Hatch-Out Analysis and Repeatability Estimates of Common Hatchability Problems in Issa-Brown Breeder Stock

Abstract

Six thousand and three hundred (6,300) sampled hatchable eggs (from a total of 68,130 eggs) produced in two commercial farms were used to evaluate hatchout performance and repeatability of some common hatchability problems in 38-41 weeks old Isa-Brown hens. Fertility, hatchability of total egg set and hatchability of fertile eggs were generally high (>80%) for eggs from the two farms. There was significant difference (p<0.05) between the two farms in the magnitude of hatchability problems at the early (1-7 days) and late (15-17 days) stages of embryonic development. Hatchability problems were higher for eggs obtained from farm AB (16.89%) than for eggs obtained from farm AA (11.87%). The trio of early post fertility mortality, piped, and dead-in-shell were the most important hatchability problems in the two farms. The estimates of repeatability of hatchability problems were generally high (66-98%). Repeatability estimates obtained for early and late embryonic stages were higher than that obtained for the midembryonic stage. Results obtained from this study showed that farms source of hatchable eggs has effect on the type and magnitude of reproductive failures that occurred during incubation. The high repeatability of hatchability problems at the early and late embryonic stages suggest a high probability of reproductive failure at the early and late stages of embryonic development in the future except corrective breeding and management strategies are put in place.

The effects of Blood Rumen Content Mixture (BRCM) meal supplemented with yeast on the performance and gut microbial populations of broiler chickens

“…Presumably, this may be attributed to breeding and hatchery problem. Fayeye and Olapade (2013) reported that incidence of small chicks was attributable to farm source of hatchable eggs as well as on the type and magnitudes of reproductive failures that occurred during incubation. The small size of chicks which they maintained throughout the experimental period could have accounted for the generally low feed intake observed in the control and BRCM based diets.…”

Bioenvironmental Zonal Controlling of Incubated Avian Embryo Using Localised Infrared Heating

“…The results of the four full incubation trials showed that combining both convective and radiative heating mechanisms was successful to hatch the incubated eggs with average hatch-of-fertile (HOF = (hatched chicks/number of true fertile eggs) × 100) of 84.0% (±0.5). A breakout of the unhatched eggs was performed [35,36] in the end of each incubation trial. The average breakout results of the unhatched eggs are shown in Figure 12.…”