Incubation

rss

Different breeds demand different incubation measures

//23 Aug 2011
Commercial broiler strains usually show different performance characteristics. This is not just a matter of growth performance however, but starts at incubation already. Taking tailor made incubation measures in time, will lead to a better start. All breeds are equal, but some are more equal than others…

Page 1 of 2

By Dr. Ron Meijerhof , Poultry Performance Plus, Voorst, the Netherlands
Although it is generally accepted that genetic differences between strains and breeds exist, we often assume that incubation and incubation conditions are more or less equal for all breeds, especially if we look within a specific group like broilers or layers.
There are a lot of similarities among breeds and strains within a breed, but there are some differences as well. Although sound scientific information is limited, practical experiences can give some indications. But to better understand these differences, we will first take a look at the incubation process itself.
 
What happens in incubation?
Embryos need energy for growing, and that energy is supplied by oxidising the content of the egg. In the first part of the incubation process, the embryo grows on carbohydrates, but in the second part it has to switch to the yolk. This yolk consists mainly of fat, which is a very effective energy source. Utilising this fat for energy is a relatively slow process which requires a lot of oxygen. This means that the ability of the embryo to produce energy is influenced by the availability of oxygen through the shell.
The rate at which the embryo uses energy depends on the temperature in the egg. If this temperature goes up, the embryo will metabolise faster, and therefore will use its energy faster. Of course it is important that the production of energy and the use of energy is in balance. If the embryo uses more energy than it can produce, it will run out of energy at the end of the process, and we can imagine that things will then go wrong.
The running embryo
To try to imagine what happens in incubation, we can compare it with endurance sports like running a marathon. Of course the development of an embryo and running a marathon are not the same, but there are some similarities. Although running a marathon is a very stressful process, walking a marathon at a speed of 5 km/hr is in reach of everybody with a good physical condition and sufficient motivation.
However, if we want to run a marathon at 12 km/hr, we need to do a lot of training, and only a few people can run a marathon at 20 km/hr. So it’s not the distance that makes the difference, it’s the speed. In fact, almost everybody has enough energy stored in their body to run a marathon, as running 42 km requires the energy that is delivered by burning approximately 400 g of body fat. But we need to metabolise this fat into nutrients that can be used by the muscles, which requires oxygen and takes time.
That is why training programmes focus on the ability of the body to uptake oxygen. If we do not run but walk, the body has enough time and oxygen to convert that fat in time, and we have no problem. However, if we run at high speed, the use of energy is much higher, and the body cannot keep up with the demand. If we try to run in an environment short of oxygen, for instance at high altitude, this will even be worse.
Differences among breeds
Not all breeds and lines are equal. If we incubate for example Ross 308 and Cobb 500 eggs of the same weight in the same machine, we can observe some differences. We will find for instance that the Ross 308 will approximately lose 0.5 to 1% more weight (moisture) in 18 days.
 If we take egg shell temperatures (embryo temperatures) at 18 days of incubation, we will see that Cobb eggs will be 0,7 to 1,0ºF warmer than Ross eggs. If we look at the hatch time, we normally see that Cobb eggs will hatch 8 to 12 hours earlier than Ross eggs of the same weight.

Page 1 of 2 | Next Page »

Source: World Poultry, Vol. 27, No. 5
Rating:
Click here to register for the free WorldPoultry newsletter

Comments (6)

1.
A very interesting and informatie article with lots of digestion required. I would be interested to hear any comments from the two main breeders!
Ken Marshall. poultryconsultant.com at 08-09-2011 15:07
2.
very clear and informative article.I wonder how apply to leghorn eggs? thanks.
German Mercado at 08-09-2011 20:53
3.
This is very informative article. Does the author have the data about Hubbard and Arbor Acre. He doesn't mention the machine either it is multistage or single stage from where he collected the data.
Habib-ur-Rehman at 14-09-2011 18:47
4.
I am afraid there is not a lot of real "sound", scientifically produced information about strains like Hubbard and Arbor Acres. What I know from my (limited) experience with Hubbard and Arbor Acres is that the AA can be compared with Ross 308, where for instance the former Hubbard HY is much more like Cobb 500. I do not have enough experience with the Hubbard flex to be able to tell for sure, although they seem to produce not that much heat. But the simplest thing to do is (if practical situation allow) to compare eggs from different strains (and more or less identical age or egg weight) in the same machine, and simply follow egg shell temperature differences.
About single stage or multi stage, in a way the difference is regardless of the type of incubation, as it is related to the internal heat production of the embryo. However, it means that some types of incubation will cause more problems with certain breeds than with others.
about leghorn eggs, they do not produce a lot of heat but on the other hand are more sensitive for overheating than broiler way, in such a way that if you are too warm, the chicks will show very quickly with poor development.
I hope this makes it more clear.
Ron Meijerhof at 18-09-2011 22:01
5.
It is absolutely good read an article about this at this time, my question is what is the best method to measure the egg shell temperature in the machine and is it necessary to separate eggs,or to put the eggs of different strains in different hachter and incubator?
Bruno H. R. Dias at 05-10-2011 02:10
6.
there are different ways of doing it, but the most common and most practical way is to use a (Braun) infrared ear thermometer that is used for measuring fever with kids. Allow the device to get on temperature to avoid condensation, make sure the plastic cap is not broken, and measure egg shells at the thickest point, so not at the top or bottom, to avoid measuring albumen or aircell instead of the embryo. Aim for 100 to 100.5oF, max 101, for all eggs, all breeds and all moments, except for the end of the incubation process in the hathcer, when internal pipping occurs. The activity of the embryo will increase the embryo temperature, and that should be to allow them to get enough energy to hatch. Just take a small sample of eggs to get a good idea of the embryo temperature at the desired spots, 5 or max 10 eggs, and leave them as much as possible in their original positions as temperatures change rapidly. So dont take them out of the machines to measure.
About combining sets of eggs, try to get egg groups together that are more or less equal in heat production. So if two breeds need to be placed in the same machine, try to put eggs from young flocks from the high heat production strains together with old flocks from the low heat production strains, and not the other way around. So for example, old Ross flocks together with young Cobb flocks, but not vice versa.
Ron Meijerhof at 09-10-2011 19:40

Related News article