Dransfield Poultry
Archive for the 'Poultry Breeding Tips' Category
Monday, August 14th, 2006
Red Mite
Well the red mite season has been quite a bad one this year. Since the loss to the poultry keepers armoury of creosote to help combat these little blood sucking nuisances , we have tried various brands of red mite preparations over the years.Of these Duramitex has been a good one , having a good knockdown and a good residual effect. The only thing with it is the smell.
This year we thought we would trial two of the ‘organic’ types of preparation these are ;
POULTRY SHIELD Liquid, and BARRIER Liquid and Powder.
After first spraying the bedding in the houses( this makes cleaning a more plesent job with less mites arround) we then cleaned the houses thoroughly and removed all bedding, the houses were sprayed until run off occured.We paid particular attention to joints,cracks and crevises, hinge joints and nesting areas. We used a knapsack sprayer with a motorised pump, diluting the poultry shield to the suggested solution. Eight houses were sprayed with this solution , each house having a total surface area [ including inside and outside ]of 200 square feet we used 3ltr of the concentrated liquid at a 10%solution ie 30ltr of mix.
Results,
We found the knockdown (immediate kill ) to be excellent , the liquid turning orange or yellow when it came in contact with colonies of mite . The manufacturers claim it also killes eggs by dehydration and this would indeed appear to happen, however the residual effect appears to be poor .We would therefore recommend a repeate treatment after 5/7 days to catch any mites that were in the egg stage and were missed on the first application.
Conclusions.
Poultry Shield seems to be a good product reasonably priced that works well on contact and if used on a regular basis to break the cycle will prove effective. Recommended
No Comments » - Posted in Poultry Breeding Tips, GENERAL COMMENTS by Stuart
Wednesday, May 10th, 2006
Hints and Tips - Hatching Eggs
Eggs are remarkable in that they will keep for 10/15 days if kept cool. [10/12 degrees c]
When they arrive open them and check to see they are all ok, take off the foam wrap, then leaving the top of the box off and with the eggs pointy end down prop the box at about 45 degrees then twice daily move the box to 45 degrees the other way from \ to / then when you’re ready put them in your incubator.
When you get them {and i don’t want to teach granny to suck eggs just want to be helpful } please rest them for 24hrs before putting them in the incubator or under a broody,
I set my incubator [forced air auto turn] at 37.8 c and humidity around 45/55% and now I always put the eggs pointy end down not on their side and turn them through 42 degrees either side .
Leave them for 17 days for bantams 19 days for large fowl and then lay them on their side, but don’t turn them at all for the last 2 days. If you can increase the humidity to around 65/70% for this period that would be better . I have had better results since I started doing them this way.
Anyway best of luck with the hatching .
And one other thing don’t give up too early as I have had eggs hatch after 24 days when I had totally given up on them .
Trouble Shooting Failures with Egg Incubation
When incubation of eggs fails, indications are often available that a well trained professional uses for diagnosing the causes for failure. The information listed below includes the more common symptoms for incubation failures, the causes for each symptom, and the recommended corrective measures. Symptoms of incubation/breeder management problems include:
- Clear eggs with no visible embryonic development.
- Blood rings in incubated eggs.
- Many dead embryos at an early stage.
- Chicks fully formed, but dead without pipping.
- Pipped eggs, but died without hatching.
- Early hatching.
- Late hatching or not hatching uniformly.
- Sticky embryos.
- Embryos sticking or adhering to shell.
- Crippled and malformed chicks.
- Abnormal, weak, or small chicks.
- Chicks with labored breathing.
- Large, soft-bodied mushy chicks.
- Rough or unhealed navels on chicks.
- Short down on chicks.
- Excessive yellow down color.
Symptoms
|
Probable Cause
|
Corrective Measures
|
| Clear Eggs with no embryonic development (infertiles) | Males undernourished | Follow a recommended feeding program to provide adequate nutrition. Replace underweight males with vigorous ones |
| Too few males | Increase the number of males in the flock. | |
| Seasonal decline in fertility | Use young cockerels more resistant to environmental stress. | |
| Competition among breeding males | Do not use too many males. Rear all males together. Place temporary partitions within large pens. | |
| Diseased flock | Conduct an approved disease control program. | |
| Frozen combs and wattles | Provide comfortable housing. Properly select and maintain drinking fountains. | |
| Old males | Replace with younger males. | |
| Selected mating in pens | Artificially inseminate infertile hens. Replace males in the pen/house. | |
| Male sterility | Replace males in the pen/house. | |
| Crowded breeders | Provide recommended floor space, at least 3 ft²/bird. | |
| Improper artificial insemination techniques or use of old/over-diluted semen. | Follow recommendations of primary breeder company. | |
| Eggs damaged by environment | Gather eggs frequently (at least once daily). | |
| Eggs stored too long or incorrectly | Store eggs at 50-60 degrees F. and 60% relative humidity. Incubate eggs within 7 days of lay. |
Symptoms
|
Probable Cause
|
Corrective Measures
|
| Blood rings | Improper storage | Follow recommended egg storage and gathering recommendations. |
| Improper incubation temperatures | Check thermometer accuracy and incubator functions. Follow recommended temperature settings. | |
| Improper breeder nutrition | Feed breeders a diet with balanced nutrient levels. | |
| Improper fumigation | Follow fumigation recommendations. |
Symptoms
|
Probable Cause
|
Corrective Measures
|
| Many dead embryos at early stages | Improper incubation temperatures (usually too high) | Follow recommended incubation temperatures. |
| Improper egg turning | Turn at least 3 times daily. | |
| Inherited low hatchability | Avoid cross breeding. May need to secure different breeding stock. | |
| Improper ventilation | Increase ventilation rate in incubator and/or room, but avoid drafts. Add oxygen at high altitudes. | |
| Pullorum disease or other salmonelloses | Use eggs from disease-free sources. Have NPIP representatives blood-test the breeder flock. | |
| Improper nutrition of breeders | Provide a well-balanced nutritional diet to breeders. | |
Symptoms
|
Probable Cause
|
Corrective Measures
|
| Chicks fully formed, but dead without pipping | Low average humidity | Maintain recommended humidity for species of bird incubated. |
| Improper incubation temperature | Check thermometer accuracy and incubator functions. Follow recommended temperature settings. | |
| Improper ventilation in incubator | Adjust ventilation to provide optimum moisture-loss rate from egg during incubation. | |
| Improper turning of eggs | Turn eggs at least three times daily until 3 days prior to hatching. | |
| Chilling of eggs | Gather eggs frequently and store under proper conditions. | |
| Diseased or poorly conditioned breeder flock | Conduct a good disease control and breeder management program. Use a well-balanced nutritional diet. |
Symptoms
|
Probable Cause
|
Corrective Measures
|
| Pipped eggs, but died without hatching | Insufficient moisture | Increase humidity (wet-bulb temperature) during the hatching period. |
| Improper ventilation | Increase ventilation rate in incubator and/or room, but avoid drafts. | |
| Improper setting of eggs causing malpositioned embryos | Set eggs with small end down. Turn eggs properly but avoid turning within 3 days of hatching. | |
Symptoms
|
Probable Cause
|
Corrective Measures
|
| Early hatching (may have bloody navels) | High incubation temperatures | Follow recommended incubation temperatures. Check equipment for proper function. Guard against electrical surges or high incubator room temperatures. |
| Improper egg storage | Store eggs at 50-60 degrees F. and 60% R.H. Turn at least 3 times daily. | |
Symptoms
|
Probable Cause
|
Corrective Measures
|
| Late hatching or not hatching uniformly | Low incubation temperatures | Follow recommended incubation temperatures. |
| Warm and cool spots in incubator due to faulty design | Contact incubator company or obtain a different incubator design. | |
| Old or improperly stored eggs | Gather eggs frequently, cool immediately and store eggs properly. Do not store longer than 7 days. | |
Symptoms
|
Probable Cause
|
Corrective Measures
|
| Sticky embryos (embryos may be smeared with egg contents) | High average incubation humidity | Follow recommended incubation humidity. Check size of air cell as an indicator for adjusting humidity condition. |
| Low incubation temperature | Follow recommended temperature settings. | |
| Lethal genes | Avoid cross breeding. May need to secure different breeding stock. | |
| Inadequate ventilation | Increase ventilation rate in incubator and/or room, but avoid drafts. | |
| Improper fumigation of eggs | Fumigate eggs by following the procedure carefully. | |
Symptoms
|
Probable Cause
|
Corrective Measures
|
| Embryos sticking or adhering to shell | Low incubation humidity (especially during hatching) | I |
Mating Systems
The manner in which the selected individuals (both males and females) mate is also of considerable significance in realising response to selection. Mating systems do not change the gene frequency like selection but depending upon the procedure used rearrange the genotypic frequency. Random mating, positive assortative mating, inbreeding and out breeding are the most commonly used mating systems in poultry. Random mating means that any individual of one sex has an equal chance of mating with any other individual of the opposite sex in the population and is the most commonly used method in selection experiments as it holds inbreeding to the minimum. Positive assortative mating refers to mating of likes to likes. Initially the response is usually greater than random mating. Positive assortative mating leads to similar consequences as that of inbreeding and hence response to selection slows down as the generations advance.
Inbreeding refers to mating among the closely related individuals. The closest form of inbreeding in poultry is full or half brother-sister mating or constant parent-offspring mating. Inbreeding increases the frequency of homozygotes at the cost of heterozygotes. The decrease in fertility and hatchability, increased mortality, delayed maturity, slow growth, decrease in egg production and increase in the frequency of defects due to inbreeding are called inbreeding depression. The primary objective of inbreeding is to develop lines which can be commercially used. A line to be called inbred should have at least 50% of inbreeding coefficient. Three generations of full brother-sister mating or 6 generations of half brother-sister mating produces inbred lines with 50% coefficient of inbreeding.
Outbreeding is opposite of inbreeding and refers to the mating among unrelated individuals. Crossing among breeds, varieties, strains/lines are different types of outbreeding. The main purpose of outbreeding is to overcome the deleterious effects of inbreeding which arise due to small flock size. Outbreeding is sometimes practised to introduce some desirable characteristics not present in the flock. However care should be taken not to introduce germplasm from an inferior flock.
Crossing among breeds is usually called crossbreeding. Similarly crossing between strians is called strain crossing and so on. When a cross is made between two inbred lines belonging to same breed it is called an incross, and between those belonging to different breeds in-crossbred. Top crossing is a method of outbreeding in which inbred males of one line are crossed to females of an outbred population. Grading refers to the mating of an improved breed to the indigenous mongrel females. Offspring resulting from this cross are called grades. The first cross shows marked improvement over the indigenous stocks. Halfbred females are sometimes crossed to the males of exotic breed again and again to increase the inheritance of exotic breed.
Commercial crosses used for egg and meat production may result from crossing of 2 or more lines/strains/breeds. When cross involves 2 lines only it is a single cross, 3 lines 3-way cross, 4 lines 4-way cross and so on. All other crosses except single cross are known as multiple crosses. Although single crosses may be superior than multiple crosses in their production performance, multiple crosses are often used for viability of commercial operation. Diallel crossing system, in which the available lines are crossed in all possible combinations, helps to identify the best cross for commercial use, and to identify as to which line should be used as male parent and which one as female parent.
Novice poultry producers usually become interested in artificial incubation of their own chicks. The success of this type project depends on proper care and incubation of the hatching eggs so healthy, vigorus chicks are produced. The following topics discussed in this publication will help improve the producer’s success.
Most producers set as many eggs as their breeders produce. If incubator space is the limiting factor, it is more profitable to select the better quality eggs for incubating.A few tips to follow when selecting hatching eggs are:
- Select eggs from breeders that are (1) well developed, mature and healthy; (2) compatible with their mates and produce a high percentage of fertile eggs; (3) are not disturbed much during the mating season; (4) fed a complete breeder diet; and (5) not directly related [brother, sister, mother, father, etc.].
- Avoid excessively large or small eggs. Large eggs hatch poorly and small eggs produce small chicks.
- Avoid eggs with cracked or thin shells. These eggs have difficulty retaining moisture needed for proper chick development. Penetration of disease organisms increase in cracked eggs.
- Do not incubate eggs that are excessively misshapen.
- Keep only clean eggs for hatching. Do not wash dirty eggs or wipe eggs clean with a damp cloth. This removes the egg’s protective coating and exposes it to entry of disease organisms. The washing and rubbing action also serves to force disease organisms through the pores of the shell.
Egg Care and Storage
Many times a producer carefully attends to the incubation process but disregards the care of the eggs before they are placed in the incubator. Even before incubation starts the embryo is developing and needs proper care. Hatching eggs suffer from reduced hatchability if the eggs are not cared for properly. Listed below are tips to help maintain hatching egg quality.
- Collect eggs at least three times daily. When daily high temperatures exceed 85 degrees F. increase egg collection to five times daily. Collect two or three times in the morning and one or two times in the afternoon.
- Slightly soiled eggs can be used for hatching purposes without causing hatching problems, but dirty eggs should not be saved. Do not wash dirty eggs.
- Store eggs in a cool-humid storage area. Ideal storage conditions include a 55 degree F. temperature and 75% relative humidity. Store the eggs with the small end pointed downward.
- Alter egg position periodically if not incubating within 4-6 days. Turn the eggs to a new position once daily until placing in the incubator.
- Hatchability holds reasonably well up to seven days, but declines rapidly afterward. Therefore, do not store eggs more than 7 days before incubating. After 3 weeks of storage, hatchability drops to almost zero. Plan ahead and have a regular hatching schedule to avoid storage problems and reduced hatches.
- Allow cool eggs to warm slowly to room temperature before placing in the incubator. Abrupt warming from 55 degrees to 100 degrees causes moisture condensation on the egg shell that leads to disease and reduced hatches.
Incubators
The size and type of incubator selected depends on the needs and future plans of each producer. Many different models are available. For continuous settings, separate incubator and hatcher units are recommended. If all eggs in the unit are at the same stage of incubation, a single unit can be used.Locate the incubator and hatcher units indoors to protect them from major weather changes. It is essential that the room has a good ventilation system to supply plenty of fresh air. Keeping the units indoors makes it easier to maintain uniform temperature and humidity. There are basically two types of incubators available, forced-air and still-air incubators. Forced-air incubators have fans that provide internal air circulation. The capacity of these units may be very large. The still-air incubators are usually small without fans for air circulation. Air exchange is attained by the rise and escape of warm, stale air and the entry of cooler fresh air near the base of the incubator. Recommended temperatures vary between the two incubators, so follow the manufacturer’s recommendation that accompany the units.
Incubating Conditions
Poor results are most commonly produced with improper control of temperature and/or humidity. Improper control means that the temperature or humidity is too high or too low for a sufficient length of time that it interferes with the normal growth and development of the embryo. Poor results also occur from improper ventilation, egg turning and sanitation of the machines or eggs.Obtain the best hatch by keeping the temperature at 100 degrees F. throughout the entire incubation period when using a forced-air incubator. Minor fluctuations (less than ½ degree) above or below 100 degrees are tolerated, but do not let the temperatures vary more than a total of 1 degree. Prolonged periods of high or low temperatures will alter hatching success. High temperatures are especially serious. A forced-air incubator that is too warm tends to produce early hatches. One that runs consistently cooler tends to produce late hatches. In both cases the total chicks hatched will be reduced. Maintain a still-air incubator at 102 degrees F. to compensate for the temperature layering within the incubator. Obtain the proper temperature reading by elevating the bulb of the thermometer to the same height as the top of the eggs when the eggs are laying horizontal. If the eggs are positioned in a vertical position, elevate the thermometer bulb to a point about ¼- to ½-inch below the top of the egg. The temperature is measured at the level where the embryos develop (at the top of the egg). Do not allow the thermometer’s bulb to touch the eggs or incubator. Incorrect readings will result.Check the thermometer! Is it accurate? An error of one degree for 21 days can seriously interfere with embryonic growth. Check the incubator thermometer’s accuracy by placing the bulb next to the bulb of a clinical (the kind used to measure body temperature) or good laboratory thermometer. Hold both under lukewarm tap water and compare the readings. Compensate for any variation of the incubating thermometer by increasing or decreasing by the amount of variation. A thermometer with a split or gapped mercury column will not give an accurate reading, discard it.Humidity is carefully controlled to prevent unnecessary loss of egg moisture. The relative humidity in the incubator between setting and three days prior to hatching should remain at 58-60% or 84-86 degree F., wet-bulb. When hatching, the humidity is increased to 65% relative humidity or more.
An excellent method to determine correct humidity is to candle the eggs at various stages of incubation. The normal size of the air cell after 7, 14, and 18 days of incubation for a chicken egg is shown. Necessary humidity adjustments can be made as a result of the candling inspection. The egg’s weight must decrease by 12% during incubation if good hatches are expected.
Humidity |
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¹ Dry-bulb temperatures are shown horizontally for common incubation values.
Rarely is the humidity too high in properly ventilated still-air incubators. The water pan area should be equivalent to one-half the floor surface area or more. Increased ventilation during the last few days of incubation and hatching may necessitate the addition of another pan of water or a wet sponge. Humidity is maintained by increasing the exposed water surface area.Ventilation is very important during the incubation process. While the embryo is developing, oxygen enters the egg through the shell and carbon dioxide escapes in the same manner. As the chicks hatch, they require an increased supply of fresh oxygen. As embryos grow, the air vent openings are gradually opened to satisfy increased embryonic oxygen demand. Care must be taken to maintain humidity during the hatching period. Unobstructed ventilation holes, both above and below the eggs, are essential for proper air exchange.
What must be done if the power goes off during incubation? A proper response depends on several factors, some of which include the temperature of the room in which the incubator is located, the number of eggs in the machine, and whether the eggs are in the early or late stage of incubation.
The two most important considerations in this situation are to (1) keep the eggs from overheating and (2) be sure they have an adequate oxygen supply. The longer the eggs incubate and the greater the number of eggs in the incubator, the greater the chance that you will experience overheating and suffocation of the embryos.
If the room in which the incubator is located is hot and stuffy, you will have to react more quickly to power outages than if the room is kept at 75 degrees and is well ventilated. The most effective guard against overheating and suffocation is to open the door of the incubator or hatcher. Whether the door is opened slightly or fully and the length of time it is left open depends on the factors mentioned earlier.
Eggs must be turned at least 4-6 times daily during the incubation period. Do not turn eggs during the last three days before hatching. The embryos are moving into hatching position and need no turning. Keep the incubator closed during hatching to maintain proper temperature and humidity. The air vents should be almost fully open during the latter stages of hatching.