A poultry egg processing system

Poultry eggs are collected from nesting houses and delivered to a sanitising station (50) where they are passed through sprays of an anti-bacterial solution. The eggs are mounted on mobile racks and delivered to a fumigating room (64). After fumigation, the eggs are held in a setting room (72) at a controlled temperature and humidity, the eggs being regularly turned within the setting room. Downstream of the setting room (72) at a checking station (80) trays of eggs are back lit to check fertility, infertile eggs being discarded. The fertile eggs are transferred into hatching trays which are mounted in a hatching room (96) and kept at a controlled temperature and humidity to hatch chicks from the eggs. Downstream of the hatching room (96) male and female chicks are separated. Selected chicks are then delivered to a vaccinating station (100) for vaccination.