Effects of hatching egg storage duration and warming rate from storage to incubation temperature

This publication marks an important scientific milestone and highlights the growing impact of research on practical hatchery performance. In her first paper published through the Poultry Science Association, PhD candidate Anne Pennings explores how egg storage duration and the warming process from storage to incubation temperature influence embryo development and hatchability. Building on controlled experiments with different storage periods and warming rates, the study provides new insights into why long-stored eggs often hatch later and how pre-incubation conditions can help embryos develop more evenly and successfully.
The findings show that prolonged storage slows embryonic development and can affect chick quality, while optimized warming strategies — such as SetCare — can help delayed embryos catch up and hatch more uniformly.

Together, these results contribute to a deeper understanding of how decisions made before incubation begins can shape embryo viability, hatch timing, and overall flock performance. Download the full paper below.