Breeder Flock & Hatchery Management
Breeder Flock Management
• Breeder Selection– Conformation
– Color
– Size
– Health
– Turkeys, ducks and geese selected annually
– Chickens selected every 3 months • Allows for on-going production
• Hens at different stages, some always coming into lay
• Don’t have to force hens to molt out of season
Conformation
Male Barred Rock
Female Barred Rock
Breeder Flock Management
Product Variability
Product Consistency
Genetic Diversity (Healthy)
Genetic Uniformity
Breeder Flock Management
• Pedigreed Breeding– What is it
– Why to use it
– When to use it
• Range Breeding– What it is, why to use it, when to use it
– Injuries
– Aggression
Breeder Flock Management
• Feed• Nesting• Egg gathering
– Fertility varies with weather and season
Hatchery Management
• Physical plant requirements
• Washing eggs
• Storing eggs
• Setting eggs
Hatchery Management• Incubators
GSTR has 5 6000 egg incubators for turkeys and one 5500 egg hatcher
Hatchery Management
• GSTR has a separate hatchery for chickens ducks and geese– Two incubators that each hold 1200 eggs
• Never set multiple species in the same incubator at the same time
Hatchery Management
• Turkeys: 28 day incubation period– Set eggs once per week March – May 15– Candle on day 10– Move to hatcher at day 25– Remove from hatcher at 28 days
• Ducks and geese also 28 days
Hatchery Management
• Chickens: 21 day incubation period– Set eggs once a week February - September– Candle on day 5 or 6– Move to hatcher on day 18– Remove from hatcher on day 21
Hatchery Management
• Fertility checks– Candle turkeys, ducks and geese on day 10– Candle chickens on day 5 or 6– Remove bad eggs! Explosions result in
bacterial contamination and a huge clean up job!
• Monitor incubators daily – sniff check• Hatching
Hatchery Management
• Sorting– Help hatchling?– Mortality– Deformed birds
• Boxing
• Delivery – ground shipping only
Hatchery Management
• Incubator cleaning and sanitation– Wash everything, including floors
• Disease management
Hatchery
Hatchery
Hatchery
Hatchery
Record Keeping
This is essential!• Date:
– # hens– # eggs fertile– # eggs set– # eggs hatched– # eggs delivered and to whom– # mortalities at 24 hours
• Monitor trends by breeder, breed, and date– Evaluate and thoughtfully adjust system
