FEBRUARY 2006

e-N Issue Number 4

The Art of Eingenious

To Our Hatchery Friends:
very new year brings challenges requiring new and ever
solutions and new expectations from our customers
that need to be met with spirit and enthusiasm. 2006 will be
STAGE PROGRAMMING no different in the world of Chick Master.
Those of you who visited our booth in Atlanta saw some of the
exciting new products and services that Chick Master has to
Managing Temperature and Humidity for Optimum Production offer. The new trolley based multistage RollMaster II setters,
the new GeM control system, the high visibility Central Alarm
T he use of stage or “step” programming in incubation is an
art form that should be appreciated for its' potential to
absolute. In order to produce the best possible product for system and our Humidity Dataloggers are just a few of the new
products available. You will be hearing about these and many
the hatchery, the process must:
significantly impact both hatch numbers and bird quality. ! Maximize the number of birds hatched; more exciting products as the year goes by.
Despite the generally accepted fact that the environmental ! Minimize the number of second quality chicks; Our patent-pending system of heat recovery and energy
needs of the fertile egg change as the embryo develops, most ! and... Produce the required chicks on time; conservation systems for hatcheries is raising a lot of interest
of the industry is still using a multistaging approach to within the industry. The prospect of vastly reduced energy bills
setting eggs. While multistaging continues to be an accepted Every hatchery has the same objectives, but the multistage by utilizing the spent heat energy from the developing embryos
operator is constantly forced to make choices that may is an opportunity that is difficult to resist for hatcheries in
approach to egg hatching, it does limit the functioning of the virtually any climate in the world. This issue of e-News
setter to a series of three- or four-day cycles continued into benefit one of these objectives at the expense of the other.
contains the first of a number of articles that will highlight
theoretical infinity. The principal shortcoming to The single stage setter with a control capable of step
various aspects of Chick Master hatchery heat recovery systems.
multistaging as you have read in this newsletter many times programming reduces that trade-off almost to the point of
before is that the 1 day old embryo and the 18 day old elimination. For example, among the many capabilities of Our HOOCHO bird has now been seen throughout the world
Chick Master's Genesis IV Control, we have the ability to do; and is the symbol that embodies our incubation philosophy;
embryo must co-exist in exactly the same conditions. The
Delayed Start Phase water cooling (H2O) and CO2 management.
eggs may co-exist, but the resulting truce is hardly beneficial All systems, single or multistage, can
to either! Block Pre-Warming Phase
benefit from HOOCHO for improved
Block Warming Phase chicks and significant energy
CO2 Concentration Phase saving - ask for details how. R

Automatic Damper at High Humidity Phase

Automatic Damper with Low Humidity Phase Hope you find this issue entertaining
Temperature Reduction Phase and valuable. Please feel free to send
us any constructive comments or
Cooling Phase
criticisms. We can take it!
Continued on page 2 column 1

THE PRINCIPLES OF HATCHERY HEAT RECOVERY

AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

The main principle of the system is to recover spent embryonic heat

Genesis IV Control - ideal for controlling and modifying stage programs
and efficiently manage the hatchery cooling system
The single stage setter has no such compromises to function Firstly it needs to be recognized that Hatcheries are since the heat given off by the eggs and chicks is basically
within. The conditions in the setter are only limited by the significant producers of heat energy. Through the constant these chiller units will be working 365 days a
physical capabilities of the equipment and the incubation of chicken eggs very large amounts of year, winter and summer. A common situation that often
resourcefulness of the person controlling the program. There embryonic heat is produced that will in turn require water arises during winter is that the hatchery is using electrical
is no absolute requirement for the setter control to make chillers to remove it. As an example, a Hatchery producing energy to remove heat from the chilled water system, then
just over three million chicks per week will give out using gas energy to place heat into the supply air - while
adjustments to the set points for temperature and humidity
1100Kw of heat energy. In a typical installation this heat disposing of the heat it paid to remove from the water! The
without human intervention, but the practicalities of the
would be removed by two or more water chillers. However, result is high energy bills, higher equipment maintenance
process make it as near to essential as it can be without being
Please scroll to page 2 column 3
 The Art of Stage Programming continued
e-N
Hatchery Heat Recovery and Energy Management
Systems continued
Each of these phases of incubation is definable both in time With a stage program you can hold high humidity during the and all of your expensive heat energy being exhausted
and purpose. The absolute values assigned to each phase critical early stage of the set which carries with it the equally through your roof into the environment!
will vary slightly under unusual hatchery conditions (high important CO2 concentration. The high humidity/CO2 Taking this into consideration, Chick Master has taken
altitude, very humid or dry supply air, very young/old flocks, the initiative to develop a system that will recover the
combination maintains the quality and viscosity of the
heat from the developing embryos and recycle it to heat
very fresh/old eggs, etc), but we have found that the primary albumen which in turn allows efficient transfer of the the incoming air into the hatchery. This is achieved by
reason they will change is to meet the time objectives of the calcium ions and other trace minerals from the shell and removing the heat from the warmed water cooling
hatchery. Proper definition of these phases (with the help of albumen to the developing embryo. Then, as the embryo return line by using a heat recovery coil through which
the warm water is channelled while passing the
some simple tools available to you from Chick Master) will begins its rapid growth phase the stage program provides an incoming cold air over the coil. The result is a double
allow the single stage hatchery manager to improve environment that encourages the egg to rapidly evacuate benefit since we not only have warm incoming air that
quantity and quality of the hatch while ensuring that the the water from its depleted residue of albumen. requires little or no extra heating, but the warmed water
hatch is on time! in the heat exchanger now returns to the chiller colder.
Meanwhile, the temperature profile in the setter is gradually Not only are we saving valuable gas or oil energy for the
The true value of the stage program can be summed up in a reducing to allow the air passing over the egg to remove heating of the incoming air, but we are also saving
valuable electrical energy from the much reduced or
few words; it allows you to simultaneously manage humidity more and more heat with each pass. Since the heat profile virtually eliminated use of the water chillers. This form of
(the key to bird quality) and temperature in terms of the of the developing embryo is known, the required volume and heat recovery is known as Primary Heat Recovery and is
correct degree hours (the key to hatch quantity and timing). temperature of the air necessary to take the excess heat responsible for the major share of heat energy recovered
Continued on page 3 column 1 and electrical energy saved.
In addition to the heat recovered from the primary
THE PRINCIPLES OF THE CHICK MASTER HATCHERY HEAT RECOVERY SYSTEM source, a secondary source of heat recovery can be found
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF A TYPICAL SYSTEM in the exhausted air from the setters (there is also heat
energy available from the hatcher exhaust which is
Hatchery Heat Recovery System considered to be unusable due to the high levels of
contamination from chick fluff and other contaminants).
Heat Recovery Coil This is known as Secondary Heat Recovery. It is also
Air Handling Unit
Man Duct
extremely valuable mainly due to the fact that setter
exhaust air is typically around 36 C (about 97 F).
Note: Heat recovery made from the setter exhaust air
carries absolutely no danger of cross contamination
Plenum
since our system uses fixed plate heat exchangers
totally separating the supply air rom the exhaust air.
When outside temperatures are close to freezing the
primary heat source would raise the incoming air
temperature to approximately 18 C (65 F). The air-to-
Setter Corridor
air heat recovery system would then play its’ part in the
process by raising that warmed air even further,
3 Port Modulating Valve
potentially up to the target temperature for the setter
room air supply. All this without using gas or oil to
provide the heat!
Chilled Water Pump
Circulation Pump It has to be remembered that this level of recovered heat
utilization is only available where air to air heat recovery
Cold and Hot Water Tanks Chiller
is possible. Nevertheless the example above
demonstrates that in many parts of the world it is
possible to raise the temperature of ambient air at
freezing point all the way to 25 C (77 F) purely from
Top right is the heat recovery coil through which warmed ‘cooling’ water from the setters is passed. Fresh incoming air passes over the warmed coil to 100% recovered heat energy!
provide recycled heat for the hatchery rooms. Heat exhausted from the setters is also used to further warm the incoming air in the air handling unit.
The Art of Stage Programming continued
e-N
away can also be determined. With these factors defined,
Genesis M Control
the temperature profile can be defined and downloaded
into the stage program. Athesk
In subsequent editions the Chick Master e-News we will
discuss each of the control phases in more detail, including
the purpose of each phase, the conditions under which you
David Marsh Eggsperts Angel Salazar

Your chance to ask our hatchery and

would or would not choose to use the phase, and the
embryology experts the questions.
suggested settings and time durations of each of the
phases How important is an increased concentration
Designed for multi-stage two
zone setters and the associated Q of CO2 in the setter during the early stages
of incubation and what effect does it have on
FUN TIME hatchers. The GeM is a brilliant
and valuable tool for efficient
operations using PLC controls
the cardio-vascular development of the
embryo? G.S. - Canada
from Rockwell Automation.
A man was driving his truck down a country lane,
By increasing the level of CO2 during the first
when suddenly a chicken darted out into the road
in front of him. He was just about to slam on his A 4 to 6 days of incubation, a hypoxic type of

brakes to avoid the chicken when he realized that CO2 Injection System environment is created. This is like an athlete
training at altitude and promotes very strong
the chicken had sped on ahead doing about 30 cardio vascular development. If this is done
Chick Master has developed
miles per hour. Amazed, he sped up to follow, but from the start of incubation, then it has the
this process to allow embryos
the chicken took off faster and faster. Finally the best effect. By using Chick Master’s new CO2
to gain the benefit of raised
injection system, this can be achieved very
chicken screeched into a turn and went into a CO2 levels in the early days
easily, resulting in improved chick numbers
small farm. As the man turned to follow, he of incubation.
C and quality.
noticed that the chicken had THREE legs. He O2 Raised CO2 levels promotes a
stopped in front of the farm house, and looking for Avida better hatch and better chick
quality. On the farm, these birds I always heard that target weight loss at
systems
around, noticed that ALL the chickens had 3 legs.
He said to the farmer "THREE-legged chickens?
have improved feed conversion
ratios due to lower mortality
and rapid attainment of
Q transfer needs to be 13-14% of initial egg
weight, but CM is recommending 10.5%.
That’s astounding!" The Farmer replied “Yes, I kill-weight. Why the difference??
M.H. - USA
bred them that way--I love drumsticks." So the
A
er
man asked "How does a 3 legged chicken taste?"
winn Because increased CO2 levels promote greater
The farmer replied "I don’t know. I haven't been
able to catch one yet."
t riple
for y
ou! A skeletal and organ growth which allows the
embryo to absorb more of what used to be
waste materials and waste water. What used
to be tray residue and humidity going out the
A FINAL THOUGHT... roof is now inside the bird!
“It is common sense to take a method and try it; if it fails, admit it frankly and try another. Please send your “Ask the Eggsperts” questions to us by
But above all, try something” Franklin D. Roosevelt
replying to this e-News email.

Please contact us for any product or support information you may require
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Open House 2006
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Medina, Ohio, USA
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Website: www.chickmaster.com