EFFECT OF HATCHING CABINET SANITATION TREATMENTS ON SALMONELLA CROSS-CONTAMINATION AND HATCHABILITY OF BROILER EGGS

Four trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of hatcher air san itation utilizing ultraviolet light (UV), ozone, or hydrogen peroxide on bacterial populations, the spread of Salmonella, and hatchability o f broiler eggs. The UV light (254 nm, 146 mu W/s) and ozone (0.2 or 0. 4 ppm) treatments were continuously applied through the last 3 d of ha tch, the hydrogen peroxide treatment (2.5%) was administered 1 or 2 mi n of each 10 min at rates of 500 or 100 mL/h. Hatchability was not sig nificantly reduced by sanitizing treatments when compared with the unt reated control (94 vs 95.6%). As compared to controls, all sanitizing treatments reduced 75 to 99% of the total bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae , and Salmonella in the hatching cabinet air samples. The use of hydro gen peroxide resulted in greater reduction of bacteria than ozone or U V light. Only hydrogen peroxide significantly reduced Salmonella level s on eggshell fragments. Significant reductions in the number of Salmo nella-positive chicks occurred using the ozone and hydrogen peroxide t reatments. Hydrogen peroxide significantly reduced the magnitude of Sa lmonella colonization in chicken ceca. These trials demonstrated that the spread of bacteria can be effectively reduced in the hatching cabi net by air sanitization using UV light, ozone, and hydrogen peroxide. The potential to reduce bacterial cross-contamination in the hatcher i s achievable without depressing hatchability.