Hatch Diagnostic (Click on the symptom to reveal potential causes.) Causes: • Improper storage • Improper incubation temperatures • Improper breeder nutrition • Improper egg sanitation Causes: • Improper hatcher temperature • High hatcher humidity • Malpositioned in egg • Improper breeder nutrition Causes: • Small eggs • Differences among breeds • Incubator temperature too high • Incubator humidity too low. Causes: • Large eggs • Old breeders • Eggs stored too long • Incubator temperature too low • Weak embryos • Inbreeding • Incubator humidity too high • Cold spots inside incubator Causes: • Eggs set small end up • Eggs set horizontally • High or low incubator temperature • Inadequate or improper turning • High humidity • Old breeders • Round-shaped eggs or very large eggs • Nutritional deficiencies • Retarded development Causes: • Humidity too low during egg storage • Humidity too low during incubation • Humidity too low during hatching • Improper egg turning • Cracked eggs or poor shell quality Causes: • High or low incubator temperature • Inadequate breeder nutrition • Improper ventilation Causes: • Heredity • Viral Infection Causes: • Improper incubator temperature Day 1-18 • Improper incubator humidity Day 1-18 • Improper incubator turning Day 1-18 • Improper incubator ventilation Day 1-18 • Improper hatcher temperature • Improper hatcher humidity • Improper hatcher ventilation • Contamination, especially from molds • Improper cleaning/sanitizing • Eggs chilled in transfer to hatcher, or transferred too late • Broken shell • Nutritional deficiencies • Embryonic malposition • Embryological accident: Failure to change to lung respiration • Embryological accident: Failure to change to embryonic circulation • Heredity -- lethal genes, chromosome abnormalities. • Twinning • Hatcher opened too much during pipping and hatching • Poor shell quality • Breeder diseases Causes: • Lack of ventilation • Improper turning • Vitamin deficiencies • Eggs stored too long or under improper temperature • Improper cleaning/sanitizing • High temperature in early incubation • Low temperature in early incubation • Breeder flock diseases • Old breeders • Inbreeding, chromosome abnormalities • Severe nutritional deficiencies • Drugs, toxins, or pesticides • Contamination Causes: • Improper incubator temperature • Improper humidity • Improper turning • Improper ventilation • Contamination • Nutritional deficiencies • Lethal genes Causes: • Egg contamination • Hatchery contamination • Breeder diseases • Heredity • Nutritional deficiencies • Thyroid abnormalities Causes: • Eggs stored too long or under improper temperature • Improper cleaning/sanitizing • High temperature in early incubation • Low temperature in early incubation • Breeder flock diseases • Old breeders • Inbreeding, chromosome abnormalities • Severe nutritional deficiencies • Drugs, toxins, or pesticides • Contamination Causes: • Eggs stored too long. • Poor storage condition • Fluctuating storage temperature • Improper cleaning/sanitizing • Egg damaged in transport • Non-porous egg shell • High temperature in early incubation • Very young or very old breeders • Inbreeding, chromosome abnormalities • Breeder flock diseases • Egg-borne infections • Drugs, toxins, pesticides, etc. • Infrequent or incomplete egg collection Causes: • Immature males • Very young or very old breeders • Too few males • Extreme weather conditions • Breeder flock disease: rough, misshaped, or thin-shelled eggs • Excess body weight • Nutritional deficiencies • Parasites, such as mites or worms. • Inadequate lighting (intensity or length) • Too many roosters: knock off syndrome Causes: • Dirty eggs from nest. Dirty nests • Improper Sanitizing • Contamination from earlier exploders, leakers, or broken eggs • Contamination from handling eggs with dirty hands or equipment • Contaminated equipment • Condensation on egg shells Causes: • High incubator temperature during days 1 to 3 • Low oxygen during days 1 to 3 Causes: • Incubator temperature too high • Heredity, lethal genes Causes: • Temperature too high in hatcher • Humidity too low in hatcher • Down collectors inadequate • Chicks remain in hatcher too long • Excessive air movement in hatcher Causes: • High incubation temperature days 1-3 Causes: • Improper egg storage • Jarring of eggs • Heredity • Nutritional deficiencies • Inadequate turning • Improper egg orientation • High or low incubator temperature • Breeder diseases • Inadequate ventilation • Shells with low porosity or permeability Causes: • High incubator temperature during days 1 to 6 • Low oxygen during days 1 to 6 Causes: • Inadequate turning • Humidity too high during incubation • Bacterial contamination • Humidity too high during in hatcher • Incubator temperature too low • Hatcher temperature too high • Eggs chilled • Nutritional deficiencies • Heredity • Inadequate ventilation. • Prolonged egg storage • Embryological accident: Failure to change to lung respiration Causes: • Low humidity or temperature for a prolonged period. • Low humidity during hatching • High temperature during hatching • Bacterial contamination • Nutritional deficiencies • Breeder diseases • Poor ventilation • Inadequate turning during first 12 days • Injury during transfer • Prolonged egg storage. Causes: • Incubator and/or hatcher temperature too high Causes: • Prolonged pushing on shell during pipping and hatching • Vitamin deficiencies • Thick shells, as in pullet flocks • High incubator humidity and/or low incubator temperature Causes: • Low humidity or temperature for a prolonged period. • Low humidity during hatching • High temperature during hatching • Bacterial contamination • Nutritional deficiencies • Breeder diseases • Poor ventilation • Inadequate turning during first 12 days • Injury during transfer • Prolonged egg storage. • Eggs set small end up. Causes: • Incubator temperature too high during days 1 to 5 • Heredity, lethal genes • Developmental accidents • Nutritional deficiencies (niacin). Causes: • Nutritional deficiencies • Mycotoxins and other toxic substances • High incubation temperature during days 1 to 14 Causes: • Temperature variations in incubator • Eggs stored for long and short periods • Mix of eggs from young and old breeders • Mix of breeds • Mix of large and small eggs • Improper egg handling • Hot or cold spots in incubator or hatcher • Incubator or hatcher temperature too high or too low Causes: • High incubator humidity • Very thick shells, as in pullet flocks • Low incubator temperature Causes: • Small eggs • Low humidity during egg storage and/or incubation • High incubation temperature • High altitude Causes: • Temperature fluctuation during incubation • Inadequate breeder nutrition • Smooth bottom hatching trays Causes: • Low incubation temperature • High incubation humidity • Improper turning • Old eggs • Very large eggs • Inadequate ventilation Causes: • High incubator temperature • Wide fluctuations in temperature • Low temperature in hatcher • Humidity too high in hatcher • Inadequate breeder nutrition Causes: • High hatcher temperature • Poor hatcher ventilation • Contamination Causes: • Contamination from dirty trays, unsanitary machines or hatchery • Contamination from dirty eggs or inadequate egg sanitation • Low incubator temperature • High incubator or hatcher humidity • Inadequate ventilation Source: "Incubation Guide," Hubbard Breeders, NDA.
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