Job Description
Poultry breeders select healthy cockerels and hens for fertilization.
Once the egg has been laid, breeders collect the eggs and place them into hatcheries.
Specialized equipment then reduces the effects of harmful bacteria and provides an ideal area for incubation.
Once the chicks have hatched they are transferred to a farm to be raised.
Breeders may also be responsible for tending to newly hatched chicks.
Job Specification
For example, breeders vaccinate chicks in order to prevent disease and trim beaks in order to prevent chickens from cannibalizing other birds.
Additionally, because chicks can't keep their body temperatures up, breeders place them into transporting boxes that both conserve heat and provide ventilation.
Breeders using chickens for egg production begin by raising healthy hens, also called layers.
Breeders design specialized cages in which laid eggs gently roll down onto a conveyor belt and are transported to a processing facility.
At the processing facility, eggs are disinfected, cleaned, and reviewed for quality.
Eggs that pass standards are then graded and packaged for shipment.