Dr. Inge van Roovert-Reijrink, Carla van der Pol M.Sc.
Besides optimizing hatchability, an important aim of a hatchery is to deliver perfect day-old chickens. Chick quality is expressed in many ways, most important of which are number of second grades, hatchling yolk free body mass, chick length, navel quality, and first week growth and mortality. During the incubation process, eggshell temperature, carbon dioxide concentration, and post hatch environment are the most important drivers of embryo development and, therefore, chick quality and subsequent performance. In the current article, all of these factors are discussed as well as how they depend on incubator design. \
