Development and Performance of a Mechanical Egg Collection System Versus the Hand-Operated Dutch Nest

Abstract

The aim of this study was to design a new mechanical nesting system based on scientific works on the behavior of laying hens, and to compare its performance with that of a hand-operated Dutch nest. The equipment was assessed in two poultry houses; in the first one, the eggs were collected manually, whereas in the second one, the newly designed mechanical nest was used for the collection. A total of 7,800 hens and 800 males were housed in each poultry house, and the percentages of eggs produced, nest dirty eggs, floor eggs, and cracked and discarded eggs were determined between weeks 25 and 52. The percentage of eggs with microcracks, infertility, embryo mortality, bacterial contamination, fungal contamination, chicks with stunting syndrome and hatching from both types of nest was assessed in the hatchery on a fortnightly basis. The mechanical nest designed herein proved to be a good alternative to the hand-operated Dutch nest, but it still has to be improved in order to have the same performance, especially with regard to reduction in the incidence of floor eggs.

Improving the incubation results by sealing the eggshell of cracked hatching eggs with surgical tape

“…Shell damage can occur on a breeder farm in the laying nest, during collection and storage ( Pilotto et al, 2015 ), but also during transport and handling of eggs in a hatchery ( Anderson et al, 1969 ; Campo and Ruano, 1992 ; Nazareno et al, 2013 ). Some eggshell breakage may be complete crack, star crack, or hairline cracks ( Khabisi et al, 2012 ).…”