Specialists offer practical guidance on breeder management and incubation to promote flock health, reproductive performance and chick quality
Denilson Vanin
CAMPINAS, Brazil – Aviagen® specialists explored key aspects of breeder and hatchery management at the FACTA Incubation and Breeder Symposium, held Sept. 16–17 in Chapecó, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Regional Technical Services Supervisor Denilson Vanin discussed the transition from rearing to production, focusing on the key factors that influence breeder conformation; and Hatchery Specialist Mariana Thimotheo highlighted incubation as a dynamic and integrated process aimed at improving hatchability and producing healthy breeders and high-quality chicks with strong field performance.
Organized by the Foundation for Support of Animal Science and Technology (FACTA), the symposium brought together poultry professionals to discuss operational and health challenges facing Brazil’s poultry industry.
Careful preparation for the transition into lay
During his presentation on priorities from the end of rearing through peak production, Vanin emphasized that reproductive results are built on careful planning beginning with initial flock placement. Preparing breeders for production requires stability and close attention throughout the entire process to maintain flock health and reproductive performance.
“Careful management at the early, and every stage, establishes the strong foundation needed for success in this final phase,” Vanin explained. He added that this period requires particular attention from farm teams to help flocks enter the reproductive cycle smoothly.
Precision at every incubation stage
On the second day, attention turned to hatchery management and its fundamental role in chick quality. During her presentation, Thimotheo highlighted how temperature, humidity, ventilation and CO2 work together to influence embryonic and fetal metabolism throughout incubation. She also explored the different stages of in ovo development and the conditions needed at each point, emphasizing that the embryo’s requirements change as incubation progresses.
Mariana Thimotheo
“The goal of incubation is not simply to achieve high hatchability, but to create the appropriate conditions for physiological development and to produce high-quality chicks that perform well in the field,” Thimotheo said. She added that balancing multiple factors is essential to achieving strong hatch outcomes, allowing better chick quality at hatch and promoting flock uniformity when chicks reach the farm.
Sharing knowledge, learning together
“Events like FACTA give us a valuable opportunity to share ideas and experiences, discuss challenges and learn from one another,” concluded Rodrigo Tedesco, Aviagen’s Technical Services Manager in Brazil. “This kind of open dialogue is at the heart of Breeding Success Together and helps us stay connected to the people who care for birds and produce poultry every day.”