Optimum broiler development - Cobb-Vantress

1 Optimum broilerdevelopmentA practical guide to ensure correctearly broiler performanceContentsIntroductionObjective s1. Why focus on incubation? How to establish good chick quality? Cleanliness of hatch Color and Colibacillosis What to measure? Embryo Hatch Chick yield % Cloaca Chick Quality Summary2. Chick Chick holding3. Relative Flow Chick check4. Ultimate performance 7-day mortality/weights5. GlossaryThe Optimum broiler development Guide is intended as a reference andsupplement to your own flock management skills so that you can apply yourknowledge and judgment to obtain consistently good results with the Cobbfamily of is crucial for broiler performance to ensure a properdevelopment of the chick (incubation + first 10 days of grow-out)especially because the chick does not have the ability to properlycontrol its body temperature ( ColdBlooded ) during this temperatures pose an additionalchallenge to the development of chick andthe subsequent adult broiler .

2 This is mainlydue to poor temperature control and alsoto compromised ventilation in the broilerhouses. Good stockmen have theresponsibility to maintain a goodenvironment for the chick to maximize the birds genetic potential. IntroductionObjectives1. Review all the management aspects, in a check list form, that will help maintain broiler performance from the hatchery to the broiler Define a few practical measurements that will indicate a successful incubation/brooding and a well developed broiler : Chick quality measurements Chick check 7-day mortalities 7-day weights1. Why focus on incubation? Today s meat yield birds can produce higher embryonictemperatures and the risk of embryos overheating ishigher. Research trials have shown that adverseincubation conditions can affect performance atdifferent stages of the broiler cycle.

3 Hatchery ventilation and incubation temperaturesmust be able to cope with this or serious damage canbe done to the chicks. Less active, weaker chicks will show poorer starts andfinal performance . This will be especially true ifbrooding/growing conditions are challenging (winter).1. Hatchery Heat production of incubating eggsAge (days) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Kjoules/egg/dayWatts/1000 eggs Poor chicksGood chicks180160140120100806040200 Embryonic heat output from different egg sizesHeat Production (mW/egg)Days of incubation0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2170 g ( lb)56 g ( lb)1. How to establish good chick quality? Traditional chick grading standards (right), aredone visually and damage done to the chicksfrom overheating are not obvious to select outby grading operatives.

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6 1. How to establish good chick quality? Cleanliness of hatch debris Excess meconium residues on egg shells is a good indication that chicks have hatched too early and stayedtoo long on the hatcher dirty Another indicator of overheating or chicks beinghatched for too long is: leg veins visible/protruding (left). if you crush empty eggshells in your hand, the shell separates completely from the membrane (right).1. How to establish good chick quality? - Color and strength Chicks should be bright yellow.

7 Overheated chicks have poorly absorbed yolk sacs and hence pigments and are whiter than : Formaldehyde masks white chicks Chicks should stand up and be active. If placed on their backs they should turn themselves within 3 , alert chicksWeak chicks1. How to establish good chick quality? - Feathering Good feather development is synonymous of good chick development during incubation (chicks must look fluffy!). However, excess development of the wing feathers does indicate early hatching (overheating) and excessive time in the hatcher advanced (open), hatched too earlyCorrect development1. How to establish good chick quality? - Colibacillosis control This is the most common infectious disease of poultry and is world wide in incidence. Infection is via the oral route, via the shellmembrane, yolk/navel, water and the incubationperiod is 3-5 days.

8 Poor navel healing, mucosal damage due to viralinfections and immunosuppressive challenges arepre-disposing factors to shell contamination and 14 day mortalityEggTotal Coliforms 14 daycondition 20, ,000 1, (J. M. Mauldin)1. How to establish good chick quality? - Colibacillosis controlConsequences of overheating embryosE. Coli susceptibility (Trial Cobb Spain, 2011)It is not clear if overheated embryos are moresensitive because they spend longer in thehatchers (hatch early), but the % of seem to increase with: Hours of incubation Bigger yolk sacs403020100706050403020100 Hours of incubation<25% Residual Yolk sac >25% Residual Yolk sac% Chicks with - McConkey% Chicks with How to establish good chick quality? - Colibacillosis control Treatment is by antibiotic treatment and the type of product used depends on resistance of the bacteria isolated.

9 Contaminated hatch debris and chick fluff in the hatchery are major sources of bacterial infection. Prevention includes good hygiene of hatching eggs and good hygiene in the hatchery. Good hygiene on the farm at depletion is also important because the bacteria are readily killed by disinfection. Water hygiene is also potentially important and chlorine at 3 ppm is a good option (water ph dependant (ph <7)). Fumigation in the hatchers with formalin has shown good results in reducing bacterial transfer to six hoursbefore take offSolutionsFormalin can either be appliedneat concentrate (36% - 38%) ordiluted 1:1 with water (finalformalin solution of 18 - 19%)Volume60 ml of solution per m3of hatcherspace ( oz per 35 ft3), in panswith surface area of 50 cm2/m3( in2per ft3).Volumes need to be adjusted forneat concentrate What to measure?

10 Embryo temperatures Embryo temperatures- can be measuredaccurately by taking egg shell temperatures,on fertile eggs at the egg s equator with athermoscan thermometer between 16 and 18days of will highlight how uniform thetemperature is inside the incubator andlocate any adverse hot or cold spots, asseen in the contour graph eggs must not be measured as theyhave C (2 - 3 F) lower egg shelltemperatures than fertile eggs. NoNoYesEmbryo Temp Qualification - C ( - F) Too cold Slow - C ( - F) Optimum Good hatch andchick - C ( - F) Too warm Good hatch, poorerchick - C ( - F) Too hot Poor hatch andchick qualityMeasuringzone[Contour graph showing variance of egg shell temperaturesin a multi-stage incubator between tray - C(100 - 102 F) - 40 C(102 - 104 F)40 - C(104 - 106 F)1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 121.]