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The chicks are now hatched and ready to be processed. But even a good hatch can still be spoiled. HygieneThe feed mill needs a HACCP in place to control the quality of the feed delivered at the farm., careful chick handling and attention to the chicks are essential for maintaining the best quality. The chicks tell you by their behaviour and noise if they feel good or not. If they do not, the problem should be investigated and solved.
Scientific trials as well as hatchery and brooding practise have shown, that the body temperatureNeed to be measured at the vent with specific thermometer. of a chick is one indicator for its well being. Occasionally measuring the rectal temperature of a representative sample of chicks can help to identify weak points in the process and by this contribute to safeguard chick quality. The rectal temperature of a day-old-chick measured by an infrared ear thermometer should be preferably in a range between 39.5 and 40 °C.
Checking the chick temperature directly after chick pull gives information about the conditions in the hatcher. This can be used to adapt the temperature profile if necessary for the next hatch. It is normal that the chick temperature drops temporarily during sexing and vaccination. After the processing is completed and the chicks stay in boxes in the holding room the body temperatureNeed to be measured at the vent with specific thermometer. should be back in the optimal range.
All H&N International varieties on the commercial level are either colour or feather-sexable. If the breed allows for colour sexing, it is usually done directly at chick take-off, whereas the gender sorting of the other breeds is done as a second process. Those readers who are interested in getting more information about the sexing are referred to the appendix of this guide.
To achieve optimal conditions during takeoff one should consider the following recommendations.
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Chicks can be vaccinatedBirds are vaccinated in raring to get the immunity to have a successful healthy life. in the hatchery by injection, spray or eye drop. Regardless of the route of administration there are three different factors that influence the success of the vaccination:
Every layer chick is vaccinatedBirds are vaccinated in raring to get the immunity to have a successful healthy life. by injection against Marek’s disease. There are several vaccines from different producers available. Check requirements in your country.
The Mareks vaccine virus is cell-associated. That means that the virus is grown in tissue culture and the live cells are harvested and frozen in liquid nitrogen to be able to store them. The viability of these cells must be maintained throughout the preparation and injection to maintain the right vaccine titre. If the cells get killed because of wrong temperature or rough handling (squeezing through small needles) the titre will drop and the chicks will not get the necessary vaccination dosage.
Some practical guidelines are listed below:
During the application of the vaccine it is important to:
Beside the vaccination against Marek’s disease, often a spray vaccination against Infectious Bronchitis is done at the hatchery. Prior to use, the vaccine is dissolved in waterThe water is as important as the feed, after which it expires within hours. Therefore it must be used immediately after preparation. The waterThe water is as important as the feed serves as a transport medium for the live virus to the chicks.
When preparing the vaccine it is important that there is dedicated equipment only for this purpose. Any disinfectant present can kill the virus. Make sure that the waterThe water is as important as the feed is of good quality (no chlorineChlorine can kill live vaccines in water., low mineral content) and that all the chicks are sprayed evenly.
The behaviour of the chicks is the best indicator of the climate conditions during chick holding and transport. Under optimal conditions the chicks are mostly quiet, breathe calmly through the nostrils and are evenly spreadThe diseases can move very quickly in the farms if we don’t stop them on time. within the boxes. If it is too hot the chicks will start pantingIt requires a lo t of energy that will need to be provided in the feed., which leads to increased moisture loss and dehydration. If it is too cold the chicks will huddle together. Chilling is likely if wet chicks (pulled early, vaccinatedBirds are vaccinated in raring to get the immunity to have a successful healthy life. by spray) are placed in a store with high air speed or too cold temperature.
In general an air temperature between the boxes of 25–27 °C (77–80 °F) and a relative humidity of 50–60 % is recommended. However not the room temperature, but the temperature inside of the boxes is crucial for the well being of the chicks. Usually it should be 33–35 °C (91–95 °F). So the optimal room temperature differs depending on the air movement in the room, the type of the boxes, the way of stacking and the number of chicks per box. In order to give the chicks a good rest the holding room should be kept dark. LightThe light is crucial for achieving the egg size that market requieres should be only provided if the chicks received feed.
It is a good practise to check the conditions during holding and transport with a data logger.
If the chicks are scheduled for a long journey they benefit from extra moisture, that can be given during vaccination without extra handling. When applying the injection subcutaneously the diluent volume can be increased to 0.5 ml. Of course the vaccine
dosage should stay the same. Therefore a different size of diluent bag has to be used. The volume for an intramuscular injection should not be bigger than 0.2 ml to avoid tissue damage.