Contribute to the production of gamebird chicks LEGACY

This standard is about contributing to the production of gamebird chicks. It can be applied to any gamebird eggs that are incubated and hatched under controlled conditions.

This standard is aimed at those who work in game conservation on either a full- or part-time basis.

To meet this standard you will be able to:

• contribute to the production of gamebird chicks
• establish and maintain hygienic incubation
• contribute to the incubation/hatchery process
• maintain the production of day-old gamebird chicks.

For you to fully understand the content of the standard, and the activities it describes, it is important that you are able to understand the terms used within the standard. See Glossary for some definitions that should help you with this.

1. contribute to the planned production of gamebird chicks so that targets can be achieved, in accordance with relevant legal requirements
2. develop hatchery operations to achieve the required production, in accordance with and the relevant legal requirements and those of your organisation
3. test and establish the hygiene level and working conditions and of hatchery equipment
4. determine and compare fertility in gamebird eggs
5. follow established procedures to minimise the effect of the factors that can disrupt game bird chick production
6. contribute to game bird chick production by ensuring gamebird eggs are selected and prepared in order to support planned hatchery production
7. contribute to the operation of incubation and hatching equipment to maintain the temperature and humidity essential to gamebird chick production
8. contribute to gamebird chick production within known resource constraints and according to relevant welfare requirements
9. ensure that the welfare of gamebird chicks is maintained during hatching, boxing and transportation
10. maintain effective communication with others to facilitate effective hatchery production
11. modify production operations to take account of factors that affect production
12. ensure accurate records of gamebird chick production are maintained
13. ensure work is carried out safely, in line with relevant health and safety requirements

1. the relevant legal constraints controlling hatchery production
2. how to establish and maintain the hygienic condition of incubation equipment
3. the problems associated with poor hatchery hygiene
4. how to establish a gamebird chick production programme to achieve the planned targets
5. how to test and establish the working conditions of incubation equipment
6. how to monitor and control the temperature and humidity of incubation equipment
7. the manufacturer’s operating procedures, including the emergency back-up systems, associated with the incubation equipment, as well as the time period of insulation
8. the conditions and time required for a successful incubation and hatching
9. how to minimise the potential impact of factors that disrupt gamebird chick production
10. the relevant legal requirements and relevant codes of practice pertaining to the production, transport and welfare of reared gamebird chicks
11. the record-keeping requirements associated with the production of gamebird chicks
12. the health and safety requirements associated with the incubation of gamebird eggs

Establish the condition of equipment used for:

• incubating
• hatching

Maintain a recording system to record:

• fertility
• percentage hatch of fertile eggs
• percentage overall hatch
• numbers in incubation

Contribute to hatchery operations relating to:

• egg preparation
• egg incubation
• egg hatching
• dispatch of deformed chicks
• boxing day-old chicks

Take action to deal with factors that can disrupt production:

• incubation failure
• environmental changes
• resource shortages
• disease and abnormality

Incubation – the process used to support the development of chicks inside the egg

Hatching – the process used to support the hatching of chicks from the egg

Game – pheasant, partridge, duck

Resources – people, materials, feed and water, equipment, power, time