2b – Hatchery Management

Question 1

Where is the site of fertilization?

Answer 1

• Infundibulum

Question 2

What is oviposition?

Answer 2

• Expulsion of egg from oviduct to external environment
• *expulse eggs in morning, mate in afternoon before egg shell is formed and then the egg develops through the night

Question 3

How many cells are in the ovary of a day old chick?

Answer 3

• 30,000 to 60,000 ova (cells)=high potential to lay eggs!
• *left ovary regresses
• Right ovary=functional

Question 4

What are the two ways to determine fertility? (before incubation)

Answer 4

• Macroscopic
• Microscopic
• *use light from bottom=lighter ones=not fertile

Question 5

Macroscopic examination of fertility before incubation

Answer 5

• Open egg and look at white germinal disc
• “if blends in=fading away=not fertile”
  o Proteins are degrading

Question 6

How is fertility determined at the hatchery?

Answer 6

• Incubation test
  o Fails to differentiate between early embryonic death from infertility
  o Usually how it is done!
• Microscopic test during early incubation (research)

Question 7

2 ways to determine percent hatchability

Answer 7

• % hatchability of TOTAL egg set
• % hatchability of fertile eggs

Question 8

% hatchability of TOTAL egg set

Answer 8

• Does NOT indicate the reason for low hatchability
• *usual term used in industry