Effect of Egg Weight and Position Relative to Incubator Fan

on Broiler Hatchability and Chick Quality1

O. Elibol* and J. Brake2
*Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ankara, Ankara 06110, Turkey;
and Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695-7608
and percentage fertile hatchability decreased for eggs
in the FAR position in experiment 1 only. A significant
interaction of incubator position egg weight group
for late embryonic mortality, second quality chicks,
and fertile hatchability was found in experiment 1, but
only late embryonic mortality was so affected in experiment 2. Experiment 2 was conducted so that eggshell
temperatures could be measured. Large eggs in the
FAR position at transfer time (E 18) exhibited significantly higher eggshell temperatures than did the other
groups probably because air velocity or air distribution
was modified in the FAR position of the incubator and
large eggs were most negatively influenced in the trolley in this position.

Key words: egg weight, incubator position, hatchability, chick quality, broiler hatching egg
2008 Poultry Science 87:19131918
doi:10.3382/ps.2008-00014

INTRODUCTION
Long-term genetic selection has resulted in an enormous increase in the growth rate of broilers and evidently embryonic metabolism as Hulet and Meijerhof
(2001) reported that heat production of eggs from
modern broilers was substantially higher than that
reported in 1960. Furthermore, previous studies have
shown that large eggs did not hatch as well as small
eggs (Landauer, 1967; Ogunshile and Sparks, 1995;
French, 1997). Although there could be maternal effects and fertility could differ between large and small
eggs, French (1997) found that as egg mass increased
thermal conductance did not increase proportionally, so
larger eggs would be expected to have greater difficulty
losing embryonic metabolic heat as well as greater difficulty gaining heat during the initiation of incubation
2008 Poultry Science Association Inc.
Received January 9, 2008.
Accepted May 19, 2008.
1
The use of trade names in this publication does not imply endorsement of the products mentioned nor criticism of similar products not mentioned.
2
Corresponding author: jbrake@ncsu.edu

(Lourens et al., 2005). When large and small eggs were

incubated under similar conditions, large eggs exhibited higher temperatures during later incubation (Meijerhof and van Beek, 1993; Meijerhof, 2002). French
(1994) found turkey hatchability to progressively decrease with increasing egg size at high air temperature
(38.5C) but that large eggs exhibited improved hatchability when incubated at a reduced air temperature
(36.5C) during the second half of incubation mainly
due to a decrease in late embryo mortality. Lourens et
al. (2006) also observed that a higher heat production
required a lower air temperature for large eggs from E
15 onward, which suggested that embryonic growth in
large eggs increased at an increasing rate from E 15
onward. Adjusting incubator temperature avoided the
adverse effects of high egg temperature during the last
week of incubation on embryo development (Lourens
et al., 2005).
Measurement of air temperature around eggs within
incubators has shown that, depending on the design
of the incubator, air temperatures can differ between
0.4 and 3.0C from the setpoint temperature (Kaltofen,
1969; Mauldin and Buhr, 1995; French, 1997). French
(2001) concluded from his review of previous work that

1913

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ABSTRACT Two experiments, which included 3 incubators, were carried out to investigate the effects of egg
weight and position relative to incubator (setter) fan on
embryonic mortality, second quality chicks, and fertile
hatchability of broiler eggs. Three egg weight groups
termed small (~62.4 g), average (~65.4 g), and large
(~68.9 g) were set in either the incubator trolley most
distant from the fan (FAR) or in the incubator trolley
nearest the fan (NEAR) as would be the case during
single-stage operation in this type of incubator. Fertile
hatchability decreased in the large egg weight group
due to increased percentage late embryonic mortality in
experiment 1, and both percentage early and late embryonic mortality in experiment 2. Percentage late embryonic mortality and second quality chicks increased

1914

Elibol and Brake

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Broiler hatching eggs were produced from 2 multihouse commercial flocks of Ross 308 feather-sexable
strain females mated to Ross 344 males. Males and females had been grown sex-separate in light-controlled
facilities on an 8-h photoperiod and photostimulated at
21 wk of age. The feeding and BW programs were as
generally described by Ross (1998). Experimental eggs
were collected 4 times daily and stored for 2 d at 18C
and 75% RH before setting. All remaining space in the
incubator was filled with eggs from the same flock that
had been stored from 2 to 5 d before setting.
In experiment 1, hatching eggs were obtained from
a flock at 51 wk of age. A large number of eggs were
weighed individually and divided into 3 egg weight
groups termed small, average, and large. Mean egg
weights were 62.5 0.12, 65.6 0.13, and 69.0 0.17
g for the 3 groups, respectively. Each egg weight group
was randomly divided into 2 groups that were set in
either the wheeled incubator trolley most distant from
the fan (FAR) or in the trolley nearest the fan (NEAR)
as would be the case for single-stage operation (Figure
1). In experiment 1, two setters were used as machine
replicates. An incubation tray of 150 eggs constituted
an experimental replicate. There were a total of 60
trays and all egg weight-position combinations were

represented by 10 trays each (5 trays per incubator) for

a total of 9,000 eggs.
Experiment 2 was conducted as experiment 1 except
that the eggs came from a second multihouse flock at 58
wk of age and mean egg weight was 62.4 0.16, 65.3
0.14, and 68.8 0.18 g for the small, average, and large
groups, respectively. In experiment 2, only one setter
was used and there were a total of 30 trays, thus, each
egg weight-position combination was represented by 5
replicate trays each for a total of 4,500 eggs. Eggshell
temperature was measured at E 18 of experiment 2
from 10 fertile eggs in each egg weight-position combination group in the middle of both the NEAR and FAR
dollies using an infrared ear thermometer (Braun Ear
Thermometer Type 6013, The Gillette Company, Boston, MA) by placing the sensor tip of the instrument,
previously allowed to equilibrate with incubator temperature for 15 min, in direct contact with the equator
of the egg (Leksrisompong et al., 2007). The middle dollies, which were full of eggs, were removed from the incubators immediately before the eggshell temperature
measurements to make access to the eggs possible. The
eggs in the FAR trolley were measured first.
The machines used were a Petersime Model 576 setter and a Model 192 hatcher. The setter air temperature set points were 37.4 0.2C dry bulb and 28.9
0.2C wet bulb. The hatcher air temperature set points
were 37.2 0.2C dry bulb and 30 0.2C wet bulb. Incubators were monitored remotely by computer 6 times
daily for proper operation. All experimental groups
were placed in a single hatcher at the time of transfer on E 18 in both experiments, but relative positions
within the machines were maintained. The general air
flow and temperature patterns of this type of machine
have been described (Van Brecht et al., 2003).
At the time of removing the chicks from the hatchers, all unhatched eggs were opened and examined
macroscopically by a single experienced individual to
determine percentage fertility and percentage embryonic mortality [early (E 0 to 6), middle (E 7 to 17), late
(E 18 to 21 plus pipped)]. Determination of fertility at
hatching has a small margin of error, which determination at any other time will also experience, but such
small errors should be randomly distributed and not
significantly affect the current results, based upon the
experience of the authors. Percentage fertile hatchability was calculated as the number of first quality chicks
hatched per 100 fertile eggs set. Percentage second
quality chicks was calculated as the number that were
not able to stand properly or chicks that showed visible
signs of poor incubation conditions, such as improperly healed navels, per 100 fertile eggs. Eggs that were
cracked were excluded from the analysis. The incidence of contaminated eggs was less than 1% (data not
shown). The results were analyzed by ANOVA with the
GLM procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., 1990). The
data of experiment 1 were initially analyzed as a 2 3
factorial with incubator as a block whereas egg weight

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there was a strong correlation between the estimated

total metabolic heat production of the eggs within the
incubator and the air temperature around the eggs.
The total metabolic heat production of eggs was dependent on the stage of embryo development, size of the
eggs, and fertility of the eggs (number of live embryos)
so that when either egg mass or fertility was increased
during the latter stage of incubation so did the air temperature within the incubator (French, 2002).
The effectiveness of heat transfer from eggs to the
surrounding incubator air and uniformity of egg temperature has been demonstrated to be mainly determined by the rate of air flow over the eggs as well as
difference between egg and air temperatures (Sotherland et al., 1987; Owen, 1991; French, 1997). French
(2001) found variations of up to 1.2C within an incubator and that reducing this air temperature variation
required a uniform air flow throughout the incubator.
Preliminary observations of distinct differences in
fertile hatchability and chick quality between eggs
placed in trolleys that were positioned close to and
most distant from the incubator fan in a commercial
hatchery created an interest in characterization of the
details of this practical problem. The most obvious factor to examine in detail was egg weight (size). Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate effect
of egg weight and position (location) within an incubator (setter) during incubation on embryonic mortality,
second quality chicks, and apparent hatchability of fertile broiler eggs.

EGG WEIGHT AND INCUBATOR POSITION

1915

group and incubator trolley position were the main

effects in a randomized complete block design. There
were no effects found due to incubator, so the data from
the 2 incubators were combined and data of both experiments 1 and 2 were analyzed as a completely randomized 2 3 factorial with egg weight group and incubator position as the main effects. Between-tray variation
(residual) was the source of the error term.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Fertile hatchability, percentage second quality
chicks, and percentage embryonic mortality as affected
by egg weight and position relative to incubator fan in
experiment 1 are shown in Table 1. Fertility averaged
94.1% and did not differ due to treatment (data not
shown). Fertile hatchability decreased in the large egg
weight group primarily due to an increased percentage
late dead. Further, percentage late dead decreased as
egg weight decreased across all 3 egg weight classes.
Fertile hatchability was higher from the eggs in the
NEAR position as compared with the FAR position
largely due to significantly lower percentage late embryonic mortality and percentage second quality chicks.
There were significant interactions of egg weight group
position for percentage fertile hatchability, percentage second quality chicks, and percentage late dead
embryos.
Fertile hatchability, percentage second quality
chicks, and percentage embryonic mortality as affected

by egg weight and position relative to incubator fan

in experiment 2 are shown in Table 2. Fertility averaged 80.6% in this older flock but did not differ due to
treatment (data not shown). Fertile hatchability was
decreased significantly in the large egg weight group
due to increased percentage early and late embryonic
mortality. Fertile hatchability was only affected numerically by incubator position in experiment 2. There
was also a significant interaction of incubator position
egg weight for percentage late dead as in experiment
1. It was thought that the higher early deads in the
large egg weight group was due to a slower initial rise
in egg temperature (Lourens et al., 2005).
Hatchability of fertile eggs decreased with increasing egg weight as percentage late embryonic mortality increased, as expected within a single batch of eggs
from one maternal source, in both experiments (Tables
1 and 2). This result was consistent with previous reports (Landauer, 1967; Ogunshile and Sparks, 1995;
French, 1997). An explanation for increased late embryonic mortality due to increasing egg size was that
larger eggs would be expected to have greater difficulty
initially achieving adequate embryonic temperature
and then losing embryonic metabolic heat during later
incubation (Lourens et al., 2005). The higher heat production and increased difficulty of heat dissipation in
large eggs has been found to result in higher embryo
temperatures in large eggs (Meijerhof and van Beek,
1993; Meijerhof, 2002). A 70-g egg has a 27% larger
embryo but 8% less surface area for gaseous exchange

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Figure 1. Design of the experiment showing the NEAR and FAR trolley relative to fan position and air flow. Within the trolley at each position, eggs were placed in the 3 egg weight groups (large, average, and small) to complete a 2 3 design.

1916

Elibol and Brake

Table 1. The effect of egg weight and position relative to incubator fan on fertile hatchability of first quality chicks, second quality chicks, and
embryonic mortality in experiment 1

Variable
Fertile hatchability2
Second quality chicks2
Early dead
Mid dead
Late dead

Position
relative
to fan
NEAR
FAR
Mean
NEAR
FAR
Mean
NEAR
FAR
Mean
NEAR
FAR
Mean
NEAR
FAR
Mean

Egg weight1
Large

Average

Small

91.00 1.033
81.69 1.033
86.34 0.73b
1.15 0.533
4.58 0.533
2.86 0.36
3.93 0.54
5.37 0.54
4.65 0.38
0.22 0.15
0.57 0.15
0.40 0.10
3.00 0.523
6.87 0.523
4.94 0.37a

(%)
88.90 1.033
87.68 1.033
88.29 0.73a
1.91 0.533
2.36 0.533
2.13 0.36
4.24 0.54
5.10 0.54
4.67 0.38
0.14 0.15
0.43 0.15
0.29 0.10
3.96 0.523
3.79 0.523
3.87 0.37b

90.56 1.033
88.31 1.033
89.44 0.73a
1.55 0.533
2.51 0.533
2.03 0.36
4.52 0.54
4.35 0.54
4.43 0.38
0.49 0.15
0.28 0.15
0.38 0.10
2.25 0.523
3.57 0.523
2.91 0.37c

Position,
mean SE
90.15 0.60a
85.89 0.60b
1.53 0.29b
3.15 0.29a
4.23 0.31
4.94 0.31
0.28 0.08
0.43 0.08
3.07 0.30b
4.74 0.30a

relative to a 55-g egg (Peebles and Brake, 1987) and

evidently for heat gain or dissipation as well because
thermal conductance does not change proportionally to
egg mass (French, 1997).
The eggshell temperature data of experiment 2 in
Table 3 suggested an interaction between increasing
egg weight and incubator location with respect to increasing egg temperature at E 18. This would somewhat explain the position egg weight interaction for
percentage late deads in experiment 2. Given the con-

sistency of these particular incubators (Van Brecht et

al., 2003), the significantly higher late dead embryos
found in experiment 1, and the effects of increased fertility on egg temperature (French, 2002), it would be
highly probable that the effects on egg temperature
with respect to position and egg weight also occurred
in experiment 1. Difference in air velocity was a probable explanation because it has been found to play an
important role in heat transfer from eggs to their environment. With greater air velocity, more heat will

Table 2. The effect of egg weight and position relative to incubator fan on fertile hatchability of first quality chicks, second quality chicks, and
embryonic mortality in experiment 2

Variable
Fertile hatchability2
Second quality chicks2
Early dead
Mid dead
Late dead

Position
relative
to fan
NEAR
FAR
Mean
NEAR
FAR
Mean
NEAR
FAR
Mean
NEAR
FAR
Mean
NEAR
FAR
Mean

Egg weight1
Large
81.73 1.45
78.82 1.45
80.27 1.02b
1.04 0.32
1.50 0.32
1.27 0.22
9.54 1.00
10.41 1.00
9.98 0.70a
1.26 0.21
0.83 0.21
1.05 0.15
5.93 0.753
8.10 0.753
7.01 0.52a

Average
(%)
86.06 1.45
84.54 1.45
85.30 1.02a
0.51 0.32
0.99 0.32
0.75 0.22
6.70 1.00
7.32 1.00
7.01 0.70b
0.99 0.21
0.17 0.21
0.58 0.15
5.21 0.753
5.98 0.753
5.59 0.52b

Small
87.09 1.45
86.43 1.45
86.76 1.02a
0.94 0.32
0.80 0.32
0.87 0.22
5.81 1.00
7.66 1.00
6.74 0.70b
0.32 0.21
0.78 0.21
0.55 0.15
4.88 0.753
3.21 0.753
4.05 0.52b

Position,
mean SE
84.96 0.84
83.26 0.84
0.83 0.18
1.10 0.18
7.35 0.57
8.46 0.57
0.86 0.12
0.59 0.12
5.34 0.43
5.76 0.43

a,b
Main effect means SE for egg weight and position effects that possess different superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05). There were 5
replicate trays of 150 eggs each used for each interaction mean set in a single incubator.
1
Mean egg weights from 58-wk-old flock were 62.4, 65.3, and 68.8 g for the small, average, and large groups, respectively.
2
Calculated based upon the number of first quality or second quality chicks hatched per 100 fertile eggs set.
3
There was a significant (P 0.05) interaction of egg weight and position effects as shown by the respective interaction means.

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a,b
Main effect means SE for egg weight and position effects that possess different superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05). There were 10
replicate trays of 150 eggs each used for each interaction mean divided equally among 2 similar incubators.
1
Mean egg weights from 51-wk-old flock were 62.5, 65.6, and 69.0 g for the small, average, and large groups, respectively.
2
Calculated based upon the number of first quality or second quality chicks hatched per 100 fertile eggs set.
3
There was a significant (P 0.05) interaction of egg weight and position effects as shown by the respective interaction means.

EGG WEIGHT AND INCUBATOR POSITION

Table 3. Effect of egg weight and egg position relative to incubator
fan on eggshell temperature at transfer (C) on E 18 in experiment
21
Position relative to fan
Egg weight
Large
Average
Small

NEAR

1917

sulted with larger old flock eggs but not smaller young
flock eggs in such an experiment (Elibol and Trkolu,
2001), suggesting a discrete egg size threshold, consistent with the present and previous reports.

FAR
b

38.7 0.1
38.8 0.1b
38.6 0.1b

39.4 0.1a
38.8 0.1b
38.8 0.1b

a,b

Means SE that possess different superscripts differ significantly (P < 0.05).

1
There were 10 fertile eggs from each of 5 trays in each cell measured.

Elibol, O., and M. Trkolu. 2001. Effect of single and multistage incubation systems on hatching performance of broiler breeders eggs. Turk. J. Vet. Anim. Sci. 25:335340.
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vary between eggs? Proc. 9th Eur. Poult. Congr., Glasgow,
UK. Vol. II:395398.
French, N. A. 1997. Modeling incubation temperature; the effects of incubator design, embryonic development and egg
size. Poult. Sci. 76:124133.
French, N. A. 2001. Temperatures in a tunnel incubatorA
long term study. Avian Poult. Biol. Rev. 12:184186.
French, N. A. 2002. The critical importance of incubation
temperature. Pages 1720 in Practical Aspects of Commercial Incubation. D. C. Deeming, ed. Ratite Conference
Books, Lincolnshire, UK.
Hulet, R., G. Gladys, D. Hill, R. Meijerhof, and T. El-Shiekh.
2007. Influence of egg shell embryonic incubation temperature and broiler breeder flock age on posthatch growth
performance and carcass characteristics. Poult. Sci.
86:408412.
Hulet, R. M., and R. Meijerhof. 2001. Real time incubation
temperature control and heat production of broiler eggs.
Poult. Sci. 80(Suppl. 1):128. (Abstr.)
Kaltofen, K. S. 1969. The effect of air movements on hatchability and weight loss of chicken eggs during artificial incubation. Pages 177190 in The Fertility and Hatchability
of the Hens Egg. T. C. Carter and B. M. Freeman, ed.
Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, UK.
Landauer, W. 1967. The hatchability of chicken eggs as influenced by environment and heredity. Monograph 1 (Revised), Univ. Conn. Agric. Exp. Stn., Storrs, CT.
Leksrisompong, N., H. Romero-Sanchez, P. W. Plumstead,
K. E. Brannan, and J. Brake. 2007. Broiler Incubation. 1.
Effect of elevated temperature during late incubation on
body weight and organs of chicks. Poult. Sci. 86:2685
2691.
Lourens, A., R. Molenaar, H. van den Brand, M. J. W. Heetkamp, R. Meijerhof, and B. Kemp. 2006. Effect of egg size
on heat production and the transition of energy from egg
to hatchling. Poult. Sci. 85:770776.
Lourens, A., H. van den Brand, R. Meijerhof, and B. Kemp.
2005. Effect of eggshell temperature during incubation on
embryo development, hatchability and post-hatch development. Poult. Sci. 84:914920.
Mauldin, J. M., and R. J. Buhr. 1995. What is really happening in your incubator? Int. Hatchery Pract. 9:1922.
Meijerhof, R. 2002. Design and operation of commercial incubators. Pages 4146 in Practical Aspects of Commercial
Incubation. D. C. Deeming, ed. Ratite Conference Books,
Lincolnshire, UK.
Meijerhof, R., and S. Lourens. 1999. Embryo temperature
is the key factor in incubation. World Poultry-Elsevier
15:4243.
Meijerhof, R., and G. van Beek. 1993. Mathematical modeling of temperature and moisture loss of hatching eggs. J.
Theor. Biol. 165:2741.
Ogunshile, G., and N. Sparks. 1995. Effect of broiler egg
weight on hatchability. Br. Poult. Sci. 36:861862.
Owen, J. 1991. Principles and problems of incubator design.
Pages 205224 in Avian Incubation. S. G. Tullett, ed. Butterworth Heinemann, London, UK.

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be removed from the eggshell during late incubation

or accumulated by the egg during early incubation. At
low air velocity, egg temperature has been found to increase. Egg temperature increased with increasing egg
weight in the study of Meijerhof and Lourens (1999).
This could explain the position egg weight interactions for percentage late deads as well as percentage
fertile hatchability and second quality chicks because
the more evident effects in experiment 1 were consistent with greater fertility (embryo heat) in the presence
of similar egg mass. There have also been problems reported with chick quality from large eggs in the presence of a lower air flow in an incubator, which could be
consistent with the data of experiment 1. This means
that problems with embryo temperature may not only
be reflected in a reduced fertile hatchability but may
also influence chick quality and posthatch growth and
performance. Data from a recent study by Hulet et al.
(2007) found that chicks hatched from eggs with a high
eggshell temperature during the last 3 d of incubation
exhibited a lower BW at 44 d of age than chicks hatched
from eggs with lower eggshell temperature.
The present data support the suggestion of Meijerhof (2002) that the design of incubators should focus
primarily on providing a uniform embryo temperature
for all eggs within an incubator with a maximum difference in embryo temperature of 0.3C between individual eggs in the incubator as a goal. The results of
the present research can extend the conclusion of Meijerhof (2002) to include more consistent temperatures
for larger eggs in areas of lower air flow to improve
heat gain or dissipation, fertile hatchability, and chick
quality and decreasing late dead embryos. However, in
practice this may be quite difficult because different air
temperatures have been shown to be required to maintain eggshell temperatures constant at 37.8C in small
and large egg weight classes to obtain no significant
differences in embryonic mortality and fertile hatchability (Lourens et al., 2006). One solution that has
been explored would be to use these single-stage incubators on a multistage basis, placing the freshly set
eggs in the hot locations in the incubator and using the
cool locations for the eggs that were near the end of the
incubation process. Improved fertile hatchability re-

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Elibol and Brake

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