Poultry Egg Storage Temperature Ramping for Timed Hatching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing incubation methods on hatcheries result in inefficient use of time and resources, leading to delayed hatch times and reduced hatchability and chick quality due to prolonged storage, which causes embryonic death and declines in viability.
Innovation Solution
A method involving controlled temperature management during egg storage, with a gradual temperature increase from an initial storage temperature to a set temperature, allowing for embryo activation and reducing temperature stress, combined with individual compartment control for varying embryo development stages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If eggs are stored for long periods to ensure complete filling of incubation batches, then resource utilization improves, but hatchability and chick quality decline due to embryonic death
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by activating embryos during storage through controlled temperature fluctuations (Spides - Short Periods of Incubation During Egg Storage). Eggs are quickly heated to about 90°F (32.2°C) and then cooled back to storage temperature, performing incubation-like action before the actual incubation period begins. This preliminary activation reduces embryonic death during long storage while maintaining resource utilization efficiency.
2Loss of time
If eggs are quickly heated from storage temperature to incubation temperature, then incubation time is reduced, but chick quality deteriorates for long-stored eggs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action through Spides (Short Periods of Incubation During Egg Storage), where eggs undergo repeated cycles of quick heating to about 90°F (32.2°C) followed by cooling back to storage temperature. These periodic temperature fluctuations activate embryos gradually during storage, improving chick quality for long-stored eggs without extending total incubation time.
3Device complexity
If a single warming phase is used to prevent condensation, then process complexity is reduced, but condensation control is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the warming process into two distinct phases: first warming eggs to 25°C in a corridor during a short period of about 5 hours, then placing eggs in the setter and warming to around 37.8°C. This segmented approach provides better condensation control compared to a single warming phase, as each phase can be optimized for its specific temperature range and duration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances hatchability and chick quality by optimizing embryo development time, reducing storage-related delays, and improving resource utilization in hatcheries.
Implementation Method 1
controlled heating the number of eggs during the heating period in storage from the initial temperature to the set temperature according to the temperature course over time
Data Source
AI summary
The current invention relates to Method for incubating a poultry egg on a hatchery, the hatchery comprising:an egg storage section configured for storing eggs,an incubating device separate from the egg storage section and configured for incubating eggs during an incubation period at an incubation temperature,the method comprising the steps of;receiving in the storage section a number of eggs at a time of arrival,storing a number of eggs in the egg storage section for a heating period in storage of at least 1 days, andtransporting the number of eggs from the storage section into the incubating device,incubating the number of eggs in the incubating device during the incubation period until hatching occurs,characterized in that the method comprises;determining a temperature course over time to which the number of eggs should be exposed based on the time of arrival and desired moment of hatching, wherein the temperature course over time at least comprises a temperature increase during the heating period in storage in the storage section from an initial temperature to a set temperature between a physiological zero and the incubation temperature,heating the number of eggs during the heating period in storage from the initial temperature to the set temperature.