Transcript Breeding and Hatching Domestic Chickens

Breeders, Layers and Hatching
Egg Production
R. Keith Bramwell, PhD
Department of Poultry Science
University of Arkansas
History of Poultry Industry
• Orgin of chicken Jungle Fowl (India)
• Reason for initial
domestication - cock
fighting
History of the Poultry Industry
•19th century- poultry fanciers:new breeds
developed which became the American
class
•1st poultry show - 1849 in Boston
•American poultry assoc. Formed in 1873
•Standard of excellence published in 1874
•Chicks could be mailed - 1918
Exhibition Chickens
• American Poultry Association lists nearly
400 breeds of chickens most with several
varieties
• Over 1000 chicken shows held annually in
the US
• The APA Standard of Perfection sets the
ideal qualities for each breed and variety
What is Bantam
Chicken?
• A small version of the
larger (standard size)
breed
• Bantams are almost
exclusively for
exhibition
Breeds and Varieties
• Breed is a type of chicken
– Leghorn or a Plymouth Rock
• Variety is defined by the variations
within the breed
– Leghorn – single comb vs rose comb
–
white vs light brown
– Plymouth rock – White Rock vs
Barred Rock
Types of Variations
• Body shape and structure
– Modern game, Japanese,
rumpless
Types of Variations
• Leg and feet variations
– Silkie, Salmon Favorelle, etc
• Size
– Bantam, standard
• Sound?
– Long crowers!
Breeds and Varieties
Types of Variations
• Feather color
– Solid coloring
– Barring, penciled, mottled
Types of Variations
• Feather type
– Silkies, frizzles, long
tails
Types of Variations
• Feather distribution
– Polish, cochins, naked
neck
Types of Variations
• Comb type
– Single, rose, pea, v-shape, etc
Comb
Types
Comb Types
Comb
Types
Comb Types
Reproduction and Breeding
• Cockerels and pullets can become sexually
mature by 14 to 16 weeks of age
– Good fertility occurs at least 2-3 weeks after
the onset of egg production
• Industry delays sexual maturation to 18 to
25 weeks
– Allows birds to develop body conformation
which results in better egg size
Reproduction and Breeding
• Reproduction occurs with light stimulation
after they attain an appropriate body weight
and conformation
• As little as 14 hours of light can stimulate
reproduction (15-16 hours best)
– Light stimulation can be ‘staggered in’
– Light duration must be consistent from day to
day
Reproduction and Breeding
• With light stimulation hens can lay through
the winter
– However, they will need a break sometime to
undergo either a hard or soft molt to regenerate
body reserves
Reproduction and Breeding
• Males can be housed with anywhere from 1
to 10-12 hens
– This depends upon the breed and age of the birds
• Ornamental and exhibition breeds have more fertility
problems
– For pedigree breeding up to 15 hens can be
housed with a single good male in rotation
Reproduction and Breeding
• Hens can store viable sperm for up to two
weeks
– If pedigree breeding, this should be taken into
consideration
Developing a Breeding Program
• You must have top quality birds!!!!
• Or, you must start out with A LOT of birds
and have A LOT of time!
Developing a Breeding Program
• When you decide to be serious, select a
couple of your favorite breeds and
specialize
• Once you get the birds, select the best pairs,
trios, etc. as breeders
• One rooster can breed 5-10 hens in rotating
cages
Selection of Birds
Select birds that fit your purpose
Then make sure your birds look and
act like they are supposed to
Developing a Breeding Program
• Light stimulate breeders to get chicks year
round
– Min 14 hours light per day, everyday
• Hatch every egg they lay to give you
numerous birds for selection
• Don’t be afraid to cull!!! Don’t keep poor
quality birds around that may reproduce
Developing a Breeding Program
• Keep records of birds, band them, and
create pedigree charts
• You may need to outcross with other breeds
or other lines to get the traits you want
Easter
Silkies?
Female Reproductive System:
Ovary
• Mature ovary consists of
numerous developing
follicles
– Appears like a
cluster of grapes
– Follicles present in
hierarchal order
Sperm Cell Storage
• A biological necessity
to produce fertile
eggs in the avian
system
Sperm
Storage
Insemination
(AI or
Natural)
Sperm transport to
site of fertilization
Fertilization
Recognition of
sperm binding sites
Sperm acrosome
reaction and
penetration
Fertilization
• Location Infundibulum
• Time - within
~ 5 minutes
following
ovulation or
before the
ovum enters
the magnum
Fertilization
• Shell formation takes
24-26 hours to
complete
• Hen’s body
temperature 104 106o F
•
Fertilization & Embryo
Development
Fertilization occurs within 5
minutes after ovulation
• Shell formation takes 24-26 hours
to complete
• Hen’s body temperature 104 106o F
• Laid egg represents 1 days
embryonic growth (20,000 40,000 cells)
Day 0 of Incubation:
Before Egg is Laid
• Fertile/infertile determination
can be made at lay
• While the egg moves from
initial fertilization, to shell
membrane formation to shell
formation in the oviduct, the
embryo develops from the
early to late cleavage stages
• Germinal disc diameter
(3-4mm) larger the first few hours
after fertilization than at lay
Fertile and Infertile Eggs
Infertile egg
Fertile egg
Artificial Insemination :
a Three Step Procedure
1. Semen collection
2. Semen dilution*
3. Insemination
*
Second step may be omitted if neat
(undiluted) semen is used for insemination
within 30 min. of collection
Egg Production
• Provide nest boxes off the ground and keep
them clean
– Contaminated eggs (exploders) can ruin chick
hatch and chick quality
Nest Boxes
• Hens want to feel secure when they lay
their egg
• Manufactured boxes
• Anything else
What Is Secure
for Them?
Hatching Egg Management
‘On the Farm’
• Minimize use of dirty
eggs
• Remove and discard
poor hatching eggs
– Dirty, cracked, small,
very large, poor shells,
mish-shaped eggs
Effect Of Egg Storage On
Hatchability
Days of Storage
28
26
24
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Egg Handling Prior to Incubation
• Temporarily stop embryo development
-Lower internal temperature of the egg
below 70o F (physiological temperature)
• Do not allow eggs to oscillate above and
below physiological temperature
-Early hatching chicks (dehydration)
-Early embryonic mortality will increase
High to Low Storage Temperature
95
90
85
82.3
80.0
79.4
80
76.5
72.9
74.3
75
70
fertility
% hatch
hatch of fertile
control
2 degree hi - low
4 degree hi - low
Egg Storage
• Store eggs in
appropriate on farm
egg room
– ~ 70 F
~ 75% humidity
– Less than 10 days
• Keep egg room clean
and tidy (biosecurity)
Egg Storage
• Take extra care in
grading eggs (egg
pack)
• Carefully place eggs
point down in setter
trays
Fixing Cracked Eggs
– Simple fine hairline crack
1 ) paint with thin layer of glue
– Break that causes indentation
1 ) cut kleenex, shell membrane of infertile egg
2 ) glue edges and dry
3 ) paint over patch
– If crack leaked liquid contents, unlikely to survive
Incubation Preferences
• Multi stage ?
– Several ages of eggs in one machine
• Single stage?
– All in all out (much cleaner)
• Separate hatcher?
– Sanitation necessity
Incubation Preferences
• Letting nature take its
course . . .
– Setting only
– + Hatching
– + Brooding
– + Growing
Artificial Incubation
In the Beginning . . .
The Small
Small to Medium . . .
The Dome Style
Medium Sized . . .
Table Top Style
Medium Sized . . .
Table Top Style
Large Sized . . .
Cabinet Style
Large Sized . . .
Cabinet Style
At the End ? . . .
The Extra Large
Artificial Incubation
• Important points
–
–
–
–
Temperature
Humidity
Turning
Ventilation
Artificial Incubation
– Temperature Control
1 ) Range from 98.7 to 100 F
99.1-99.8 optimum
‘Still air’ incubators suggest higher
incubation temperatures as opposed to
‘forced air’ units
Artificial Incubation
– Humidity
1 ) Achieving specific water loss is the goal
11-15% general rule
12% weight loss best
2 ) Relative humidity should be 55 - 60 %
Wet bulb temp 80 - 85 F
Artificial Incubation
– Egg turning
1 ) Recommendations
5-6 times per day (three times is OK)
180 degrees, not all in one direction
place an X on one side of egg
– Do not turn last three days of incubation
Artificial Incubation
– Ventilation
Air exchange is critical to prevent
suffocation
– Rule of thumb – ventilate as much as you can
and still be able to maintain incubator
temperatures
Setter Operation
• Ventilation
– Supply of fresh air,
exhausting CO2
• Temperature control
– Varies with setter type
99.5 – 1000 F
Setter Operation
• Humidity
– Used to control moisture loss
• Chickens ~ 12 % @ 18 days
• Ostrich ~ 15% total
– 840 F wet bulb (~ 54%
humidity)
• Turning
– Ensures proper embryo
development
– At least 2-3 X per day
Hatcher Operation
• Ventilation
• Humidity
– May increase after pipping
– Humidity varies with different
species
• Temperature
– Usually lower than in the
setting machines
• Do not turn eggs prior to
hatching
Incubation Duration
– Varies a great deal among species
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Chicken
Duck
Pheasant
Quail
Turkey
Emu
Budgie
21 days
28 – 35 days
24 days
18 – 24 days
28 days
48-52 days
14 days
Egg Candling
• Candling allows examination of embryo
development
• After 10 days of incubation, use a small flashlight
and place it on the large end of the egg while in a
dark room
• Examine and determine normal embryo
development at 10 days
• Break open unhatched eggs (residue breakout) to
determine fertility or embryo death
Hatch of Fertile
86.4% hatch / 96% fertile * 100 = 90% Hatch of Fertile
Hatchery
% Hatch
% Fertile
% Hatch of Fertile
A
86
97
88.66
B
82
91
90.11
C
84
94
89.36
Natural Incubation
• Maintain a pen of
naturally broody hens
– Silkies, Cochins, etc
• Allow layers or
breeders to incubate
and brood their own
young
Hatchability
Controlling Factors
Farm
Hatchery
Breeder Nutrition
Sanitation
Disease
Egg Storage
Infertility
Egg Damage
Egg Damage
Incubation – management
of setters and hatchers
Egg Sanitation
Chick Handling
Egg Storage
Chick Pull and Processing
• Chicks separated, graded by quality, counted
• Vaccination
Factors Influencing
Chick Size
• Egg size
– Chick weight 66-68% of
egg weight
• Moisture loss during
incubation
• Length of time between
setting and pulling chicks
from hatchers
• Date at which incubation
began
Brooding Chicks
• Start chicks at 90 to 92oF
– Lower temp ~ 5oF each week thereafter
• Use a solid brooder guard if you have a large
area you are raising the chicks
• Feed and water chicks
immediately after they are
placed in brooding area
• Provide access to food and
fresh water at all times!
Brooder Ideas
Just right
Too cold
Too hot
Too drafty
Importance of Water
• Water is the forgotten nutrient
• It must be clean, and cool at all
times
– Don’t create a soup of bacteria!
• Adding vitamins or electrolytes
in the water is also very helpful
Ambient Environment
• In addition to air temperature
– Don’t allow birds to be exposed to air drafts
– But. . . Birds need fresh air
• Keep birds dry
• Keep pens (floor) dry
Brooding Chicks
• Feed chicks a quality starter feed for several
weeks
– This feed is high in protein and a “rich” formula
Rearing Pullets
• After the starter
feed formula runs out
switch to a regular
chicken grower
• Again provide access to
food and clean, cool
water always
Housing for the “Hens”
• Keep them “high and dry”
• Clean floors and area
• Fresh air through ventilation
– Without excessive drafts
• Nest boxes
• Perches
• Adequate feed and water space
How It Used to Be Done in 1926
Do we need to reinvent the
wheel?
• NO! How it used to be done is not bad
• However, we do know much more about
birds today than anyone has ever known,
. . . We can and should utilize this
information!