Effects of a dry hydrogen peroxide disinfection system used in an egg cooler on hatchability and chick quality

A sanitation method that could continually clean and disinfect the air and surfaces in a hatchery could provide a second layer of microbial reduction on top of routine cleaning and disinfection. A gaseous dry hydrogen peroxide (DHP) system has been used in other facilities for this purpose and could have potential for use in chicken hatcheries. Because the DHP is a true gas and can permeate through the entire hatchery space, contact with eggs during storage and incubation could potentially interfere with normal hatching processes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the DHP system on hatching parameters and chick quality. A total of 3,960 hatching eggs were collected from an ∼40-week-old Ross 308 broiler breeder flock and distributed in 2 treatments: treated and nontreated. For the treated group, the egg cooler was cleaned, and 1 DHP generator was placed inside. Two other DHP generators were placed in the common area outside as well. Both areas were treated for 7 D before placement of eggs, and then eggs were collected and placed inside the cooler over a 4-day period. Eggs were then stored for an additional 3 D after the last collection. Dry hydrogen peroxide levels were recorded each day during storage. For the nontreated group, all DHP machines were removed from the cooler and external room, and the egg cooler was cleaned. Eggs were collected in the same way for the control group as the treated group. After storage, eggs were placed into a single stage Natureform incubator. The eggs exposed to DHP showed higher (P < 0.05) hatchability of fertile eggs and lower (P < 0.05) early embryonic dead than eggs from the nontreated group. No other parameters evaluated were different between groups. Based on this work, the DHP treatment of fertile eggs had no detrimental effect on any performance parameter, with potential positive effects seen on hatch of fertile eggs and early embryonic dead embryos.