Aviagen has announced the formation of a new global Hatchery Support Working Group aimed at further improving the level of customer service available from the Aviagen Technical Team.

The group includes not only the incubation support specialists but also representatives from each of the regional technical teams and from each of the Aviagen production bases. As such, it was the first single-subject technical meeting and the first integration of internal and external know-how and training ever held by Aviagen. At the meeting, delegates reviewed current egg handling, incubation and chick management advice and discussed different ways of training company employees and offering best practice advice and hatchery tools to Aviagen's customers.

Hatchery training - thermal image

Dinah Nicholson, Global Manager, Hatchery Development and Support, commented: "These sessions are designed to further enhance the support we provide to our customers across the world. We have been looking at the biological outcomes of good incubation for some time and we are achieving our targets in this area.

"However, our understanding of the incubation needs of the breeds has moved on a lot in the past decade and it is vital that our technical teams, the first line of support for our customers, are up to speed with the latest techniques."

To help improve problem diagnosis even further Aviagen has enlisted the help of military technology, using a thermal imaging camera to look at egg storage and incubation conditions.

Dr Nicholson explained: "This is the first time this technology has been used in this way and it has been illuminating. We were able to diagnose a variety of issues, including cold or hot spots in the incubators.

"We were also able to see live chicks which were not being held in their thermal comfort zone, because their feet would look cold. Spotting these issues early means that action and resolutions can be swift and effective."

Additionally, the company has released a new Ross Tech Investigating Hatchery Practice, which focuses on hatchery techniques and will be available to all customers soon via the Aviagen web site.

This Ross Tech has been written by Aviagen's external advisor, Steve Tullett, and replaces the existing Ross Tech, which is still widely used as a reference 10 years after it was initially produced.