6.2.2 – On-farm hatching

The welfare issue addressed is the long transport of small batches of chicks of specific slow-growing strains and delay before feeding and drinking between hatching in the hatchery and on-farm chick start. On-farm hatching after the transport of the eggs at 18 days of incubation limits chick manipulation and perturbation, weight loss, and dehydration (especially during hot seasons) with the possibility for the chick to eat and drink whenever it is ready to do so.

Presentations

• L’éclosion à la ferme pour limiter les perturbations postnatales des poussins – Fête de la Science 2023 – 14-15 October 2023 – Nouzilly
• Webinar Eclosion à la ferme – 30 November 2023
• Effects of on-farm hatching on performance, adaptive capacity, and animal welfare of slow-growing broiler chickens – Hybrid seminar Wageningen – 21 May 2024
• Early life management solutions to improve resilience in slow-growing broilers – Video – PDF – PPILOW Final Conference – Brussels – 12-13 June 2024

Practice Abstracts

• Practice Abstracts n. 17 – On-farm hatching possible with radiant heaters: here are the tips
• Practice Abstract n. 18 – The benefits and limits of on-farm hatching in outdoor or small-scale organic farm
• Practice Abstract On-farm hatching in organic and low-input outdoor farms

Video

• On-farm hatching – PPILOW webseries