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Hatching - Incubation
Hatching of eggs refers to the production of baby chicks. In early days eggs were hatched by placing them under broody hens. Desi hens proved to be ideal for this purpose. Only 10 to 12 eggs can be put under 1 hen. This method of hatching is highly unsatisfactory for large-scale production of baby chicks. Incubators, which provide similar environment as that of broody hens, but more efficiently, are used at present for hatching of eggs. The incubation period for chicken eggs is 20 to 21 days, and increases up to 30 days for other poultry. After sitting for some days, a broody hen can be given some newly hatched chicks and, if they are accepted, the original eggs can be removed and replaced with more chicks. Thus hens with a better record of mothering can be better utilised for their abilities. Eggs initially need a very controlled heat input to maintain the optimum temperature of 38°C, because the embryo is microscopic in size.
An essential oil shows promise for improving the immunity of broiler chickens before they hatch, according to University of Queensland research. Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation’s Dr Mila Meijer injected oregano essential oil compounds into fertile eggs to test its impact and found that it had a positive impact on the developing chick’s immune system. “Carvacrol is the main compound found in...
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In recent years, the poultry industry has been increasingly interested in determining gender of newly hatched chicks so birds can be sorted into separate sex groups for rearing. However, at hatch, accurately sexing chicks is difficult as both sexes exhibit similar characteristics until approximately one month of...
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Dr. Keith Bramwell, Director of Global Hatchery Consultants at Jamesway, shares his expertise on the science behind incubation and the importance of precision in creating the ideal environment for embryos to thrive. With over 25 years in poultry science, Dr. Bramwell explains how Jamesway’s innovative technology mimics nature, offering a highly efficient and user-friendly incubation process that results in better quality chicks and improved farm performance....
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Anke Förster (Agri Advanced Technologies) explains how to detect the sex of the developing embryo through hyperspectral imaging, in this Engormix interview during IPPE 2025 in Atlanta, USA....
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Jörg Hurlin (Agri Advanced Technologies) discusses their specialized systems for hatching egg sanitation, in-ovo sexing, and breeder sorting in this Engormix interview during IPPE 2025 in Atlanta, USA....
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Raquel Burin (Zinpro) discusses the correlation between eggshell translucency and performance parameters, in this Engormix interview during IPPE 2025 in Atlanta, USA....
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Mycotoxin Testing in the Feed Chain: A Risk Prevention Strategy for Raw Material Suppliers, Grain Storage Facilities and Processors, and Feed Manufacturers
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Mike Petrik (Petrik Veterinary Consultants) discusses four in-ovo sexing technologies and their differences in this Engormix interview during IPPE 2025 in Atlanta, USA....
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INTRODUCTION The storage of hatching eggs is a common routine in hatcheries and varying in duration depending on hatchery capacity and the demand of day old chicks (Gharib, 2013). In some cases, the need of extending the period of storage more than seven days may takes place. Hatching eggs are stored, generally, to minimize transport cost or to collect enough eggs for high capacity incubators. Egg storage for more than 7 days deteriorated the egg white, increased embryonic...
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Author details: 1 Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine, University of Brasília, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil 2 Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA), University of São Paulo, São Paulo 13416-000, Brazil 3 Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil 4 Federal Institute of Brasília—Campus Planaltina, Brasília 73380-900, Brazil. 1....
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Anke Foerster, Head of Research at AAT (Agri-Advanced Technologies), shares their breakthrough in over-sex determination for poultry. Using hyperspectral analysis, AAT's machine can accurately determine embryo sex during incubation, allowing only female chicks to hatch and addressing animal welfare concerns....
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Professor Edgar Oviedo, from North Carolina State University, presents groundbreaking research on hatchery management practices, egg storage, and data analytics. His collaboration with Hy-Line International highlights the impact of improved practices on breeder productivity and egg quality....
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Dr. Shyam Vane, Business Manager at HIPRA India Private Limited, shares insights into the rapid growth of India’s poultry industry and key health challenges such as advanced vaccines, hatchery technologies, and prevention programs, HIPRA has become a leader in ensuring poultry health and food safety.
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Dr. Christiane Keppler, Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft Hessen (LLH - Hesse State Framing Authority)
As in previous years, poultry farmers are currently facing a number of challenges. These include, in particular, a further...
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INTRODUCTION Natural medicinal products originating from herbs and spices have been used as feed additives for poultry (Guo et al., 2004). Compared with synthetic antibiotics or inorganic chemicals, these plant-derived products have proven to be natural, less toxic, residue-free, and are thought to be ideal feed additives in feeds for animal production (Wang et al., 1998). Any attempt to improve poultry production and increase its efficiency, therefore, needs to focus on the...
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APIs and Vitamin MARKET - The weak demand for the APIs
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Introduction It is widely appreciated that a variety of new technologies and human behavioral change will be required to feed an estimated population of 10 billion people by 2050 with environmentally sustainable production. It is also estimated that about one third (in weight) of the world’s food is lost or wasted annually. In 2021 the poultry industry supplied some 286 eggs per capita to consumers in the US market alone [1]. Remarkably, this has been achieved with an...
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The hatching phase of broiler production refers to the last three days of incubation, which are embryonic days 18-21. This phase of embryonic development is critical for the chick’s survival, as well as welfare and production later in life. In commercial hatcheries, eggs with viable embryos are transferred from incubators to...
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Oregano essential oil (OEO) and carvacrol, the main compound of OEO, are considered as a reference for biological activities of essential oils (EO). OEO has positive effects on gut and immune system developments potentially related to antimicrobial and antioxidant activities in chickens (Brenes and Roura, 2010). Embryonic development accounts for one-third of the lifespan of modern broiler chickens, and has the potential to determine performance in later life. In-ovo injection is a powerful...
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Broiler chickens spend one third of their lives developing inside an egg. Hence, understanding and optimising the in ovo environment is fundamental. The pH of body fluids is tightly regulated to maintain critical physiological functions such as gas exchanges. Enzymes equally have an optimum pH range that determines their efficiency. Changes to these conditions, may impact on the efficiency of O2 transport or enzyme activity. Embryonic development requires a continuous flow of O2 delivery and...
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Plant-derived essential oils (EOs) contain functional phytochemical components that are used as feed additives to improve gut health and reduce the need for antibiotics. The injection of EOs into fertile eggs has the potential to influence the developing embryo including the gastrointestinal tract. This in turn may mitigate intestinal susceptibility and regulate gut microbial composition, resulting in long-term benefits in the chicken's life. However, some gaps in the in-ovo injection...
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