Quality chicks born in the hatchery: care and monitoring that make a difference

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Broiler production is aimed at productivity, profitability, and food safety for consumers. The objective of the hatchery is not only to obtain the highest hatchability but to promote the birth of quality chicks that can show high viability and performance in the field.

Approximately one-third of the broiler’s life is spent in the hatchery. Therefore, it is crucial to know all the factors that can influence the embryo’s development to control them and minimize production losses.

According to Oviedo-Rondón 2013, the hatchery is where companies can have greater control over processes to ensure good productivity and economic results, as the variability on the farms is much more difficult to control, and this characteristic should be taken advantage of.

Several factors can influence the incubation yield and chick quality. These factors can be divided into:

• Factors that precede the time of incubation (pre-incubation)
• Factors inherent to the incubation process;
• Post-incubation factors.

Briefly, we will address these main factors below.

• Management on the broiler breeder farm
• Transport of eggs to the hatchery
• Egg storage