Keith Bramwell

Evaluating fertility in commercial broiler breeder flocks has traditional been targeted at the male. This is supported by the fact that the majority of breeder fertility problems are the results of infrequent mating. There are incidences of fertility problems being the result of physiological problems during rearing and development, however most are a results of infrequent mating. Studies were con ...

The poultry industry, as a whole, is comprised of many segments, each with varied levels of importance. Each of these segments must be closely managed and controlled in order to maintain any gains and improvements made in other areas of the entire poultry operation. For example, it is well known that most hatchability problems are a result of poor fertility. However, when egg production is attaine ...

Previous research has shown that quality hatching eggs improve the likelihood of optimum hatchability as well as result in good chick quality (Yoho et al., 2008, Moyle et al., 2008). Pathogens can penetrate, contaminating the egg shell, its membranes and the embryo (Berrang et al., 1999). Improperly handled eggs can also explode contaminating the surrounding eggs in the setter. While proper sanita ...