparison of performance, health and welfare aspects between commercially housed hatchery-hatched and on-farm hatched broiler flocks

On-farm hatching systems for broiler chicks are increasingly used in practice. We studied whether or not performance, health and welfare aspects differed between commercial flocks hatched on-farm or in a hatchery (control). In two successive production cycles on seven farms, a total of 16 on-farm hatched flocks were paired to 16 control flocks, housed at the same farm. Paired flocks originated from the same batch of eggs and were subjected to similar on-farm management. On-farm hatched and control flocks only differed with respect to hatching conditions, with on-farm hatched flocks not being exposed to, for example, chick handling, post-hatch feed and water deprivation and transport, in contrast to control flocks that were subjected to standard hatchery procedures, subsequently transported and placed in the poultry house. Day-old chick quality (navel and hock scores), 1st week mortality, total mortality, BW at day (d) 0, d7 and at depopulation, and (total) feed conversion ratio were determined. Prevalence of footpad dermatitis, hock burn, breast discoloration/blisters and cleanliness, litter quality and gait score were determined at d21 of age and around depopulation (d39 on average). Gross pathology and gut morphology were examined at depopulation age in a sample of birds of five flocks per treatment. On-farm hatching resulted in a higher BW at d0 (Δ=5.4 g) and d7 (Δ=11.5 g) (P<0.001), but day-old chick quality as measured by navel (P=0.003) and hock (P=0.01) quality was worse for on-farm hatched compared to control birds. Body weight, 1st week and total mortality, and feed conversion ratio at slaughter age were similar for both on-farm hatched and control flocks. On-farm hatched flocks had less footpad dermatitis (P=0.05), which indicated a better welfare. This was likely related to a tendency for better litter quality in on-farm hatched flocks at 21 days of age in comparison to control flocks (P=0.08). No major differences in gross pathology or in intestinal morphology at depopulation age were found between treatments. In conclusion, on-farm hatching resulted in better 1st week broiler performance and better welfare compared to conventional hatching in a hatchery.

Physiological response of broiler embryos to different incubator temperature profiles and maternal flock age during incubation. 1. Embryonic metabolism and day-old chick quality.

Broiler strain, maternal age, and incubation temperature influence embryo metabolism. Hatching eggs were obtained from young (Y; 28 to 34wk, $\bar{\rm x}$ = 31.2 wk), mid (M; 36 to 45 wk, $\bar{\rm x}$ = 40.5 wk) and old (O; 49 to 54 wk, $\bar{\rm x}$ = 51.4 wk) Ross 708 (n= 88; Experiment 1) and Ross 308 [(n = 45; Experiment 2: (Y; 25 to 34 wk, $\bar{\rm x}$ = 30.5 wk), (M; 35 to 44 wk, $\bar{\rm x}$ = 40.2 wk), and (O; 49 to 54 wk, $\bar{\rm x}$ = 51.6 wk)] breeders. Eggs were stored for 2 to 4 d (18°C, 73% RH), and incubated for 14 d at 37.5°C and 56% RH. At 15 d (E15), 8 fertile eggs per flock age were incubated in individual metabolic chambers at 36.0, 36.5, 37.0, or 37.5°C until E21.5. Each temperature was repeated one additional time. O2 consumption and CO2 production were used to calculate embryonic heat production (EHP). Embryo temperature was measured as eggshell temperature (EST). Initial egg weight was used as a covariate; significance was assessed at P < 0.05. In Ross 708, daily EHP tended to be higher in M and O than Y treatments at E16; EHP of M was higher than Y and O eggs at E18; M and O were higher than O eggs at E19. Incubation at 37.0°C resulted in the highest EHP from E15 to E21, except at E17. Embryos at 37.5°C had reduced EHP beyond E17. Daily EST from E15 to E21 was higher at 37.5 and 37.0°C than at 36.0 and 36.5°C. In Ross 308, daily EST was highest at 37.5°C except at E20. Incubation temperature and EST were highly correlated (R2 = 0.90 to 0.89; P < 0.001). Ross 708 chicks were longer and hatched earlier at 37.0°C than at 36.0 and 37.5°C. EST and EHP increased with incubation temperature in Ross 708. In Ross 308, maternal flock age and incubation temperature did not impact EHP. However, EST was highest at 37.5°C except at E20. Ross 708 was more sensitive to incubation temperature than Ross 308.

Effect of pre-incubation and incubation conditions on hatchability and chick quality of Kuroiler chickens

A study was conducted to review the effects of pre-incubation and incubation conditions on hatchability and chick quality of Kuroiler chickens. The most important incubation factors that affect hatch time, hatchability and hatch window (temperature, humidity, turning, and ventilation) were reviewed. There was a significant influence (P&lt;0.05) of breeder age on hatchability. Also, there was significance (P&lt;0.05) of breeder age on texture of the egg shell; while there was no significance (P &gt; 0.05) between size of egg and hatch window. The performance of Kurolilers at the end of the rearing period depended, in part, on the quality of day-old chicks at placement. The quality of day-old chicks was highly affected by the incubation conditions, hatch time (which determines the time spent in the hatchery under high temperature and humidity), and handling of chicks after hatch.Key words: Egg shell, hatch handling, hatch time, hatch window

&lt;i&gt;In ovo&lt;/i&gt; injection effect of sodium nitrite on hatchability, day-old chick quality, organ weights and body antioxidant status of newly hatched chicks

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of sodium nitrite injection per egg on day 7 of incubation on chick quality, hatchability, chick weights and some blood antioxidant metabolites in chicken embryo. Fertile eggs (308) were injected by 4 different levels of 0, 0.042, 0.084 and 0.168 mg per egg sodium nitrite at day 7 of incubation. At hatch, no effect of sodium nitrite injection was indicated on hatchability and mortality, chick quality and organ weights. However chick weight of sodium nitrite injected eggs were lower than those of control chicks. No significant differences were observed between the treatments for activity of blood superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. Blood malondialdehyde content of chicks from 0.084 mg sodium nitrite injected eggs was greater than control and 0.042 mg sodium nitrite injected ones. Furthermore, lower blood total antioxidant capacity was observed for chicks of 0.042 and 0.168 mg sodium nitrite injected eggs as compared to those of control eggs. It was concluded that In ovo injection of sodium nitrite does not exert negative effects on 1–day chick quality, hatchability and mortality, but it decreased the both chick weights and blood antioxidant status.

Effect of pre-incubation and incubation conditions on hatchability, hatch time and hatch window, and effect of post-hatch handling on chick quality at placement

The zootechnical performances of broilers at the end of the rearing period depend in part on the quality of day-old chicks at placement. The quality of day-old chicks is highly affected by the incubation conditions, by hatch time (which determines the time spent in the hatcher under high temperature and humidity), and by the handling of chicks after hatch. This article first presents an overview of the most relevant pre-incubation factors that affect chick quality: egg size, egg weight, quality of eggs, sex of embryos, age of breeders, and conditions and duration of egg storage. It then reviews the most important incubation factors that affect hatch time, hatchability and hatch window (temperature, humidity, turning, ventilation and concentration of gases). Finally, the effect of early post-hatch handling (including processing and especially transportation of chicks) as a possible source of stress influencing the quality of chicks at placement is discussed.

Significance of chick quality score in broiler production

The quality of day old chicks is crucial for profitable broiler production, but a difficult trait to define. In research, both qualitative and quantitative measures are used with variable predictive value for subsequent performance. In hatchery practice, chick quality is judged on a binomial scale, as chicks are divided into first grade (Q1-saleable) and second grade (Q2) chicks right after hatch. Incidences and reasons for classifying chicks as Q2, and potential of these chicks for survival and post-hatch performance have hardly been investigated, but may provide information for flock performance. We conducted an experiment to investigate (1) the quality of a broiler flock and the relation with post-hatch flock performance based on a qualitative score (Pasgar©score) of Q1 chicks and based on the incidence of Q2 chicks and (2) the reasons for classifying chicks as Q2, and the potential of these chicks for survival and post-hatch growth. The performance was followed of Q1 and Q2 chicks obtained from two breeder flocks that hatched in two different hatching systems (a traditional hatcher or a combined hatching and brooding system, named Patio). Eggs were incubated until embryo day 18, when they were transferred to one of the two hatching systems. At embryo day 21/post-hatch day 0, all chicks from the hatcher (including Q2 chicks) were brought to Patio, where the hatchery manager marked the Q2 chicks from both flocks and hatching systems and registered apparent reasons for classifying these chicks as Q2. Chick quality was assessed of 100 Q1 chicks from each flock and hatching system. Weights of all chicks were determined at days 0, 7, 21 and 42. There were no correlations between mean Pasgar©score and post-hatch growth or mortality, and suboptimal navel quality was the only quality trait associated with lower post-hatch growth. Growth was clearly affected by breeder flock and hatching system, which could not be linked to mean Pasgar©score or incidence of Q2 chicks. Q2 chicks showed lower post-hatch growth compared to Q1 chicks but effects on flock performance at slaughter weight were limited because early mortality in Q2 chicks was high (62.50% at 7 days). We concluded that chick qualitative scores and the incidence of Q2 chicks may be informative for the quality of incubation, but are not predictive for post-hatch flock performance. Culling Q2 chicks after hatch is well-founded in terms of both animal welfare and profitability.

The Endocrine Interface of Environmental and Egg Factors Affecting Chick Quality

Day-old chicks are the endproduct of the hatchery industry and form important starting material for the broiler farms. The major objective is to obtain a high hatchability of marketable chicks and a low spread of hatch. For the farmers, these chicks have to perform well, which is translated in high viability, high growth rate, high breast meat yield, and low feed conversion. A good-quality 1-d-old chick is hence a crucial hinge between the hatchery and the broiler farm. Moreover, maximal hatchability is not always synonymous with maximal posthatch viability and growth potential of the chick. Quantitative and qualitative scoring of chick quality is assessed. We will briefly discuss some recently developed scoring systems, which will convert differences in qualitative parameters into a quantitative score. Preincubation factors such as egg storage duration and age of broiler breeders, as well as incubation conditions, affect day-old chick quality and subsequent broiler performance. Heat production and metabolism, hormonal balances of thyroid hormones and corticosterone, and gas exchange (O2, CO2) are of fundamental importance for embryonic development and survival during incubation. Results from our studies indicated that embryos with higher pCO2 levels in the air cell and higher triiodothyronine-thyroxine ratios at internal pipping or in the newly hatched chicks had higher hatchability, chick quality, and posthatch chick growth until 7 d of age. Incubation factors such as temperature, turning conditions, or gaseous environment also affect development, change concentrations of hormones related to metabolism and growth of the embryo, and in this way affect 1-d-old chick quality. Moreover, the spread of the hatch process is affected by incubation conditions as well as by the aforementioned preincubation factors. Depending on the spread of the hatching curve together with the place in the sequence of hatching (early or late) and in interaction with quality of the eggs set for incubation, storage duration, and age of breeders, there will be a period between hatch and first feeding of variable length. This may have repercussions on overall growth and many related physiological processes such as yolk uptake, metabolic level, and gastrointestinal development. In its turn, time of first feeding is related to some crucial hormone levels and enzyme activities for growth that are strongly influenced by posthatch food intake such as insulin and p70S6 kinase activity, a key enzyme in the control of protein synthesis. The magnitude of the effect of delayed feeding is dependent on the spread of hatching as well as on the hatching period within the hatching window. This may be related to the different intrinsic quality or characteristics of chicks, e.g., early vs. late hatchers, as is shown by their respective hormonal levels. The latter may be a causal factor for the actual hatching time within the hatching window as well as for the later intrinsic quality of the hatched chick, which is not reflected in any of the actual scoring systems for chick quality. This is largely ignored in previous studies and in hatchery practice so far.

Day-old Chick Quality: Relationship to Hatching Egg Quality, Adequate Incubation Practice and Prediction of Broiler Performance

Day-old Chick Quality: Relationship to Hatching Egg Quality, Adequate Incubation Practice and Prediction of Broiler Performance