The installation of a complete SmartPro™ single stage incubation system at the company’s hatchery in Pasaje, Ecuador in 2013 has, says company President Jimmy Rios, delivered ‘very good results’ in terms of uniformity and a reduced hatch window, with the hatchery now outperforming its multi-stage predecessor on a daily basis.
Pas Reform supplied SmartSetPro™ setters and SmartHatchPro™ hatchers, to deliver advanced, next-generation single stage incubation capabilities, together with a complete HVAC system including air handling units, pressure controls, air ducting and chillers, to create a fully managed and conditioned environment throughout the entire facility. Incupasaje also invested in hatchery automation from the Dutch company, with a complete chick take off system incorporating in line sexing and vaccination carousels, as well as washing machines and a waste handling system
The Pasaje development came following a recommendation from the hatchery’s genetics’ supplier, explains Mr Rios: “We were advised to look at Pas Reform’s machines, climate control and hatchery automation systems and in particular to evaluate machine quality and after sales technical support.
“Now in operation since the second half of 2013, we have been getting very good results and can comment positively and confidently on Pas Reform’s after sales support first-hand, which has included numerous visits from Pas Reform’s incubation specialists to help us realise optimum performance from our new single stage incubation operation.”
In Ecuador, says Mr Rios, people pay a lot of attention to uniformity. Not only are practically all day old chicks sexed into male and female groups, but flocks are also kept separate based on breeder age. With this being an upcoming trend that is expected to continue to grow, Pasaje hatchery is embarking on the second stage of its development, in which the company will install a complete egg selection line. Pas Reform’s egg selection system not only classifies eggs into four different weight ranges to help improve the subsequent uniformity of the day old chicks, but also reliably places all the eggs blunt end up on the setter trays, which further improves hatchability results.
Martin ‘Tiny’ Barten, senior incubation specialist from Pas Reform in the Netherlands recently visited the Incupasaje hatchery with Lenise de Souza, senior incubation specialist from Pas Reform do Brasil. Mr Barten comments: “ We seldom see such attention to detail in an operation to achieve the best day old chick uniformity, not only by using modular single stage incubation but also by classifying the eggs before they are set.
The results are clear to see, with extremely good uniformity and short hatch windows as the result of putting these systems into good practice.”