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EP-4734758-A1 - IMPROVED HEATING PROFILE FOR INCUBATING A POULTRY EGG

EP4734758A1EP 4734758 A1EP4734758 A1EP 4734758A1EP-4734758-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for incubating a number of poultry eggs at a hatchery, the method comprising the step of controlled heating the number of poultry eggs in a multistep egg heating process until hatching occurs, wherein the multistep egg heating process comprises at least; - an initial incubation phase wherein the number of poultry eggs are evenly heated from a physiological zero to an incubation temperature during an initial incubation period of between 4 - 8 days, and subsequently - maintaining the eggs at the incubation temperature during a main incubation period.

Inventors

  • METER, TJITZE

Assignees

  • HatchTech Group B.V.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240627

Claims (17)

  1. 1. Method for incubating a number of poultry eggs at a hatchery, the method comprising the step of controlled heating the number of poultry eggs in a multistep egg heating process until hatching occurs, wherein the multistep egg heating process comprises at least; - an initial incubation phase wherein the number of poultry eggs are evenly heated from a physiological zero to an incubation temperature during an initial incubation period of between 4 - 8 days, and subsequently - maintaining the eggs at the incubation temperature during a main incubation period.
  2. 2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the initial incubation period is about 6 days.
  3. 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the main incubation period is between 17 - 20 days.
  4. 4. Method according to a preceding claim, wherein the sum of the initial incubation period and the main incubation period is between 23-26 days, preferably about 24 days.
  5. 5. Method according to a preceding claim, wherein the multistep egg heating process comprises heating of the number of poultry eggs from a storage temperature to the physiological zero.
  6. 6. Method according to a preceding claim, wherein the multistep egg heating process comprises pre-determining a temperature course over time to which the number of poultry eggs should be exposed based on a time of arrival at the hatchery and desired moment of hatching, and subsequently controlled heating the number of poultry eggs according to the temperature course over time.
  7. 7. Method according to a preceding claim comprising increasing the temperature during the initial incubation phase with substantially linear progression in an interval of at least 12 hours, in particular in an interval of at least 50% of the initial incubation phase, more in particular during about the entire initial incubation phase.
  8. 8. Method according to a preceding claim, wherein in the initial incubation phase, a gradient over a time interval of 12 hours is between about 0,05 °F /hour and about 0,16 °F /hour.
  9. 9. Method according to a preceding claim, comprising predetermining the main incubation period depending on the initial incubation phase.
  10. 10. Method according to a preceding claim, comprising reducing the main incubation period with at least 48 hours compared to industry standard of 21 days. [4 days]
  11. 11. Method according to a preceding claim, wherein the number of poultry eggs comprise long stored eggs.
  12. 12. Method according to a preceding claim 1- 11, wherein the multistep egg heating process commences as soon as possible after laying of the number of poultry eggs, preferably within 24 hours after the laying of the number of poultry eggs.
  13. 13. Method according to a preceding claim, comprising; - providing a temperature control system comprising a heating source, a temperature sensor and a control unit, - stepwise increasing a temperature set point of the control unit with temperature set point steps between 0,05 °F /hour and about 0,16 °F /hour.
  14. 14. Method according to claim 13, comprising providing a climate chamber and a forced air flow system for uniformly heating the climate chamber and generating an air flow along the number of poultry eggs, and wherein preferably the temperature sensor is positioned downstream said eggs.
  15. 15. Method according to claim 13 or 14, comprising operating the climate chamber at first ventilation conditions during the initial incubation phase and operating the climate chamber at second ventilation conditions during the main incubation phase, wherein the first ventilation conditions and second ventilation conditions are different and wherein ventilation conditions define one or more of CO2 content, ventilation flow rate, humidity.
  16. 16. Method according to any of claim 13 - 15, comprising utilizing a heating capacity of the heating source for less than 20 % of the heating capacity during at least 80% of the step of controlled heating the number of poultry eggs eggs in the multistep egg heating process until hatching occurs.
  17. 17. Method according to a preceding claim, wherein the physiological zero is between 78 and 90°F, and the incubation temperature is between 98 and 102 °F, preferably about 100°F at the eggshell surface. -o-o-o-o-o-o-

Description

Improved heating profile for incubating a poultry egg Background The present invention relates to a method for incubating a number of poultry eggs on a hatchery, the method comprising the step of controlled heating the number of poultry eggs in a multistep egg heating process until hatching occurs. EP2105048 Al relates to breeding and aims to provide a means for providing poultry with higher vitality, a better growth and better nutrient uptake efficiency, which can easily be implemented on poultry farms. EP2105048 Al therefore teaches to, for the last third of the breeding period, raise the temperature from the basal temperature to an adaptation temperature of 38.0 DEG C - 39.8 DEG C for a total of between 30 minutes and 6 hours per day. EP2105048 Al is therefore an example of applying a warming profile in a single stage incubator. In a so-called single stage incubator, all embryos have the same age which enables to make use of “warming profiles”. In contrast, in a multi stage incubator the embryos differ in age and a warming profile is not used. NL2011847 relates to a method for hatching eggs in a single stage incubator. In NL2011847 it was found that evenly heating of the eggs from the physiological zero to the incubation temperature in in a period between 5 and 20 hours surprisingly lead to a better hatchability and a better average chick quality. In general, there are two ways or methods to start the incubation process in a single stage incubator. In both ways the warming profile contains two warming phases. The first phase is warming from the storage temperature (20°C or below) to a temperature around 25°C. The second phase is warming from a temperature around 25°C to a temperature around 37.8°C. In both existing methods the first phase intends to prevent condensation on the eggs, which condensation is undesirable since it may promote growth of germs. The first method to prevent condensation is to warm the eggs to 25°C in the corridor in front of the setters. When the egg reached the temperature around 25°C, eggs are placed in the setter and the setter is warmed to an air temperature around 37.8°C as fast as possible. Heating eggs from around 25°C to an air temperature around 37.8°C as fast as possible is standard in industry. In the corridor in front of the setter, eggs are not warmed uniformly because the airflow through the eggs is not controlled. The second method to prevent condensation is to set eggs from the storage room immediately in the setter. In the setter eggs are warmed to a temperature around 25°C according to a warming profile. After reaching an air temperature of 25°C, the incubator warms the eggs in the second phase to a temperature around 37.8°C as fast as possible. Both methods make clear that heating eggs from around 25°C to an air temperature around 37.8°C as fast as possible is standard in industry. There is room for improvement in breeding, more specifically in the hatching of eggs. Summary of the invention The invention aims to provide a method for hatching eggs with an improved efficiency. This improved efficiency may involve a better hatchability and a better average chick quality. Hatchability here means, the percentage of chicks that hatch from a batch of eggs. Another object of the invention is to improve a known method for hatching eggs in that a problem associated therewith is at least partly solved. Yet another object of the invention is to provide an alternative method for hatching eggs. According to a first aspect of the invention this is realized with a method for incubating a number of poultry eggs at a hatchery, the method comprising the step of controlled heating the number of poultry eggs in a multistep egg heating process until hatching occurs, wherein the multistep egg heating process comprises at least; - an initial incubation phase wherein the number of poultry eggs are evenly heated from a physiological zero to an incubation temperature during an initial incubation period of between 4 - 8 days, and subsequently - maintaining the eggs at the incubation temperature during a main incubation period. The heating from physiological zero at about 85°F to the incubation temperature over the course of 4-8 days increases the number of saleable chicks that hatch from a batch of eggs by about 0.8 to 22.5% compared to industry standard where eggs are fastly heated to the incubation temperature, like within 8 hours. Research showed that the invention results in an average increase of the number of saleable chicks that hatch from a batch of eggs by 3.5%. This increase in hatchability is caused by 1.5 to 21.8% lower embryonic mortality in the first week of incubation, as well as around 1% lower embryonic mortality in the last week of incubation. The quality of chicks that hatch from the method according to the invention is improved as well, as evidenced by 0.1 to 0.4 cm longer chick length at moment of hatch. Chick length is a measure of frame development and yolk util