Cobb Breeder Administration Information: Egg dealing with

12 September 2024

7 minute learn

Editor’s notice: This text is an excerpt from the Cobb Breeder Administration Information and extra articles will observe. The Information was designed to focus on essential components which might be most certainly to affect flock efficiency. The administration suggestions mentioned have been developed particularly for Cobb merchandise. The suggestions are meant as a reference and complement to your personal flock administration abilities as a way to apply your data and judgement to acquire constantly good outcomes with the Cobb household of merchandise. To learn or obtain the whole Information or to view Cobb’s different administration guides, click on right here.

Most hatchability and chick high quality can solely be achieved when the egg is held beneath optimum circumstances between laying and setting within the incubator. As soon as laid, its hatching potential can at finest be maintained, not improved. If mishandled, hatching potential will shortly deteriorate.

• Guide nests must be effectively maintained with clear shavings. Any droppings, damaged eggs and dirty materials should be eliminated promptly from the nests and changed with clear contemporary nest materials. In early manufacturing hens will are inclined to scratch the shavings out if nests are over stuffed. Hens want to make a concave kind nest form which might be accomplished when shavings are positioned inside and can make the nest extra inviting for the hens.
• Frequent strolling by means of the flock after onset of lay (level of lay) is a good administration method to attenuate flooring eggs. Strolling the flock will disturb birds which might be on the lookout for nesting websites on the litter or within the corners of the home and encourage them to make use of the nest bins.
• Egg temperatures throughout the nest, notably throughout scorching climate, might be just like these in an incubator. Subsequently, eggs should be often collected and cooled right down to storage temperatures (21 to 25 °C ; 70 to 77 °F) to gradual pre-incubation and embryo improvement. It will scale back embryonic mortality and enhance hatchability.
• Egg assortment from mechanical nests must be timed to stop the chance of pre-incubation. The morning must be used to gather hatching eggs, and the afternoon can be utilized for home and chicken administration, as effectively as repairs/upkeep.
• Wash fingers earlier than and after every egg assortment, and earlier than and after dealing with flooring eggs.
• Hand accumulate eggs a minimum of 4 instances each day and through peak manufacturing durations six collections are beneficial.
• All the time deal with eggs rigorously to stop cracks. Eggs must be collected in plastic or fiber trays. When carrying by hand, egg trays must be stacked and carried at a most of three tiers excessive.
• Don’t use baskets or buckets as they trigger cracked and contaminated eggs.
• With mechanical programs, don’t permit eggs to build up on assortment tables. Regulate the system to a pace that permits egg collectors to work comfortably.
• In guide nests, when accumulating eggs, shut the decrease nests earlier than the final spherical of egg assortment and depart the higher nests open. On the final assortment, shut the higher nest to assist preserve cleaner nest circumstances.
• With the mechanical neighborhood nest, open the nests 1 hour earlier than the lights are turned on and shut the nests 12 hours after the lights are turned on.
• Use of flooring eggs decreases hatchability and is a hygiene threat. By no means put flooring eggs into nest bins. Accumulate, pack and clearly establish flooring eggs individually from nest eggs. If flooring eggs will likely be incubated, they need to be incubated and hatched in machines devoted for flooring eggs.

Automated egg packers – Key factors and concerns

Many massive dad or mum inventory operations with neighborhood nest programs are additional automating the farms by connecting the homes with a centralized egg packer.

• Centralized egg packer machines have a variety of hatching egg (HE) assortment capacities. A ten,000 HE/hour machine is taken into account ample capability for a 30,000 to 40,000 dad or mum inventory farm. A 15,000 HE/hour machine is regarded as ample capability for a 60,000 to 70,000 dad or mum inventory farm.
• All egg packing work must be accomplished in round 4 to five hours day-after-day. Use the egg packer solely as soon as per day to attenuate system put on if the egg belts complete 50 cm in width and there’s a separation between the two egg belts. If the egg belts aren’t separated and are smaller (solely 20 cm huge) contemplate, at least, 2 to three egg collections per day to scale back eggshell cracks and micro fractures. On this case, eggs must be packed 2 to three instances a day and positioned straight within the egg storage room.

• The egg packer machine can place the eggs in a carton or straight on hatchery trays, relying on the extent of automation.
• Guarantee the right egg identification stamps can be found, particularly for export merchandise.
• Egg trays (30 to 150 eggs) might be stuffed on web site (egg tray stacking).
• Egg packers might function with or with out egg tray stacking.
• Paper egg trays should be dry and saved in a dry room for the simple separation through the packing course of.
• The presence of many small feathers and soiled eggs signifies the nests aren’t closing or closing too late.
• Use gentle supply (heat gentle) on the packer to make sure all hairline cracks are eliminated.
• Upkeep groups have to lubricate all transferring elements on a weekly foundation.
• Work areas ought to at all times be saved clear.

Egg assortment timing

Egg assortment timing given right here is proven for example. Egg belt speeds are adjustable and the producer of the egg assortment tools can present extra info on adjusting egg belt speeds and timing. The next idea can solely be used when the home temperature is under 22 °C (72 °F) to stop pre-incubation of eggs on the egg belts. Since every home is collected in sequence, the time assortment begins in successive homes is delayed by the point obligatory to gather the earlier home (see illustration under). For instance, the furthest home assortment begins 7 hours after lights on. The second home will start assortment 45 minutes later with a further 5 minutes for eggs that are on the belt to maneuver previous the subsequent home (i.e. 7 h 50 min after lights on). When the third home begins accumulating eggs, the entire time from the beginning of lights turned on is now 8 h and 40 min. For successive homes, near 100 % of the each day manufacturing will likely be on the belt because of the timing. Usually, eggs within the first and second homes are being collected whereas manufacturing continues. On this case, these homes can nonetheless include as much as 10 % of the each day manufacturing after the primary assortment. Subsequently, after the primary assortment from all the homes, a second assortment begins with the primary and second home. Throughout this second assortment, many of the each day egg manufacturing must be collected. Because the first home was collected earlier than all eggs have been laid, a second spherical of assortment can be accomplished by rising the belt pace to gather all eggs in 10 to12 minutes.

An instance of egg packer arrange and timing

Lights are turned on at 3:00 AM and belts are turned on 7 hours later starting with home #1 (furthest from the egg packer).

Egg belt speeds

• When the home temperature is under 22 °C (72 °F) (to stop preincubation of eggs on the egg belts) begin the egg packer 7 hours after the lights come on and many of the manufacturing is on the belt. That is solely possible with neighborhood nests which have 2 belts of 25 cm (10 in) huge and a separation between the belts to attenuate hairline cracks.
• All the time begin assortment of the HE with the furthest home. A 100 m (330 ft) lengthy home would require about 45 minutes to deliver all of the eggs to the connector belt.
• A 100 m (330 ft) hall collector belt would require ±20 minutes to deliver all the eggs to a central packer when all belts are at a hard and fast pace.
• Maintain a number of meters between the final eggs of 1 home and the primary eggs of the next home to trace particular person home manufacturing.
• Set up of an egg counter at every home belt exit, earlier than the eggs go on the connector belt, is an effective apply.
• After the primary assortment from all the homes, as second assortment start with the primary homes that also have some eggs left on the home belts.
• Throughout the second assortment, many of the each day egg manufacturing must be collected (>99 %).
• Within the first 8 hours after the lights come on, greater than 90 % of the hatching eggs may have been produced by the birds.

To learn or obtain the whole Cobb Breeder Administration Information or to view Cobb’s different administration guides, click on right here.