The following are definitions commonly used in the egg industry, by breeders, and hatcheries to describe various stages of development of the egg embryo and baby chick during the incubation, hatching, and chick classification process.
Terms & Definitions used for Incubation, Hatching & Chick Classification
Culled-Eggs that are cracked, misshapen or not likely to hatch.
Infertile Eggs-Have no germ. These eggs are clear during candling and show no evidence of blood or embryo development.a
Early Dead-Embryos died during the first quarter of incubation. Most can be detected and removed during the egg candling process. These eggs would be fertile and could show a dead early embryo, show no development, development but no blood, or has a blood ring. Middle Dead-Embryos died after the early (middle third) period but before transfer.
Late Dead-Embryos died during the hatch phase of incubation.
Malformed-Embryos that have an obvious deformity.
Malpositioned-Embryos not positioned correctly for hatching.
Live Pips-Chicks that have pipped and are living, but not hatched.
Dead Pips-Pipped chicks that died but are not malformed or malpositioned.
Rots-Infected or contaminated eggs.
Culled Chicks-Chicks that hatched but are unsound.
Good Chicks-Good quality, healthy normal chicks(1).
Infertile Eggs-Have no germ. These eggs are clear during candling and show no evidence of blood or embryo development.a
Early Dead-Embryos died during the first quarter of incubation. Most can be detected and removed during the egg candling process. These eggs would be fertile and could show a dead early embryo, show no development, development but no blood, or has a blood ring. Middle Dead-Embryos died after the early (middle third) period but before transfer.
Late Dead-Embryos died during the hatch phase of incubation.
Malformed-Embryos that have an obvious deformity.
Malpositioned-Embryos not positioned correctly for hatching.
Live Pips-Chicks that have pipped and are living, but not hatched.
Dead Pips-Pipped chicks that died but are not malformed or malpositioned.
Rots-Infected or contaminated eggs.
Culled Chicks-Chicks that hatched but are unsound.
Good Chicks-Good quality, healthy normal chicks(1).
References:
1. Gregory S. Archer and A. Lee Cartwright.Incubating Eggs. Retrieved on Aug. 23, 2017 fromhttp://aglifesciences.tamu.edu/posc/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2012/08/EPS-001-Incubating-and-Hatching-Eggs1.pdfrtwright.Incubating Eggs.
1. Gregory S. Archer and A. Lee Cartwright.Incubating Eggs. Retrieved on Aug. 23, 2017 fromhttp://aglifesciences.tamu.edu/posc/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2012/08/EPS-001-Incubating-and-Hatching-Eggs1.pdfrtwright.Incubating Eggs.