September is National Chicken Month, a time to recognize the vital role poultry plays in nourishing families around the world. Hatcheries play a critical part in making healthy poultry possible.
Each week in the United States, hatcheries set more than 250 million broiler eggs, according to USDA data. Transitioning those eggs into healthy, productive chicks requires a dedicated team with the right knowledge, confidence and resources to manage every detail of hatchery processes.
“The hatchery plays a critical role in the life cycle of broilers, with so many factors influencing chick health and robustness,” said Brandon Marshall, head of U.S. Poultry sales and services at Zoetis. “Labor turnover and availability add to the challenge, and that can cause important details to be overlooked.”
Customized learning for hatchery success
To empower hatchery teams, Zoetis has developed a comprehensive hatchery learning curriculum. Designed for classroom or hands-on training, this program is customized to meet the unique needs of hatcheries while helping teams support the health of every flock.
In ovo vaccination, with, for example Zoetis Embrex® technology, is one of the most critical hatchery processes. Zoetis learning modules provide a complete view of the role of in ovo vaccination in supporting flock health, from the history of in ovo vaccination with insights on embryology, to best practices for vaccine handling, incubation troubleshooting and disease prevention. The curriculum also addresses key control points for spray cabinet vaccination and provides insights on process evaluation audits designed to help identify risk at transfer and chick processing.
“With most vaccines for broiler chickens applied in the hatchery, the more knowledge and confidence hatchery teams have, the greater the impact they can make on protecting chick health and overall flock outcomes,” Marshall said.
For more information or to plan a customized hatchery learning event, contact your Zoetis representative.
About Zoetis
As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is driven by a singular purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. After innovating ways to predict, prevent, detect, and treat animal illness for more than 70 years, Zoetis continues to stand by those raising and caring for animals worldwide – from veterinarians and pet owners to livestock producers and ranchers. The company’s leading portfolio and pipeline of medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and technologies make a difference in over 100 countries. A Fortune 500 company, Zoetis generated revenue of $9.3 billion in 2024 with approximately 13,800 employees. For more information, visit www.zoetis.com.
