ABSTRACT

This article presents a practical guide to

egg breakout analysis in commercial
poultry hatcheries, focusing on fertility
evaluation, embryo mortality diagnosis,
and hatchery performance improvement.
It explains how to distinguish infertile
and fertile eggs, identify embryo
development stages, and classify early,
mid, and late embryonic mortality.
Common farm- and hatchery-related
causes of embryo loss are detailed, along
with abnormality indicators such as
upside-down position, malpositions,
pipping failures, and deformities. A
structured record-keeping format is
Practical Guide to Egg Breakout provided to help hatchery managers
analyze results, identify trends, and
Analysis and Embryo Mortality in implement corrective actions. By
Commercial Hatcheries standardizing breakout analysis and
maintaining accurate records, hatcheries
Writer: [Link] Ahmed (Incubation Specialist) can enhance hatchability, improve chick
quality, and strengthen overall flock
performance
Shafiq
1. Introduction
Breakout analysis is a standard hatchery practice to examine unhatched eggs after incubation.
The goal is to determine the stage of embryo development, identify infertile eggs, and
diagnose incubation problems.

It helps hatchery managers improve hatchability, reduce embryo mortality, and monitor flock
fertility and egg handling quality

There are two different moments to perform breakouts on incubated eggs: during candling
and after take-off.

2. Objectives of Breakout Analysis

✓ To differentiate between infertile and fertile eggs.
✓ To determine the stage of embryo mortality (early, mid, or late).
✓ To evaluate incubation conditions (temperature, humidity, ventilation, turning,
sanitation).
✓ To provide feedback to both the breeder farm and hatchery teams.

3. How to Perform Breakout Analysis

1. Collect unhatched eggs immediately after hatch pull (Candling egg after transfer).

2. Handle carefully to avoid contamination or damage.

3. Open eggs systematically over a tray or container.

4. Observe contents under good lighting.

5. Record findings (infertile, fertile, stage of death, contamination, abnormalities).

4. Recognizing Infertile vs. Fertile Eggs
A. Infertile Egg

• Appearance: Clear, with no visible embryo development.

• Yolk: Intact, no blood spots or rings.
• Blastodisc (on yolk surface):
• Appears as a small, white, opaque spot.
• Remains a solid disc (no signs of cell division).
• Smell: Usually normal (if no bacterial
contamination).

B. Fertile Egg

• Blastoderm instead of blastodisc (white spot with a clear “bull’s-eye” ring indicating
cell division).
• Depending on stage of development, fertile eggs may show:
• Early dead embryos (0–7 days): Small blood vessels, blood rings, or tiny black eye spot.
• Mid-term dead embryos (8–14 days): Partial skeletal development, visible feathers
starting.
• Late dead embryos (15–21 days): Fully formed chick but failed to hatch (malposition,
weakness, or incubation problem).

5. Common Findings in Breakout

Infertile: No development, clear contents.

Early death: Blood ring, small embryo with few vessels.

Mid death: Larger embryo, organs partially developed.

Late death: Fully developed chick, unhatched.

Contamination: Foul odor, discolored contents, bacterial/fungal growth.

6. Benefits of Breakout Analysis

➢ Identifies true fertility rate (separating infertility from early embryo death).
➢ Helps adjust breeder flock nutrition, mating management, egg storage & handling.
➢ Improves incubation programs by detecting technical faults.
➢ Reduces economic loss by improving hatchability and chick quality.
[Link] Mortality Identification in Breakout Analysis

1. Classification of Embryo Mortality

Embryonic mortality is usually divided into three main stages:

Early (0–7 days)

Mid (8–14 days)

Late (15–21 days)

2. Characteristics of Each Stage

A. Early Mortality (0–7 days of incubation)

Day 0–3:
✓ Only small blood spots or faint vessel growth.
✓ “Blood ring” (circular red ring around yolk) indicates embryo death after initial
development.
✓ Embryo very tiny, sometimes invisible to naked eye.

Day 4–7:
✓ Small embryo visible, about the size of a bean.
✓ Eye spot becomes visible (black dot).
✓ Limited vascular system (few blood vessels around yolk).
✓ Embryo pale, no active organ formation.

Key signs: blood ring, tiny embryo, few vessels, small black eye spot.

B. Mid Mortality (8–14 days of incubation)

Day 8–10:
✓ Embryo larger, with distinct head and body.
✓ Eye very prominent (black, relatively large compared to body).
✓ Limb buds and beak visible.
✓ Feather germs (tiny dots where feathers will grow).
Day 11–14:
✓ Embryo fills more space inside egg.
✓ Beak clearly formed, toes separated.
✓ Feathers starting to appear as short stubs.
✓ Embryo color pale gray to pinkish.
✓ Yolk sac still large and external.

Key signs: well-formed embryo, feather germs visible, prominent eyes, partially
developed skeleton, death before rapid growth stage.

C. Late Mortality (15–21 days of incubation)

Day 15–18:
✓ Embryo nearly fills egg.
✓ Feathers clearly visible.
✓ Yolk sac smaller, starting to draw inside abdomen.
✓ Embryo positioned with head toward large end of egg (air cell).
✓ Sometimes malposition (head away from air cell, legs over head, etc.).

Day 19–21 (Pre-hatch):

✓ Fully developed chick.
✓ Yolk sac internalized.
✓ May have unabsorbed yolk if weak.
✓ Dead-in-shell (chick failed to pip or died after pipping).

Key signs: full embryo, feathers complete, yolk partly or fully absorbed, malposition or
pipped but dead.

[Link] Diagnostic Table:

Mortality Age Key Identifying Features
Stage (days)

Early 0–7 Blood ring, few vessels, small black eye spot, tiny embryo or
only blood clot.
Mid 8–14 Prominent eyes, beak & toes visible, feather germs, partially
developed skeleton, yolk still large.
Late 15–21 Fully feathered chick, occupies most of egg, yolk sac reduced
or absorbed, malpositions, dead-in-shell.
4. Practical Use
❖ High Early mortality: May indicate poor egg storage, low fertility, or
improper incubation temperature at start.
❖ High Mid mortality: Often linked to poor ventilation, turning problems,
or contamination.
❖ High Late mortality: Often linked to incorrect humidity, temperature, or
malposition problems.

Pic : Embryonic Development

[Link] Mortality Identification & Causes:

1. Early Mortality (0–7 days of incubation)

Farm-Related Causes:

▪ Poor male fertility (low sperm concentration, over-aged flock, male-to-

female ratio imbalance).
▪ Improper nutrition of breeder flock (deficiencies of vitamin E, selenium,
B-complex, essential fatty acids).
▪ Improper egg collection frequency → more contamination, temperature
shock.
▪ Poor egg storage conditions (too high/low temperature, fluctuating
storage temp, high CO₂).
▪ Use of cracked, dirty, or aged eggs (>7 days storage).

Hatchery-Related Causes:

▪ Improper pre-warming before setting (temperature shock damages

embryo).
▪ Incorrect setter temperature (too high → overheating, too low → weak
development).
▪ Lack of adequate egg turning in first 7 days.
▪ Contaminated incubation equipment leading to early bacterial infection.

Diagnostic sign: Blood ring, tiny embryo with few vessels.

2. Mid Mortality (8–14 days of incubation)

Farm-Related Causes:

▪ Breeder nutrition imbalance (Ca:P ratio, vitamin A, D, riboflavin,

manganese deficiency).
▪ Eggshell quality issues (thin, porous shells → dehydration,
contamination).
▪ Disease transfer from hen (Salmonella, Mycoplasma, viral
infections).Excessive egg storage length (>10–12 days).
Hatchery-Related Causes:

▪ Poor ventilation in incubator → CO₂ accumulation, lack of O₂.

▪ Incorrect humidity (too low → dehydration, too high → improper air cell
formation).
▪ Temperature fluctuation → weak embryo growth, organ malformation.
▪ Turning failure → yolk adhesion, uneven heat distribution.
▪ Sanitation failure → mid-incubation bacterial/fungal contamination.

Diagnostic sign: Embryo with well-formed eyes, beak, feathers starting,

but dead before rapid growth stage.

3. Late Mortality (15–21 days of incubation)

Farm-Related Causes:

▪ Breeder nutrition deficiencies (low vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus →

weak bones, poor hatchability).
▪ Over-aged flock → weak chicks, poor hatching strength.
▪ Eggshell contamination (manure, mud, cracked shells → late infection).
▪ Large or small egg size extremes → poor hatchability.

Hatchery-Related Causes:

▪ Incorrect humidity →
✓ Too low: chicks shrink-wrapped, dehydrated.
✓ Too high: unabsorbed yolk, edema, drowning in fluids.
▪ Temperature mismanagement →
✓ Overheating causes weak chicks, malposition;
✓ Low temp causes delayed hatch.
▪ Poor ventilation → suffocation before or after pipping.
▪ Malpositioning (head away from air cell, leg over head, etc.) due to
improper turning or storage.
▪ Failure in transfer to hatcher (delay, rough handling).
▪ Contamination during transfer/hatcher stage → late bacterial infection,
black/green yolk.

Diagnostic sign: Fully developed chick, feathered, often dead-in-shell with

unabsorbed yolk or malposition.
4. Summary Table

Mortality Farm Causes Hatchery Causes Signs

Stage
Early (0–7 d) Poor fertility, egg storage >7d, Incorrect pre-warming, Blood ring, tiny
breeder nutrition (Vit E, Se), wrong temp, poor embryo, few
dirty/cracked eggs turning, bacterial vessels
contamination
Mid (8–14 d) Poor breeder diet (Vit A, D, Mn, Ca:P Poor ventilation, Prominent
imbalance), weak shell, egg-borne humidity issues, temp eyes, beak,
disease fluctuation, turning feather germs,
failure, contamination dead
Late (15–21 Over-aged flock, poor shell, egg Wrong humidity/temp, Fully feathered
d) contamination, nutrition deficiency poor ventilation, chick,
(Ca, Vit D) malposition, delayed unabsorbed
transfer, hatcher yolk,
contamination malposition,
dead-in-shell

[Link] of Record Keeping in Breakout Analysis

Accurate record keeping of breakout analysis is essential for continuous improvement in
hatchery performance. By systematically recording fertility, early, mid, and late mortality, as
well as contamination and abnormal findings, hatchery managers can identify patterns and
compare results across flocks, batches, or weeks. Good records help trace problems back to
breeder farms (fertility or egg quality issues) or to hatchery practices (incubation or sanitation
faults). These records also provide valuable data for decision-making, staff training, and
communication with top management.

To maintain consistency, hatchery managers should use a standard breakout analysis record
sheet or software where each flock/batch result is entered immediately after hatch pull. Data
should then be summarized weekly or monthly for trend analysis.
[Link] Detailed Breakout Analysis Record Table:

[Link]
Breakout analysis is one of the most powerful diagnostic tools available to a
poultry hatchery manager. By systematically identifying infertile eggs, classifying
embryo mortality into early, mid, and late stages, and recording abnormalities
such as upside-down chicks, malpositions, deformities, and pip failures, hatchery
teams can accurately pinpoint where losses are occurring and why.

Consistent and detailed record keeping transforms breakout analysis from a

routine task into a management decision tool

By integrating breakout analysis into routine hatchery management, hatchability

can be maximized, chick quality improved, and long-term flock performance
secured. Ultimately, this practice ensures that every fertile egg has the highest
possible chance of producing a healthy, viable chick — the true measure of
hatchery success.

WRITER:

[Link] Ahmed
Incubation Specialist

raselbau2013@[Link]
Attribution:

Mauldin, J. M. (2014). Breakout Analyses Guide for Hatcheries. The Poultry Site / University of
Georgia.

Aviagen. (n.d.). Break Out and Analyse Hatch Debris.

Petersime. (2021). The Importance of Analysing Embryonic Mortality.

Kolariczyk, M. (n.d.). Analysing Embryo Mortality. The Poultry Site.

Royal Pas Reform. (n.d.). Egg Breakout Procedure & Abnormalities.

University of Florida IFAS. (n.d.). A Systematic Approach to Solving Hatchability and Chick
Quality.

Royal Pas Reform. (n.d.). Performing Break‐Out of Unhatched Eggs.

Cobb‐Vantress. (n.d.). Tracking Contaminated Eggs.