Uganda Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2015, 16 (1): 115 - 127 ISSN 1026-0919 (Print) ISSN 2410-6909 (Online) Printed in Uganda. All rights reserved © 2015, National Agricultural Research Organisation Uganda Journal of Agricultural Sciences by National Agricultural Research Organisation is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.ajol.info Effect of pre-incubation and incubation conditions on hatchability and chick quality of Kuroiler chickens M. Mwesigwa, J. Semakula, P. Lusembo, J. Ssenyonjo, R. Isabirye, R. Lumu and T. Namirimu Mukono Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MUZARDI), P. O. Box 164, Mukono, Uganda Author for correspondence: [email protected] Abstract A study was conducted to review the effects of pre-incubation and incubation conditions on hatchability and chick quality of Kuroiler chickens. The most important incubation factors that affect hatch time, hatchability and hatch window (temperature, humidity, turning, and ventilation) were reviewed. There was a significant influence (P<0.05) of breeder age on hatchability. Also, there was significance (P<0.05) of breeder age on texture of the egg shell; while there was no significance (P > 0.05) between size of egg and hatch window. The performance of Kurolilers at the end of the rearing period depended, in part, on the quality of day-old chicks at placement. The quality of day-old chicks was highly affected by the incubation conditions, hatch time (which determines the time spent in the hatchery under high temperature and humidity), and handling of chicks after hatch. Key words: Egg shell, hatch handling, hatch time, hatch window Introduction compared with native Indian hens that lay only 40 per year. The meat yield per bird The Kuroiler is a hybrid ofof Kuroilers is also greater. Males weigh chicken developed in India. Kuroilers are approximately 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) and females derived from crossing either coloured about 2.5 kg (5.5 lb), whereas the native broiler males with Rhode Island Red male bird weighs 1 kg (2.2 lb) and females females, or White Leghorn males crossed 0.9 kg (2.0 lb) Jagdev (2011). Due to its with female Rhode Island Reds (Victoria, unique genetic features, the Kuroiler is 2012). resistant to diseases. The Kuroiler chick Kuroilers, a dual-purpose breed is a potential bio-converter of no cost producing meat and eggs, can live on a agricultural, household and natural waste kitchen diet and agricultural waste, and abundant in villages, into human protein produce around 150 eggs per year, http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ujas.v16i1.10 116 M. Mwesigwa et al. food and substantial incomes for rural In addition, poor performance can be households Jagdev (2011). exacerbated by the early post-hatch In modern hatcheries, with a fixed handling of chicks: sorting, sexing, management schedule, the end of the vaccination, transportation and placement Hatch Window (HW) is defined by ‘take- conditions. In commercial hatcheries, off’, i.e the time when most chicks have sorting, sexing, vaccination do not normally hatched and are removed from the exceed 2 to 4 hr. The objective of this study incubator (The Poultry Site, 2008). The was to review the important factors ‘hatch window’ is an investigation to affecting the hatch window (HW); and check the number of chicks hatched after establish post-hatch handling and the eggs have been transferred from the placement factors that impact on setter to the hatcher. If the eggs are performance and health during rearing hatching too early, the chicks become period. susceptible to problems such as dehydration. Dehydration to chicks this Materials and methods early could lead to increased 7- and 14- day mortality and/or poor performance The experiment involved use of three (The Poultry Site, 2008). If the chicks are incubators in the same hatchery, each hatched too late, the result could be poor with capacity of 450 eggs. One of the hatchability, chick quality problems, and incubators was used as the control. The live embryo unhatched eggs (The Poultry experiment was carried out from October Site, 2008). 2012 to May 2014. Kuroiler chickens Hatcheries managers have a common were randomly chosen for this research. interest in improving chick quality, because The day-old chicks fed on chick mash their profits are often based on the number from conventional commercial feeds. of viable chicks after the first week of Four batches of day-old Kuroiler rearing. Meat chicken chicks hatch after chicks (250 in each batch) were raised 461 -510 hr of incubation (Almeida et al., from brooder through laying period, 2008; Tong et al., 2011). A large HW has hatching and off-spring chicks raised. The been reported to be associated with a high chicks were also raised through laying, heterogeneity among the batch after incubation and after-hatch rearing. Two placement on rearing farms. According to incubators were used in this study, one was Careghi et al. (2005), the first chicks used as the control, and the other had hatched 30 hours before take-off, can lose conditions including frequency of turning up to 10% of their body weight; while the eggs, relative humidity by putting varying last chicks, hatched only 2 hours before amounts of water in the hatch tray. take-off, can lose only 1 to 3% of their After brooder, the chickens were body weight. Therefore, a larger HW may separated in a ratio of 1:8, male to female, result in poor welfare and performance, respectively. These sequential events because early hatched chicks spend up to were done for three successive 50 h in sub-optimal conditions (air generations; while changing hatchery temperature of approximately 37oC, RH conditions (that is to say temperature, 80% and approx.1% of CO2) and have a humidity, turning eggs). Data were delayed access to feed and water. recorded on hatchability, hatch window Pre-incubation and incubation on hatchability and quality of Kuroiler chickens 117 (HW), fertility, and survival post-hatch and Poultry Site, 2014). To facilitate smooth, six weeks into rearing period. The chicken regular shell formation, the egg rotates in were reared under a deep-litter system, the shell gland. Any disturbance of this and fed on a conventional commercial rotation, for example when the female feed ration. Data were analysed using encounters an aggressive male during Chi-test, descriptive statistics and mating, produces abnormally formed shell. Statistical Package for Social Science The shape and texture of the shells is, (SPSS). therefore, a good reflection of the health and well-being of the breeder flock. This Results and discussion understanding is valuable to hatchery managers, not only to help evaluate the Effect of pre-incubation conditions quality of the eggs delivered to the Chick quality and Hatch Window (HW) hatchery, but also to have valid input into were not only related to incubation discussions with breeder farm managers conditions, but also to the quality of about ways in which to improve hatching incubated eggs (Tables 3, 4 and 5). egg quality. There was a significance The quality of the incubated eggs influence (P<0.05) of flock age on egg (fertility, shell thickness and porosity), as (shell) quality. Older flocks laid larger eggs well as the duration of incubation were with thinner shells (Table 1) and the highly affected by the state and age of number of misshapen shells increased. breeder. In the egg shell gland, calcium Poor hatching egg shell quality often carbonate crystals are deposited at a resulted in increased weight loss and constant rate of about 0.33 g per hour (The decreased hatchabilities, with increased Table 1. Relationship between age of flock, texture and shape of the eggs laid in two chicken generations Age (months) Shape (N=400) Texture (N=400) Size (N=400) No. of No. of No. of No. of No. of No. of eggs oval eggs round eggs thick eggs thin eggs big eggs small (>60g) (<60g) 8-12 190 210 320 80 61 339 15-20 192 208 202 198 320 80 Table 2. Comparison of hatchability with size of the egg in two generations of Kuroiler chicken Size of the egg (g) % Fertility Hatchability (%) Dead in shell >100 74 (N=180) 71 38 (N=132) 50-60 98 (N=250) 97.9 5 (N=245) <50 88 (N=130) 84.5 15 (N=114) 118 M. Mwesigwa et al. Table 3. Relationship between age of breeder, size of egg and Hatch Window for three generations Age of breeder (months) Size of egg (g) Small (<50 g) Medium (50-60 g) Large (>100 g) 8-12 168(N=180) 12(N=180) - 15-20 - 168(N=170) 02(N=170) Hatch time (hrs) 485 488 492 Table 4. Rise in incubation time per day of pre-incubation storage for three generations of incubating Kuroliler eggs in a study done in Uganda Storage length Storage Turning Increase Reference (days) temperature (oC) of HT hday-1 of storage 1 to 12 7.2 to 12.8 Yes 1.28 (Bohren et al., 1961) 1to 14 12.8 to 15.6 Yes 0.70 (Crittenden and Bohren, 1961) 1 to 8 15 No 0.70 (Kirk et al., 1980) 3 to 18 15 - 1.00 (Tona et al., 2003) risk of cracks during handling leading to was, in part, due to increased total embryo dehydration and contamination (Table 2). mortality. The findings were in agreement This agrees with the findings of several with those of Tona et al., 2001; Vieira et researchers (Wilson, 1991; Kumpula and al., 2005; Almeida et al., 2006. Fasenko, 2005; Wolanski et al., 2007; Maximum hatchability (approximately Almeida et al, 2008). Egg weight 96%), (Table 2), was obtained with increased with breeder age (55 g at 27 medium-sized eggs (50 to 60 g) as weeks compared with 70g at 60 weeks reported by Wilson, 1991 and Abiola et (Table 2).