Gathering and Storing Hatching Eggs During Hot Weather

THE report of Heywang (1944) shows that the hatchability of their eggs is lowered when chickens are kept under high environmental temperatures. However, it does not seem that the extremely poor hatches obtained, at least occasionally, during hot weather at some commercial hatcheries are attributable solely to the high environmental temperatures of the breeding stock that produced the eggs. Rather, it seems probable that the eggs are not properly cared for from the time they are laid until they are put in the incubator. The date of Heywang (loc. cit.) were obtained on eggs that had been given good care prior to incubation; they were removed from the nests at hourly intervals and then stored at 55 degrees F. for not more than seven days before being incubated. The study discussed in this paper was undertaken to determine how hatchability is affected during hot weather when eggs are not gathered . . .