Technology of hatching egg production and management systems for breeding poultry

Incubation egg production technology is a system of knowledge regarding the most rational methods for the reproduction, rearing, keeping, and feeding of breeding poultry. It is based on the application of advancements in genetics, selection, biology, physiology, animal husbandry, and other sciences.

The application of technological science for incubation egg production to practice involves the development of scientifically grounded processes for producing high-quality breeding products with minimal labor and resource costs.

Obtaining high-quality incubation eggs from poultry of various species uniformly throughout the year is a crucial link and prerequisite in the technology of poultry product manufacturing.

The technology for producing incubation eggs is divided into the following processes:

• obtaining eggs for the purpose of reproducing purebred poultry through line breeding;
• hatching hybrid poultry while evaluating their combining ability and expanding their reproduction in accordance with the farm's objectives.

Technological processes for producing incubation eggs in breeding farms include:

1. rearing and growing replacement young stock;
2. assembling and reproducing the parent flock;
3. collecting, sorting, packaging, and selling the finished breeding products.

Applying the most advanced methods for reproducing the parent flock is the key to success in producing high-quality incubation eggs and ensuring subsequent high poultry productivity. Currently, the floor-based system of keeping and reproducing breeding poultry is primarily used. In some farms, free-range keeping is utilized.

The success of intensive poultry farming when keeping commercial layers in cages has demonstrated the high efficiency of this system. The use of the cage system of keeping and reproducing breeding poultry has begun in breeding centers, multipliers, and the breeding farms of collective and state farms.

In this regard, specialized lines of chickens are currently being developed, intended for keeping and reproduction in cages while maintaining high productive and breeding qualities.

The "Solnechnoye" state farm in the Moscow region, under the guidance and with the direct participation of the TSHA Poultry Department, was one of the first in the country to transition to cage-based reproduction using artificial insemination of egg-line chickens of various breeds, which are used in crosses for developing cage-bred hybrid layers. Transition period:

At present, the cage system for breeding hen reproduction has been implemented and continues to be introduced in a number of poultry farms, state farms, and other agricultural enterprises. Issues concerning the reproduction of meat chickens and turkeys in cages continue to be developed and studied.

Further improvement of technological processes is linked to the use of new scientific achievements and best practices regarding poultry reproduction with maximum mechanization of breeding product manufacturing.

Technology of incubation egg production in breeding centers. The technology of producing high-quality incubation eggs from various poultry species is based on individual, family, and periodic reciprocal selection, which allow for systematic evaluation of poultry based on breeding qualities.

Incubation eggs are primarily obtained from poultry during the period of their peak egg production. Different quantities of eggs are obtained from various poultry species and used for incubation. On average, 70% of eggs from chickens are incubated, 90% from turkeys and geese, and 85% from ducks, relative to their total collection. The more intensively breeding poultry is utilized, the more product is obtained per head of the parent flock with lower feed and resource costs.

For the reproduction of poultry on the floor and in cages, several methods of natural mating or artificial insemination are applied. In accordance with the purpose of the poultry and its subsequent evaluation for breeding and productive qualities, nest or group mating is conducted in breeding centers. To evaluate sires based on offspring quality, it is necessary to know the origin from both the paternal and maternal lines. For this purpose, nest mating is used, and breeding poultry is placed in sections of the selection poultry house, where 15 egg-type or 12 meat-type chickens, 10—15 turkeys of heavy breeds and lines (or 18 light-type), seven ducks, or three geese are placed with one male. Chickens of egg lines and breeds are also reproduced in individual cages using artificial insemination. In testing poultry houses and the multiplier group, group mating is used with the same sex ratio as in multiplier farms.

The flock structure and the quantity of incubation eggs produced are determined by the plans for breeding work, the capacity of the breeding centers, the number of lines in the crosses, and the quality of the poultry. The parent flock, as a rule, consists of a selection group and a multiplier. In addition, breeding centers that supply poultry farms with incubation eggs of hybrid parent forms also have grandparent flocks of hybrids, as well as small groups of hybrid poultry to monitor selection results. In breeding centers for different poultry species, the structure of the parent flock should be approximately as follows:

a) selection group — 40—46%, of which 5—18% accounts for poultry in pedigree mating;

b) multiplier of initial lines, grandparent and parent forms of hybrids — 54—60%.

The age structure of the herd of poultry varies slightly due to the timing of its breeding use.

The selection group includes poultry intended for intra-line matings and reciprocal crosses, progeny being tested for productivity from pedigree pens, and may also include freely mating poultry. The multiplier group consists of poultry from lines intended for purebred breeding and for producing parent forms of hybrids.

Assembling the parent flock is the most important link in the production technology of high-quality hatching eggs. Selection and testing poultry houses are stocked at least twice a year, and multiplier group poultry houses — 4 times. Multiple stocking of the parent flock is carried out according to a pre-arranged schedule at the same time.

The traits used to select breeding poultry when stocking the parent flock depend on the direction of the poultry's productivity, its purpose, and the methods of selection work. The most complex and labor-intensive work is carried out when stocking selection poultry house pens. In this case, homogeneous selection of young poultry and yearlings by phenotype and genotype is mainly used. To more effectively evaluate the breeding qualities of a sire and identify the best combinability in chickens and turkeys, a complex pen is used: females of two lines are placed in a pen with one male in equal numbers.

Testing poultry houses are stocked with young purebred or hybrid poultry originating from selection pens and evaluated for productive qualities. Poultry houses of the initial line multiplier group are also stocked with young poultry, originating mainly from selection pens, and grandparent flocks of hybrids — with poultry from the initial line multiplier. To obtain hatching eggs during the expanded reproduction of breeding poultry in the initial line multiplier groups, male brothers and half-brothers from the best families are used.

In breeding plants for chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese, at least 60 pens are used to work with one line of poultry, in which intra-line matings and reciprocal crosses are conducted to evaluate the poultry for combinability. When working with egg-laying chickens of one line, intra-line matings are carried out in 20 pens, and reciprocal crosses in 40. In a breeding plant for egg-laying chickens with 50 thousand poultry places, when working with a three-line cross, approximately 7,000—8,000 purebreds (in 60 pens 900 chickens X eight daughters) and 9,000—10,000 hybrid pullets (in 120 pens 1800 chickens X five daughters) are under control annually to evaluate one shift of roosters. 180 roosters and 2700 chickens are kept in selection pens, and 25,000—27,000 chickens are in the multiplier group. In addition, there may be 1,500—3,000 chickens in a freely mating group.

The best egg-laying chickens from reciprocal cross pens, after being evaluated for their own productivity over 68 weeks of life and for the productivity of hybrid daughters over 39 weeks of life, are used to stock pens for intra-line matings. The age of the poultry is approximately 17 months. The amount of this poultry is 90%, and 10% accounts for chickens in their third year of laying. However, some pens may be stocked with young layers from the best families.

Pens for reciprocal crosses are stocked with the best nine-month-old poultry obtained from chickens of intra-line mating, after their preliminary productivity evaluation over 39 weeks of life in testing poultry houses. For mating in pens, roosters of different ages originating from the best sires are selected. Roosters are evaluated by the productivity of sisters, half-sisters, and daughters, conformation, health status, sperm quality, and reproductive merits. Yearling roosters are considered the best for intra-line matings, whose daughters significantly exceed their peers in productivity.

For reciprocal crosses, 10—12-month-old roosters are used, evaluated by the productivity of sisters and half-sisters over 39 weeks of life. The best ones are roosters whose sisters and half-sisters significantly exceed their peers in productivity. When stocking pens in each line, about 10—12% of spare roosters are selected, which are the best brothers or half-brothers. Spare roosters are kept in separate sections of the selection poultry house and are used in case of the loss of the main rooster from the pen. In pens of egg-laying chickens, no more than five sons from valuable sires are used, and in meat pens — three, to avoid inbreeding.

Before stocking pens with poultry from testing poultry houses, all roosters are removed to cages or floor sections. For seven days, the roosters are evaluated for sperm quality, and the chickens are sterilized during this time. Eggs for incubation begin to be collected five days after stocking the pens with chickens and adding the roosters; the duration of the sterile period for the chickens is thus 12 days. To obtain a minimum number of descendants with small age differences for a reliable evaluation of the sires, eggs for incubation are collected for 35—45 days. Eggs are collected and stored before being placed in the incubator for 6—7 days, which allows for larger batches of same-age day-old chicks. From one layer in a pedigree pen, 25—35 eggs are collected for incubation during this period, and an average of 20 chicks are hatched.

Testing houses and multiplier groups are stocked with 135-day-old purebred and hybrid pullets. Any bird that does not meet the minimum requirements during accelerated evaluation is culled.

The breeding group of meat-type chickens consists of young birds (85—90%) and yearling birds (10—15%). For within-line mating, young birds are selected for breeding pens based on individual productivity indicators over 34 weeks of life from families that have received a high assessment for hybrid offspring. Final evaluation of the birds occurs at 64 weeks of life.

At a meat-type chicken breeding plant with a capacity of 50,000 birds, when working with four combinable lines, there should be at least 240 pens for family breeding. For two lines of the sire form, 90 pens are used, housing 90 roosters and 1,080 hens. In the remaining pens, 150 roosters and 1,800 hens of two lines of the dam form are placed. With one rooster rotation in the pens annually from four chicken lines, approximately 64,000 chicks are hatched to evaluate the sires based on offspring quality, including 20,000 hybrid chicks (2,880 hens in pens × 15 purebred and seven hybrid chicks). Rearing of hybrid chicks and evaluation of their productivity are carried out up to two months of age. No fewer than 7,000 hens are tested for egg production. The multiplier group of the original lines contains 16,000 layers, and the broiler grandparent flock contains 26,000. A meat-type chicken breeding plant of this capacity can have 5—6 first-type breeder farms attached to it, each with 50,000 head.

The production of hatching eggs for turkeys, ducks, and geese has its own peculiarities. In the breeding house, depending on the type of turkey, 600 or more head are placed.

Turkey pens are stocked according to the following principle:

• young birds from the best families, evaluated at 90—120 days of age for meat productivity — 85—90%;
• yearling birds, evaluated based on the quality of their offspring — 10—15%.

For the reproduction of turkey lines, yearling birds are used. The multiplier group is stocked at a rate of 500—1,000 turkeys per line. The grandparent turkey flock is stocked with 80—85% young and 15—20% yearling birds. Individual egg production of turkeys is recorded only in breeding pens.

When working with one line of ducks, 420 females and 60 males are placed in breeding pens. For heavy crosses, the number of ducks is reduced to 300. The free-mating group contains the same number of birds. Pens are mainly stocked with yearling ducks (60—70%) and older ducks (30—40%). In breeding plants, the best ducks of combinable lines are kept for up to three years. Other groups of the parent flock are stocked with breeding young stock, and only 20—30% are ducks in their second egg-laying cycle.

After evaluating the ducks at 45—56 weeks of life in testing houses for egg production and reproductive traits, selection and stocking of breeding pens are carried out. Each group of testing houses includes 50 layers. The multiplier contains 900—1,000 ducks of each line, which are placed in groups of 100 head. Ducks begin to lay at night, so they are placed in control pens in the evening and released in the morning after the eggs have been laid and recorded in the egg production log. Such record-keeping is carried out in breeding and testing houses.

Geese pens are stocked 30—40 days before the start of hatching egg collection so that the birds can become accustomed to the new environment and each other. To work with one line of geese, 180 females and 60 males are kept in breeding pens. The age structure of the pens is presented in the table:

In pens for reciprocal crossing, geese in their first year of laying are used. In the parent goose flock of a breeding plant, in addition to young birds, 20—25% of birds at the age of two, three, and four to five years are kept.

When collecting hatching eggs in control pens or individual cages, the pen, house, or line number and the leg band number of the female that laid the egg are written in pencil on the sharp end of the egg; the mass and time of laying can also be indicated. In the incubation unit, day-old breeding young stock are tagged with wing bands, and the wing band numbers identifying their offspring are recorded in the register next to the mother's number. Mother numbers are recorded by pens, in each of which one sire was used, which facilitates the determination of offspring origin by the paternal line. The wing band remains on the bird for the rest of its life.

During expanded reproduction of birds of combinable lines, the day-old young stock of the multiplier are marked by hole-punching or cutting the webs between the toes, and before being placed in the adult housing, the young stock may be fitted with a colored plastic leg band. To facilitate work with adult birds, breeding young stock are re-banded with leg bands before the parent flock is stocked. In the corresponding column of the record form, the leg number is written next to the wing band number of the individual, and in subsequent work, only this bird number is recorded in the forms.

Individual records kept in poultry houses contain the identification numbers of all poultry, against which egg production, egg weight, live weight, and other indicators are noted. Data from these records are transferred to the appropriate breeding forms, on the basis of which birds are individually evaluated and selected for mating. Breeding farms impose high requirements on the health status of the poultry. When assembling a parent flock, all birds undergo a clinical examination and are tested for pullorum disease and tuberculosis; weak or sick birds are culled.

The efficiency of a multiplier farm directly depends on the consistency of hatching egg production throughout the year and the correct organization of the parent flock. For this purpose, breeding birds of combining lines are crossed according to recommended schemes, using group recording and group mating. The flock structure and production volumes are determined by the product sales plan, market needs, and poultry productivity indicators.

Assembling the Parent Flock and Filling Poultry Houses

To ensure a consistent output of hatching eggs, parent flocks are renewed annually and assembled in multiple batches. In the first type of multiplier farms, assembly is carried out at least twice a year. In the second type of multiplier farms, which focus on obtaining large batches of hybrid young stock (10–20 thousand birds per hall or building), as well as on breeding farms of poultry factories, the flock is assembled 4–6 times a year.

Assembly schemes depend on the type of hybrids being obtained. To produce simple hybrids, the poultry house is populated with one paternal and one maternal line. When producing complex four-line hybrids, simple combining hybrids of both parent forms are used. To avoid a decrease in productivity, young stock selected based on a complex of traits are transferred to the facilities before the onset of egg-laying.

For different species of poultry, strict deadlines for assembly and sex ratio standards for natural mating have been established. Violation of these standards reduces egg fertility and leads to the culling of valuable material. Precise technological parameters for each poultry species are provided in the table below.

Egg Collection Schedules and Breeding Flock Structure

The period for collecting hatching eggs and the duration of poultry utilization vary depending on the species. In intensive poultry farming, these periods are strictly regulated to maintain high shell quality and embryo viability. When hatching day-old chicks of parent forms, marking is mandatory by cutting the webs on their feet.

The size and structure of the parent flock are determined by the scale of production. At egg-type poultry farms, the parent flock is usually divided into three groups: the paternal form, the maternal form, and the crossing group. The average annual population of the parent flock here ranges from 8% to 20% of the number of commercial laying hens. For example, at a farm with a capacity of 500 thousand laying hens, the parent flock numbers about 65 thousand birds (13%), but this figure can be reduced through the optimization of housing technology.

At broiler enterprises, different standards apply. Thus, to produce 3 million meat-type chickens per year, an initial parent flock of 60 thousand hens is required. If the enterprise operates on a four-line cross and is fully self-sufficient in eggs, the structure of the breeding flock is as follows:

• Parent forms — 75% of the population;
• Grandparent forms — 15% of the population;
• Great-grandparent forms — 10% of the population.

In the first type of multiplier farms with an initial population of 40 thousand egg-type hens, the ratio of parent forms is also strictly regulated. The maternal form accounts for 88% (about 35 thousand birds), and the paternal form for 12% (about 5 thousand birds). Such distribution ensures an optimal balance for obtaining the planned volume of hybrid eggs.

• Parent flock share of commercial laying hens — 8–20%
• Parent flock population per 3 million broilers — 60 thousand birds
• Share of maternal form of egg-type chickens — 88%
• Share of paternal form of egg-type chickens — 12%

The practice of induced molting is based on the complex effect of several factors on the poultry in order to stop their egg-laying. Induced molting in various poultry species is triggered by stopping feeding for several days and providing no light, or by adding chemical and hormonal preparations to the feed; the latter can also be administered via injection. In the initial period of induced molting in chickens, the live weight decreases, and during the first month, it is 10–15% below the norm, after which it increases. Therefore, during molting, one must monitor feather growth and the bird's live weight so that it does not drop sharply, while at the same time avoiding overfeeding the birds and causing obesity in the final stage of molting.

Forced molting is carried out if natural molting has occurred and the egg production of the poultry has decreased to 30—40%. Only poultry typical in conformation and healthy after zootechnical culling are subjected to molting. Roosters, especially of egg breeds, are not subjected to forced molting. In laying hens, forced molting is induced at 16—17 months of age, and in meat breeds at 14—15 months.

Forced molting in hens, for example, can be induced in the following way. For the first four days, the poultry is deprived of feed and kept in a darkened room, with weak lighting turned on only for a short time during egg collection. On the fifth day, each hen is given 40 g of grain, and over the course of a week, the amount is increased to 100 g. From the 15th day, compound feed is included in the diet, the proportion of which is subsequently increased, while the proportion of grain is reduced in accordance with the structure of the ration. On the fifth day, light is turned on for 2 hours, and over the course of a week, the duration is brought up to 6 hours. The poultry is deprived of light for a second time for two days on the 20th day of molting in order to further stimulate it and achieve complete cessation. On the 23rd day, light is turned on for 2 hours and the duration of lighting is increased, and upon the restoration of egg laying, it is brought up to 14—16 hours.

When using chemical and hormonal agents to accelerate natural molting, only the daylight hours are sharply reduced to 8 hours, which is maintained for a month, and then it is increased to the required duration. Usually, 10 days after the start of the appropriate feeding and lighting regime, intensive molting of the poultry begins. 1 1/2—2 1/2 months after the start of forced molting, the intensity of egg production is restored to the level of 60—70%, and the hens are used again to obtain eggs for over six months. Forced molting in hens can also be induced after the second cycle of productivity, increasing the exploitation period of layers to two years. When using forced molting in the parent flock, there will be approximately 70% of hens in their first year of egg production and 30% in their second year. For the production of hatching eggs of turkeys in breeding farms, they are usually used during the first cycle of egg production. Over four months of egg production, 70—75 eggs are obtained from each turkey, and after this, the poultry is sold for meat. However, turkeys can also be used for a second cycle of egg production by inducing forced molting in them, which lasts about 2 1/2 months. Over the three months of the second cycle of egg production, 50—55 eggs are obtained from one turkey.