Buying the right equipment for thorough egg fumigation

The results of thorough fumigation of the egg at the breeder farm and then at the hatchery are clear to see. Whilst there may only be a small amount of bacteria present on the egg at the breeder farm, this bacteria can build up rapidly, significantly increasing the chance of the egg rotting and exploding.

Removal of this bacteria via fumigation at the breeder farm reduces the likelihood of this happening and makes effective fumigation at the hatchery a few days later a lot easier to achieve as there are fewer bacteria requiring removal. Ultimately, the aim is to reduce the risk of bacteria entering the sterile hatchery environment in the first place. The initial fumigation at the breeding farm is even more important when the age of breeders is more advanced as the nests tend to become dirtier.

The owner of a very advanced hatchery tells us that he has found that initial disinfection at the breeding farm also has a knock-on effect on the early development of the chick. Day-old chicks are heavier, leading to higher-end-weight broilers. “Day-old chicks are more active after disinfection of the eggs at the breeding farm. We noticed that a breeding farm was not disinfecting the eggs and the chicks that hatched were just not as active as they normally are when they arrived at the broiler farm.”

For this owner, egg disinfection starts at the breeding farm, “If a breeding farm wants to supply eggs to our hatchery, they must disinfect their eggs on the farm. Hatching eggs at the breeding farm are collected from the nest and are directly disinfected.”

There are three main methods of egg fumigation commonly used in the poultry industry:

1. Ultrasonic (Drysan)
2. Fixed cold fogging/ULV system (with compressed air)
3. Small portable ULV electric foggers

Let’s take a look at each method:

This technology uses ultrasonically vibrating plates that atomise a particle of water to produce a fine ‘dry’ ultrasonic particle (7-10 microns), thereby reaching and disinfecting all contact surfaces within an enclosed area.

Features of the Ultrasonic method

• Transforms any suitable liquid chemical into a fine ‘dry’ mist.
• Helps to control humidity with only a fine ‘dry’ application.
• Saves chemical application costs by using a very fine and economical method of application.
• Stainless steel construction for high hygiene environments.
• Suitable for internal operation.
• Suitable for small rooms.

Things to consider

• Contains fragile discs, susceptible to corrosion.
• Fumigation process must be manually started by personnel within the room, risking contact with chemicals.
• Entire machine sits within the room and is therefore exposed to the corrosive effect of the chemical.
• Can be unreliable and difficult to locate spares.
• More expensive to repair.
• Cannot use oil-based chemicals.
• Foaming products can only be used in low concentration.
• Not suitable for large egg stores such as hatcheries.

The electrical ULV cold fogging system has been specially developed to provide a complete object or surface treatment for volumes up to 250 m3. The guaranteed average droplet size of less than 10 microns ensures that every part of the surface is treated evenly. Cold fogging/ULV involves combining compressed air with disinfectant in the correct proportions to create a fine dry mist.

Fixed Cold Fogging/Ultra Low Volume (ULV) features

• Provides a complete, integrated fogging system that can be customised according to the needs of the facility to provide different levels of automation such as automatic start, control of chillers and extraction where required, and automatic door-locking and safety lights.
• Control panel sits outside the room, removing any risk of human exposure to chemicals upon activation.
• Location of machine means it is not exposed to corrosive effect of chemical.
• The robust design of the nozzle, with chemically resistant hoses and stainless-steel parts, provides a problem-free and reliable system that allows high quality disinfection day after day.
• The nozzle is designed to create a dry mist. This way surfaces stay dry but can still be treated with the additive in the mist.
• The ULV electric fogger can be used with virtually all disinfectants: hydrogen peroxide, quats, formaldehyde, and aldehydes.
• Suitable for small and large egg stores and easy to expand fogging capacity with a multi-nozzle set-up whenever required.
• The completely integrated version of the system can cover multiple or larger areas, controlled from the same console. The use of one console means that distribution is optimised and less compressed air capacity is used overall.
• Works on compressed air (3.3 bar – 150 litres/min) per nozzle.
• Also available with an exhaust system, warning lights and signals, fans, locks, and fluid sensors.

Things to consider

• Compressed air supply required.
• More upfront investment.

These are small portable units that combine air intake with disinfectant using a venturi nozzle to create a mist.

Small Portable Ultra Low Volume (ULV) Electric Foggers features

• Cheap
• The micron size can be adjusted

Things to consider

• Fumigation process must be manually started by personnel within the room, risking contact with chemical.
• Entire machine sits within room and is therefore exposed to corrosive effect of chemical.
• Small mobile unit, therefore capacity is limited.
• Can only be used in small rooms.

Given the increased focus on biosecurity and health and safety considerations within modern egg stores, we would always recommend the use of a professionally installed CFU system for thorough fumigation in both breeder farms and hatcheries.

At Interhatch, we always conduct a site visit to assess the space where the equipment is to be used – this includes looking at the position of the trolleys holding the eggs as well as the size, shape, and height of the room. We’ll then recommend the number of nozzles to do the job thoroughly and when we install the system, we’ll ensure that the nozzles are positioned correctly. For a free site survey to assess your fumigation needs, please contact one of our friendly sales team.