By the end of the 21 st day, all chicks have hatched and are ready to be removed from the machine. The hatchers can then be thoroughly cleaned after every hatch. Eggs are transferred to hatchers so that hatching chicks do not contaminate other batches of eggs being incubated. On the 18 th day, eggs are transferred to a different tray, which cannot be tilted, and placed in another machine called a “hatcher”. The temperature and humidity of the air in the setter is controlled so that conditions inside each egg are suitable for the growth and development of the chick. During setting, the eggs are placed on special trays which can be tilted through 90 degrees, from side to side. The first stage lasts for 18 days and is called “setting”. Stages of incubation First Stage of Incubation The hatchery is designed with hygiene in mind and is laid out so that there is little chance of any contaminating organisms travelling back from hatched chicks to eggs brought in later. It contains machines for holding and incubating a large number of eggs. The hatchery is a special building with controlled ventilation. These are called fancy poultry and are usually kept by small producers (or fanciers) who enjoy breeding, showing and exchanging birds with other fanciers. There are many breeds of poultry which play very little part in the commercial poultry industry. Others buy day-old chicks and rear their own birds. Some use small colony cages or even use a few layer cages in a protected spot. Most of them buy commercial crossbred hens at the point of lay and keep them in semi-intensive conditions in the yard. Many farmers and some suburban householders still like to keep their own poultry for egg and meat production. Emus and Ostriches are also bred for commercial purposes. Other poultry species such as Turkeys, Ducks & Geese, and game birds such as Quails are also produced in Australia for meat. Chickens are also affectionately referred to as “chooks”. In Australia, the term “broiler” or “meat chicken” is used by the industry to describe a chicken grown for meat, while the term “layer” is used for chickens grown and maintained for egg production.
Breeding for the commercial poultry sector is on a large industrial scale and hatcheries supply both the broiler and layer industries. Poultry breeding can be divided into three main areas which include:Ĭhicken is by far the most popular poultry species utilised by Australians for both meat and egg production. Poultry breeding is done by a wide range of people for diverse end uses and purposes.
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