Chick Quality
A journey for everyone
By Tawomba J Chinembiri.
Bsc Honours in Animal Science (CUT)
Sondelani Ranching
INTRODUCTION
• A Quality Chick is an ambassador of a day old chick operation
Whatsap Feedback
• Tiriku tengeserwa ma rejects
• What is a reject?
• Where does a reject come from?
What do you Look for
1.Uniformity: All chicks should be the same size, more than 20% too
light or too heavy is a bad start. 35 to 45 grams
What to Look for?
• 2. Eyes: Should be clean, open and shiny, not dull or closed
Navel
• Navel: Should be closed and clean, not with remnants of yolk or
open
Reflex
• Reflex: Lay a chick on its back. It should stand up within 3 seconds
Feet
• Feet: Should be normal colour and not swollen and feel warmer
than your cheek.
Beak
• Beak: Should be clean with closed nostrils, without red spots on the
beak or malformations.
Yolk Sac
• Yolk sac: Stomach should be soft and malleable, not hard.
Down
• Down: Should be dry and shiny, not wet and tacky
Vent Temperature
• Vent temperature: Should be 40°C, 2-3 hours after arrival.
Where do our story begin?
• Once upon a time, the hatching egg was once a chicken.
• Where does a chick come from? Can the table egg hatch? Does the
hatchery add anything to the hatching egg to become a chick.
Breeder Farm
• A health Breeder parent gives a quality hatching egg
• This means the breeder parent should
• Be a health bird (vaccination and diseases control done)
• Nutrition ( balanced diet, quality feed and water availability)
• Welfare ( the freedoms of an animal is respected)
• Management (bird handling, stress management,)
• Biosecurity
• Flock age
Breeder farm
• Egg Handling
• Chicken nest boxes
• PPE
• Hand sanitization,
• Egg trays
• Egg holding rooms
• Egg grading ( sanitization of hands)
When the Breeder Farm is not performing
• Stunted growth (Asper bacterium, Reo virus)
• York Sack Infection ( E. coli, Staphylococci, Proteus,
Pseudomonas. Morbidity is 1-10%, Bacteria growth)
• Poor chick health (chick immunity)
• Bacterium Infections (bangers, rotten eggs)
Egg transportation and storage
• Improperly transported egg can be a source of infection
• It also affect nutrient availability to the developing embryo
• Over stored hatching eggs (more than 8 days affects chick quality)
• Wrong temperature egg storage
Hatchery and Incubation
Hatchery and Incubation
• Hatchery Hygiene (Swabs, government standards , hygiene swabs)
• Incubation Parameters ( Temperatures, humidity, ventilation, turning)
• Egg Storage
• Egg size
Chick transportation (Hatchery- shop-
Brooder house)
• Transit duration
• Transit parameters (temperatures, ventilation, humidity, direct
sunlight, rains)
• Time of loading
• Hygiene
Shop chick Holding Room
• Chick receiving time
• Chick holding room parameters (temperature, humidity, direct
sunlight, rain)
• Rodents
• Biosecurity
Brooder
• Broder Parameters (temperature, humidity, ventilation etc).
• Biosecurity and sanity (mult aged birds, mixed breeds, resting period,
foot bath, hand sanitizer, water source, Planning, etc)
• (Principles of Brooding Management)
