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It is not advisable to set undersized eggs as they are unlikely to produce viable chicks.
For all species:
Collect eggs at least twice daily with the last collection not before 6pm.
Ideal Egg Store Conditions:
Basic Records:
Game Bird
Egg Handling Where breeding hens are kept in captivity many potential chicks can be lost due to the poor handling and storage of eggs. A lot of these eggs are recorded as being infertile but close examination often shows that they were in fact fertile but events after the egg was laid resulted in its failure to develop. It
is important that game bird eggs do not become unduly contaminated. It is worth
reminding ourselves that in broiler production ‘floor eggs’ are never used
as they are regarded as potentially contaminated. Game bird eggs therefore start
with an immediate disadvantage. Eggs
must be collected at least twice a day from the start of the season and the last
collection should not be before 6pm so that the number of eggs left overnight is
minimal. At times of peak production and in poor weather conditions (either very
wet or very hot) collections need to be more frequent. The
newly laid egg is very fragile and if roughly handled the chick will fail to
develop. The shell does not need to be damaged for this to occur. Eggs
transported from the pens to the hatchery over rough terrain on the back of a
pick-up truck are likely to show a reduction in the number of eggs that develop
successfully unless great care is taken. Once
collected the eggs need to be washed either by hand or in a commercial egg
washer. The wash solution needs to be warmer than the egg to prevent
contamination being sucked into the egg via the shell. Always follow
manufacturer’s instructions when using solutions to clean eggs as too strong a
solution or washing for too long will damage the outer layer of the shell. This
will result in increased chick mortality. Fresh solution should be used for
every batch of eggs washed. Eggs
should be stored for at least twenty-four hours before being set. Many eggs,
particularly early in the season, are stored for far greater periods and the
number of eggs that fail to develop will rise rapidly if eggs are stored for
more than a week. If collections have not been frequent enough and the egg has
started to develop before being collected then many of these eggs may fail to
develop further. The
ideal egg store will maintain eggs between 13oC and 17oC
and at a relative humidity of 75%. If eggs are stored outside these ideals then
again the number of eggs that subsequently fail to develop will increase. As
the numbers of eggs produced per hen is limited it is important to maximise the
hatchability of those that are laid. If a problem is felt to exist it is
important that it is investigated at the earliest opportunity.
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