Hatchery
The Hatchery From Egg to Chick
What came first, the chicken or the egg? Well for the chicken you eat, technically, it is the egg! That’s because the first stop for fertilized eggs (not table eggs you buy in a carton) is at a facility known as a “hatchery.” Female chickens (hens) lay eggs all by themselves. However, when hens mate with male chickens (roosters) the eggs become fertilized – meaning a baby chick will hatch from it. The hatchery is where the fertilized eggs are incubated, and chicks are hatched before being sent to a farm to be raised for market.
New facilities
Mid 2027
Vanuatu National Egg & Poultry Corporation, operating under the brand Vanuatu Eggs, is preparing a major private-sector investment in Vanuatu through the development of a new, state-of-the-art poultry hatchery.
The project is designed to strengthen national food security, increase reliable local egg and chick production, reduce dependence on imports, improve modern farming practices, support local poultry farmers, create employment opportunities and contribute to a stronger, more resilient agricultural sector. Operations are targeted to launch by mid-2027.
TheBIO SECURITY CLEAN ROOM
INCUBATE
First, the Eggs Incubate
PROUDLY VANUATU
When fertile eggs arrive at our hatchery from the breeder sheds, each batch is carefully identified and grouped according to its collection date, parent flock and genetic line. This comprehensive tracking system ensures complete traceability, allowing us to know exactly where every egg originated and the parentage and genetics behind each chick.
The eggs are placed on specialised setter trays and loaded into large incubators these incubators maintain precisely controlled temperature, humidity and ventilation. Automated turning mechanisms gently rotate the eggs at regular intervals.
At approximately day 18, the eggs are transferred to dedicated hatching trays and moved into hatchers. Around day 21, the chicks begin to emerge.
Once fully operational, our state-of-the-art hatchery will have the capacity to hatch up to 120,000 healthy chicks every week, supporting local poultry farmers, strengthening domestic production and improving food security across Vanuatu.
Hatchery Management
We use an advanced hatchery Traceability & Intelligence management system to control and monitor the complete 21-day incubation cycle—from egg setting through to chick hatching. The system automates schedules and calculations, produces detailed egg-placement plans, and provides complete flock traceability from the breeder sheds to the hatchery, helping us operate accurately, efficiently and consistently.
CHICKEN
Then, the Eggs Hatch.
The chicks hatch by pecking their way through the egg to break through the shell. Newly hatched chicks are covered in wet feathers and are able to walk and see. Within a few hours after hatching, a chick’s fluff will have bulked up to twice their size..
CHICKEN
After the Hatchery, the Chicks Go to the Farm
After hatching, the chicks are separated from the broken shells and then are carefully placed in specially designed transportation trays. Before leaving for the farms, chicks are sprayed with a vaccine mist to make sure they stay healthy from diseases, like bronchitis.
The same day the chicks hatch, they are transported to local farms, where they are raised by farmers and veterinarians until they are big enough to be sold for meat or start the life of a free range layer.
FARM
Curious to learn more about how chickens are raised?
If you’re interested in getting a firsthand look at a typical hatchery, we developed an interactive 360° Virtual Reality (VR) Tour (Coming Soon) That transports you directly inside. On the tour, you will be able to look around and see the entire hatching process. This tour also gives you an introduction to just some of the talented people who dedicate their lives to raising chicken.
