How do hatcheries hatch chicks?

[HEChicken]

I'm curious about the MPC policy that chicks are hatched in the early hours of Monday morning unless Monday is a public holiday, in which case they are hatched on Tuesdays.

How do they "hatch" the chicks?

 

[scbatz33]

Out of eggs......

Sorry, but really.....

 

[shelleyd2008]

They have monstrous incubation rooms, with huge carts that have egg turners on them. Then they have another huge room that is used for hatching, with more carts with hatching trays on them. But MPC gets most of theirs from other hatcheries, from what I've been told

 

[HEChicken]

Thanks, but these don't really answer my question. I am asking HOW do they do it? Do they crack the eggs open and pull the chicks out or what?

 

[shelleyd2008]

No, they just set them on a certain day, and make sure that the incubation settings are perfect, so the eggs hatch when they are supposed to. They have it down to a science. Just like us, if they were to pull the chicks out of the egg, the chicks would bleed to death.
Be a bit more specific with your questions, and maybe you'll get the answer you're looking for to begin with

 

[Katy]

MPC doesn't hatch their own chicks....they get them from other hatcheries.

 

[reesepoultry]

Quote:
Lol..... You must be new to hatching. No they don't crack the egg open.
The chick breaks there way out of the egg when it's time for them to hatch.


You have to put the egg in the incubator at a temp of 99.5- 100 degrees.
You must turn them 3 times a day for 19 days. then stop turning them 3 days later you will have baby chicks hatching. The whole process takes 21 days. 3 days before they are supposed to hatch you want to get the humidity up in the incubator. You can read about it on the internet.

Hope this answers your question.

 

[HEChicken]

Quote:
My question was specific but I have found that people often don't really read the question and instead respond with "pat" answers based on their own knowledge.

Quote:
No, I have no intention of hatching at this point. As my question and subject line stated, I was "curious" about how they do it. Actually, I still am! The hatching forum is full of posts about chicks that have hatched early or late - so hatcheries that can guarantee their chicks hatch in the "wee hours of Monday morning" must be doing something different, and I am curious to know what that is.

 

[tazcat70]

What they are doing...

I am sure that if they are hatching as they pull out the trays the hatchery will let them continue and still ship them out. BUT, if they hatch too late, they are hatching in the waste pile. Where they put the unhatched eggs and dead chicks that are going to be used for some sort of chicken meal for animal feed.

If they hatch early, they will be fine, as long as they get to their destination quickly.

They do not help chicks to hatch (a chick will sometimes be stuck in the shell and some hobbyists will peel the shell to help the chick to hatch,) as this is too labor intensive, and a waste of their time and money. Other than providing the correct temperatures and humidity so that they chick should hatch, they do nothing. After the chicks have hatched on their own, they then sort/sex/ship.

I hope this answers your question.

 

[agnes_day]

Quote:
My question was specific but I have found that people often don't really read the question and instead respond with "pat" answers based on their own knowledge.

Quote:
No, I have no intention of hatching at this point. As my question and subject line stated, I was "curious" about how they do it. Actually, I still am! The hatching forum is full of posts about chicks that have hatched early or late - so hatcheries that can guarantee their chicks hatch in the "wee hours of Monday morning" must be doing something different, and I am curious to know what that is.

i have wondered that too..how they can time it so perfectly. i think it is all pretty amazing though.