Chick quality as affected by the broiler breeder and breeder house management

Chick quality is influenced by many factors which will impact performance at the broiler farm. It starts with the broiler breeder and their management as well as the condition and properties of the hatching egg produced by the hen. While there are several methods to assess chick quality at hatch, these methods only look at the physical attributes of the chicks. How well the embryo/chick organ systems develop and mature is the true indicator of chick quality. The broiler breeder hen is restricted in feed intake, so it is critical that the diet formulation is optimal for producing quality chicks. Additionally, the hen must be ensured of being provided with the correct amount of feed through good feeder management. The nutrients available to the developing embryo are also impacted by age of the breeder hen, with changes in egg component amounts as the weight of egg increases. Other factors which have an influence on nutrient utilization are eggshell conductance and the altitude that the eggs are laid and incubated at. Furthermore, egg management and the environment in which the egg is laid and held prior to incubation have an influence on the chick quality. Eggshell contamination, eggshell integrity, and length of egg storage all can impact chick quality.