COMMON CAUSES OF EMBRYONIC DEATH :
Causes of Infertile Eggs
(Clear – no blood rings, no embryonic development)
- Males sterile or poorly selected (flock may have poor fleshing, shrunken wattles and combs)
- Too many or too few males
- Inadequate feed and water space allowance or water too warm/cold
- Disease
- Wet litter causing foot problems Excessive beak treatment of males Leg or joint infections
- Excessive weight gain or loss Insufficient weight gain
- Seasonal effect (decline in fertility in late summer and fall) Poor sexual synchronization
Causes of Early Death
(Embryonic death from 0 – 7 days of incubation)
- Chilling or overheating hatching eggs
- Incorrect incubation temperature or humidity
- Incorrect fumigation, washing or dipping of eggs
- High number of floor eggs, cracked eggs or contaminated eggs Disease- Newcastle, IB, Adenovirus, Salmonella
- Nutritional causes – lack of vitamin E
- Faulty turning in incubator
- Prolonged or improper egg storage
- Broodiness leading to embryo development
- Feed contamination – drugs, toxins
- Poor Ventilation
- Rough egg handling
Blood Rings
(Embryonic death from 2.5 to 4 days)
- Embryonic death at the blood ring stage can be caused by the same issues as early dead but also include: High temperatures during early incubation
- Excess vibration and/or jarring during transport
- Incorrect washing, dipping or ‘buffing’ of eggs
- Prolonged egg storage Improper fumigation
Mid Term Deaths
(Embryonic death from 8 – 14 days of incubation)
- Incubator temperature too high/low (most likely too high) Poor ventilation
- Incorrect turning of eggs
- Contamination
- Improper nutrition of the flock
- Incorrect humidity in incubators
- Disease
- Excess vibration and/or jarring during transport or grading of eggs
Late Death
(Embryonic death from 15 – 21 days of incubation)
- Incorrect incubator/hatcher temperatures Humidity levels
- Lack of ventilation in the hatchery/incubators Faulty turning in incubators
- Prolonged storage and age of eggs Disease – Mycoplasmosis Nutrition – vitamin deficiencies Eggs incubated upside down