Uniform incubation conditions optimise the hatch window

Dr. Roos Molenaar M.Sc.

To obtain a good overall chick quality and uniformity in commercial hatcheries, chickens have to emerge from their eggshell in a time period up to 36 hours. Furthermore, it is important that the chickens are maintained at an optimal temperature within the hatcher to prevent dehydration.

The time between the first and the last chicken that hatches is defined as the hatch window. There are several factors that influence the length of the hatch window, such as flock age, egg characteristics, storage time, and incubation conditions. The importance of the latter will be discussed in this article.

The environmental conditions inside the incubator affect the temperature that the embryos experience. Temperature during incubation is one of the most important factors for embryonic development and chick quality. Not the temperature settings of the incubator, but the temperature that the embryo experience is important. Embryo temperature is difficult to measure without sacrificing the embryo. Therefore, eggshell temperature is used in practice as an indicator for embryo temperature. Eggshell temperatures within the range of 99.5 and 100.5°F until internal pipping have been shown to result in optimal hatchability and chick quality. Download the entire article via the button below.