Frequent problems in Hatcheries, Part II

Possible cause:  Contamination from broken eggs
Corrective measures:  Prevent its appearance and verify removal of all organic matter before disinfecting

INJURIES

Leg problems

Possible cause: Trays too smooth or having areas wherein legs may get stuck
Corrective measures: Use paper or meshes

Possible cause: High temperature and lack of oxygen
Corrective measures:  Check hatching temperatures since high temperatures may affect bone and cartilaginous development. It also generates lactic acid production because birds use muscle glycogen as energy source (Oviedo-Rondon and Wineland 20012). Calibrate thermometers

Possible cause:  Stress during transportation
Corrective measures: Measure rectal temperature 39.8 – 40.5 ºC

INJURIES

Short beaks, missing beak, face abnormalities

Possible cause: High temperature the first hatching days
Corrective measures:  Check embryonic temperature, profiles, calibrate thermometers

Possible cause: Nutritional deficiencies  -niacin-
Corrective measures:  Check diets

Possible cause:  Heredity

Possible cause:  Alterations during development

INJURIES

Exposed brains

Possible cause:  Temperatures are too high during the first 3 hatching days
Corrective measures: Check temperature profiles and calibrate thermometers

Possible cause:  Extremely low levels of oxygen during the first 3 hatching days
Corrective measures:  Check ventilation profiles

 INJURIES

Red hocks

Possible cause: High hatcher humidity. Very large abdominal cavity which makes difficult leaving the shell
Corrective measures: Check moisture loss at transfer and profiles

Possible cause:   Hatcher temperature is too low
Corrective measures:  Check embryo temperature, profiles and calibrate thermometers

Possible cause: Hatcher temperatures are too high

Corrective measures: Lower hatcher temperature

Possible cause:  Vitamin deficiency
Corrective measures: Check diets

Possible cause:  Very thick shell. Young batches
Corrective measures:  Check profile humidity

SYMPTOMS

Hemorrhages, red skin, bleeding in chorioallantois

Possible cause: Bad handling at transfer
Corrective measures: Check times and movements during transfer

Possible cause: Nutritional deficiencies 
Corrective measures:  Check vitamin K and/or vitamin E levels

Possible cause: Contamination by molds and bacteria

Corrective measures: Make bacterial cultures

Possible cause:  Temperatures are too high
Corrective measures: Check embryo temperature

Possible cause:  Heredity

INJURIES

Exposed viscera

Possible cause: Hatcher temperature is too high

Corrective measures: Check profile temperature. Monitor embryonic temperature. Check and calibrate thermometers.

Possible cause:  Heredity

SYMPTOMS

Eye abnormalities (missing eyes)

Possible cause: High temperature during the first hatching week
Corrective measures: Check embryo temperature. Verify thermometers calibration

Possible cause:  Low oxygen level during the first week
Corrective measures:  Check oxygen levels (Chan and Burggren 2005)

SYMPTOMS

Weak chicks

Possible cause: High hatcher temperature
Corrective measures: Check hatcher profiles. Calibrate thermometers

Possible cause:  Poor hatcher ventilation
Corrective measures:  Check ventilation profiles

Possible cause: Excessive fumigation

Corrective measures: Check fumigation protocols.

Corrective measures: Do not hatch dirty eggs. Check egg handling in farms

SYMPTOMS

Sticky chicks, chicks smeared with albumen

Possible cause:  Low incubation temperature
Corrective measures: Check embryo temperature and thermometer calibration

Possible cause: Incubation humidity
Corrective measures:  Check weight loss at transfer and hatching

Possible cause: Improper turning

Corrective measures: Check angle (45°; Elibol and Brake 2006) frequency (at least  24 times, Wilson 1991). First week (Elibol and Brake 2004)

Possible cause:  Improper ventilation or disinfection

Corrective measures:  Check ventilation. Provide 100% fresh air and the correct temperature

Corrective measures:  Old eggs

SYMPTOMS

Chicks stuck in shell, dry chicks, chicks with shell fragments stuck to down feathers

Possible cause: Humidity too low during incubation or hatching
Corrective measures: Check moisture loss. Avoid over-ventilation

Possible cause: Improper turning
Corrective measures:  Check turning angle and frequency

Possible cause: Cracked shell or poor shell quality.

Corrective measures: Frequently collect eggs, close nests overnight, check nutritional requirements and pathogen microorganism presence (e.g. bronchitis, Newcastle)

SYMPTOMS

Late Hatching

Possible cause: Large eggs or old breeders
Corrective measures: Check incubation profiles and times (Romanoff y Romanoff 1972)

Possible cause:  Eggs stored too long
Corrective measures:  Preheat and/or pre incubate (Fasenko et al. 2001)

Possible cause: Incubator temperature

Corrective measures: Check and/or calibrate thermometers. Measure embryo temperature (low)

Possible cause:  Incubator humidity
Corrective measures: Check if incubator humidity is too high

SYMPTOMS

Excessive early mortality

Possible cause: Improper transport or late feed and hydration. Improper temperature under brooders
Corrective measures: Monitor transport temperature and ventilation. Chicks must have access to feed and drink as soon as possible. Rectal temperature of chicks 39.8 – 40.5 ºC (Molenar 2012)

Possible cause: Microbial diseases or contamination 
Corrective measures:  Check vaccination and biosecurity protocols. Only incubate clean eggs (Mauldin 1999)

Possible cause: Poor state of health in hatchery

Corrective measures: Check disinfection protocols, roofs, conducts and difficult access places

Possible cause:  Inadequate feeding, fungicide contamination or medication problems
Corrective measures:  Check feed safety

Bibliography available on request