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Smart acquisition for automated growth
Hatcheries with a capacity of one and a half million eggs set a week are no longer unusual. These larger companies require increasing levels of automation, not only to ensure that growing numbers of hatching eggs and chicks are transported safely and efficiently, but also to contribute to increasingly rigorous standards of hygiene, ergonomics and animal welfare. In response to these developments, Pas Reform has acquired LAN, the company’s established partner in handling and transport solutions, to extend its business activities.
Smart expansion for Ross Breeders Anadolu in Turkey
In response to continuing growth, Aviagen-owned Ross Breeders Anadolu (RBA) is to step up its domestic production of parent stock chicks next year, with the commissioning of a new Smart™ single-stage grandparent stock hatchery from Pas Reform.
Read more: Smart expansion for Ross Breeders Anadolu in Turkey
Worry-free ventilation for constant chick quality
Written by Martin 'Tiny' Barten, senior hatchery specialist
Several years ago, I was involved in reviewing the incubation programme for a newly constructed hatchery in the humid tropics. The main issue was that, although hatchability was excellent, chick quality was not - primarily due to thick bellies. Lowering humidity set point in the setter from 53% to 50% delivered the quality this hatchery was looking for, with first week mortality in the farm reducing to significantly below their standard.
Read more: Worry-free ventilation for constant chick quality
Incubation times in the modern hatchery
Written by Marleen Boerjan
The chicken embryo generally needs 21 days (504 h) to complete incubation, including the drying of down (Etches, 1996). In practice however, incubation periods vary considerably, as observed by Laughlin (2007) in large scale field surveys, which recorded pulling times from the setting of eggs of 500 up to 526 hours (figure 1).
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