A poultry farm in Mosoriot, Nandi county. [Christopher Kipsang, Standard]
Since devolution was introduced in Kenya eight years ago, we have witnessed mushrooming of small to medium size incubators in almost all the peri-urban areas around major town centres in our counties. There has been a lot of excitement at the county levels with women groups and individual agribusiness entrepreneurs delving into artificial incubation of eggs from improved ‘Kienyeji’ breeders to supply farmers with one-day old, two weeks old and one month old pullets. Thanks to the flow of funds from the central government and external supporting partners county bosses have supported this venture, with the aim of improving livelihoods in devolved sectors like agriculture.
Artificial incubation is not a new phenomenon in the poultry industry. It is said that the Chinese and Egyptians were the early pioneers in this field, 3,000 years ago. Duck eggs would be routinely held in polythene bags in baskets and would be repeatedly moved around heated rice chaff until they hatch. Here are some important factors to ensure good hatch rates and superior chick quality.
1. Biosecurity of the premises and incubators
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Hatchery or incubators are like the maternity wards, they must be kept clean and tidy all the time. The major risk the embryo or egg will encounter is bacterial contamination. This therefore means that the person/s involved in egg handling and chick processing must shower and wear clean protective clothes all the time. I recommend different colour codes for those handling eggs for example white T-Shirt and those handling chicks in yellow T-Shirts. The premises and incubators must be cleaned, sanitised, and disinfected every day and after every hatch.
2. Source for high quality hatching eggs
Good quality eggs come from well managed hens in the farm. The source hens must be well nourished and adequately vaccinated against local disease challenges in your area. The egg shell must be clean, strong, well formed and continuous. Egg shell is important in keeping the internal contents from external contamination and also allows exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Reject eggs which have blood on the shell, are rough, extremely white, small, cracked, misshaped, thin-shelled, wrinkled and grossly soiled.
3. Storage conditions
Eggs for hatching should never be stored more than seven to 10 days since date of lay. This is to ensure the embryos are active and vital so that they survive the period of storage without damage. Setting older eggs will only result into drop in hatch rate by one per cent for every day extended. Eggs should be stored in a cold room at temperatures of 16-18 degrees centigrade and relative humidity of 70 per cent. Any rise in temperatures to 24 degrees centigrade will result in early embryo development before real incubation starts, leading to poor hatch rates. The eggs must be stored with their broad side up and pointed side facing down in a clean and disinfected environment.
4. Correct temperatures
A good incubator must maintain an ideal temperature of 37.7 degrees Celsius or 100.4 F through cycles of heating and cooling. This temperature ensures that the embryo is comfortable and can develop vital organs like the skeleton, brain and immune systems. Infrared thermometers can be used to monitor this parameter.
5. Correct turning angle and frequency
The need for early turning was known by Egyptians many years ago. The hens turn their eggs every 15 minutes in natural brooding system. For artificial incubators, turning once per hour at an angle of 45 degrees for the first seven days of incubation is recommended. This exercise will ensure the embryo develops in the middle of the egg with good chance of survival.
6. Correct humidity
Humidity can be introduced automatically by sprayers or through water in open troughs. It is important to maintain relative humidity of 63-67 per cent through active water spraying or evaporation from flat pans. Some incubators have dry bulb reading displayed on the control panel, this should be checked at least every two hours throughout the incubation. High humidity will result into weak chicks while too dry environment will result into tiny, dehydrated chicks.
7. Correct carbon dioxide level
Your incubator must also have fans that will provide fresh air full of oxygen and remove stale carbon dioxide laded air through exhaust system. Clean air is vital for the development of the heart, liver, long bones, stomach, and immune system of the birds (Thymus and Bursa). Poor ventilation will cause premature embryo mortality.
8. Correct incubation time and vaccination
Chicks incubate and hatch within 21 days, consult your veterinarian on vaccinations programme at chick takeoff for a good start. Most chicks get Newcastle and Marek’s vaccines before they leave the hatchery premises. Only quality chicks should be sold to customers. A good chick will weigh two thirds of the weight of the egg at set, anything below that can indicate dehydration due to lower incubation humidity. Chicks should be packed properly in ventilated boxes and moved to farms within 12 hours of hatching.
[Dr Watson Messo is Head Vet at Kenchic]
