WO2018002901A1

WO2018002901A1 - Container for hatching of incubated eggs in a poultry house

Info

Publication number: WO2018002901A1
Application number: PCT/IB2017/053973
Authority: WO
Inventors: Steven VERVAEKE
Original assignee: Vervaeke Belavi NV
Current assignee: Vervaeke Belavi NV
Priority date: 2016-06-30
Filing date: 2017-06-30
Publication date: 2018-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 2018-12-30
Also published as: NL2019158A; NL2019158B1; BE1023633B1

Abstract

The container (1) is preferably on wheels (8) and includes at least three levels (3) on which the pre-incubated eggs can hatch. Furthermore, it is provided with a transport system for removing the hatched chicks from the container (1) from the various levels (3) of the container (1). This transport system is in particular a drop system which includes, for example, gutter- shaped chutes (10) or other elements to prevent the chicks from getting hurt when falling or sliding out of the container (1). Before the eggs hatch, the container (1) is placed in the poultry house such that the newly hatched chicks will end up directly in the poultry house. The chicks therefore immediately have water and feed at their disposal and also have all the space and rest needed to grow and develop optimally.

Description

CONTAINER FOR HATCHING OF INCUBATED EGGS IN A POULTRY HOUSE

The present invention relates to a container for hatching of incubated eggs in a poultry house, said container having at least three levels for hatching the incubated eggs.

According to the most common techniques, eggs, in particular, chicken eggs, are pre-incubated in setter trays, after which the pre-incubated eggs are candled and transferred to hatching trays. After the eggs are transferred to the hatching trays, they are placed in a hatcher incubator, in which the incubated eggs are allowed to hatch in the hatching trays. The hatched chicks are then separated from the empty eggshells and placed in transport containers after a possible vaccination. The chicks are then transported to the poultry house in these transport containers. The chicks are generally only given feed and water for the first time in the poultry house.

A first disadvantage of this technique is that the mechanical transfer of the incubated eggs can cause damage to the eggshells. In particular, hairline cracks will continually be formed in a number of eggshells, which may cause the chicks in the eggs to dry out.

A further important disadvantage is that the day-old chicks must do without feed and water for quite some time. After all, the hatching of the eggs takes a number of days, such that the chicks, and in particular those which hatched the earliest, will remain in the hatcher incubator for one to two days. The further processing of the day-old chicks and their transportation to the poultry house will also require some time. The mechanical handling of the chicks, for example, to separate the chicks from the empty eggshells, as well as the transport, is furthermore also stressful for the chicks. None of this is any good for the growth and development of the chicks or their well-being. In addition, as a result, more chicks will be lost in the poultry house, resulting in more antibiotic treatments being required.

In the industry, new systems were developed to avoid having to separate the hatched chicks from the empty shells, as well as systems in which the chicks hatch in the poultry house itself, such that they no longer need to be manipulated and transported, and furthermore also immediately have access to water and feed.

In the HatchCare® system, disclosed in WO 2014/126466, the pre-incubated eggs are not transferred to the hatching trays, but the setter trays themselves are placed in the hatching trays. The setter trays feature larger openings between the hatching eggs, as a result of which the newly-hatched chicks can themselves jump from the setter tray into the hatching tray located thereunder. Water and feed are then provided in this tray. However, such a system does not solve the problem of the stress experienced by these chicks in these trays, both in the hatcher incubator and during the transport to the poultry house. The setter trays can furthermore contain less hatching eggs because of the additional openings to be provided between these eggs. A further disadvantage is the additional work required to put the feed and water into each of the hatching trays. Furthermore, in practice the water even needs to be applied in the form of a gel, so that no water is spilled. Indeed, this is to be avoided, because otherwise germs such as Salmonella would quickly develop in the warm conditions in the trays, and because of the high density of day-old chicks. To avoid transporting day-old chicks, in the X-Treck® system, described in EP 2 873 319, the pre-incubated eggs are transported to the poultry house in the setter trays, where the setter trays are then placed on the X-Treck® system, in particular, on its transport system. The X-Treck® system is suspended in the poultry house at an adjustable height. The temperature of the eggs in the setter trays can thus be controlled by raising the transport system in the poultry house up to a height where it is warmer, or lowering it to a height where it is colder. Especially nearing the hatching of the eggs, the temperature thereof increases because the activity of the chicks in the eggs increases. The transport system is then located at a small height above the floor of the poultry house so that the chicks can jump off the transport system and onto the broiler house floor. With the so-called 'Patio system', several transport systems for the setter trays are provided above each other, each with a conveyor belt under it covered with litter on which the chicks can live until they are ready for slaughter. The aeration of the various levels is done by a horizontal air flow as described in NL 1012453. The advantage of this Patio system is that less space is required in the poultry house, but the system is of course more expensive than the X-Treck® system. A disadvantage of these system is furthermore their cost and the complexity of the maintenance and the extra work for cleaning the system, which is actually all borne by the poultry farmer, as a result of which these known systems are only applied on a limited scale in practice.

In EP 1 414 291 , another system for letting eggs hatch in the poultry house is described. As shown schematically in this patent, the incubated eggs are not allowed to hatch in the setter trays, but are laid on a sheet of paper on a layer of litter. To keep the temperature of the eggs under control, they are placed in a closed cart or a cover is laid over them when placed on the broiler house floor itself. The cart is made up of five trays placed upside down, on top of each other. Water and feed are provided in these trays for the newly hatched chicks so that the chicks can stay in them for a few days before they are put into the poultry house. The cart can also be filled with eggs in the hatchery and can thus be used to transport the incubated eggs from the hatchery to the poultry house. The advantage of this is that the necessary investments for such carts can be borne by the hatchery.

A disadvantage of using such a cart is, however, that the eggs must be laid into the cart, which can thus lead to damage to the eggs. Furthermore, water and feed must be provided in the cart, which again requires additional work.

An important disadvantage of such a cart is that on each of its levels, i.e., in each of the stacked trays, a large number of chicks are present, as otherwise too many carts would need to be provided. In the cart itself, the chicks are still close together, which can once again lead to stressful situations.

A further disadvantage of this known cart is finally that, before emptying the cart, the different trays must be taken apart and placed on the floor of the poultry house to allow the chicks to move to the floor of the poultry house. In a situation such as this there is a risk of infection, both of the poultry house by the trays, and of the trays by the poultry house.

To prevent the transmission of infection to the poultry house, WO 2016/053088 proposes placing the incubated eggs in a cardboard container with which the eggs are then transported to the poultry house. The incubated eggs are thus transported from the hatchery to the broiler house in these cardboard containers. This system is used in practice under the name One2Born'. The cardboard containers consist of egg cartons containing additional holes for the aeration of the eggs and for controlling their temperature. The containers stand on cardboard legs so that the eggs are not directly on the floor of the poultry house.

Even though the cardboard containers are biodegradable, they create extra waste in the poultry house that must be removed. A further disadvantage of the cardboard containers is that they are delivered in folded form and that a considerable amount of manual labour is required to set up the containers. Not only purchasing the cardboard containers, but also setting them up, thus involves additional costs. In the hatchery itself, the eggs also still need to be transferred into the cardboard containers. It has been found in practice that such a transfer step each time causes an additional average loss of approximately 0.5%, especially if the eggs are to be positioned in the cavities provided for this purpose in the egg cartons. Indeed, the eggs will not always be positioned completely correctly in relation to these cavities, so that they will make contact the walls of the cavities when placing them in the cavities. Due to the fragility of the eggshells, this will cause a considerable amount of hairline cracks in the eggshells.

The object of the invention is to provide a container for allowing pre-incubated eggs to hatch in a poultry house, which enables to avoid a high density of newly hatched chicks and which also enables reducing the risk of infection.

To this end, the container according to the present invention is characterised in that it is provided with at least one transport system for removing the hatched chicks from this container from the various levels of the container, said transport system being common to said levels.

Because the chicks come out of the container themselves there is no or only a minimal risk of infection of the interior of the container. The transport system ensures that the newly hatched chicks can leave the container, also from the highest levels. The chicks thus end up in the poultry house, where they immediately have water and food at their disposal, and where they will also have all the space and rest needed to grow and develop optimally.

Furthermore, the transport system is common to all levels, i.e., this transport system is connected to each level. In other words, chicks that leave a specific level partially use the same transport system as chicks leaving a lower level via the at least one common transport system. This provides a compact transport system where it is unnecessary to provide a separate transport system for each level.

A transport system in the form of a chute is known from US1675105A, wherein an incubator is connected with a brooder (via a chute) where the chicks can stay for some time before they are brought to the poultry house. However, combining such a chute with a hatching cart as described in EP1414291 would result in a separate transport system for each level, which is, as described above, disadvantageous compared to a transport system that is common to each level.

In a preferred embodiment of the container according to the invention, the container is on wheels and is thus formed by a cart.

The container can thus easily be moved, in order to, for example, wheel it in and out of the poultry house, or in an out of a truck, without the need for a forklift, for example. A further advantage of the fact that the container is on wheels is that the container itself makes no contact with the poultry house, such that the outside of the container also does not come into contact with the poultry house. After using the container, its exterior, or possibly only its wheels, can be easily and quickly disinfected to avoid any risk of infection.

In a preferred embodiment of the container according to the invention, the different levels are adapted for receiving one or more egg trays containing the pre-incubated eggs. The egg trays are preferably formed by the setter trays in which the eggs were pre-incubated.

If the setter trays themselves are placed in the container, the pre-incubated eggs do not need to be transferred, and there is thus no risk that they can be damaged. Only pre-incubated eggs that do not appear to contain a chick during candling must then be replaced with an egg with a viable chick. Introducing the pre-incubated eggs into the container with an egg tray can also be done quickly. Due to the complex design of the egg trays with the high degree of openness that is needed for controlling the temperature of the eggs during incubating and hatching, these egg trays are in fact rather difficult to clean. In particular, the egg trays have many corners and edges where soiling by manure is not easy to remove. However, in the container according to the present invention, the chicks are not fed, as a result of which they also do not produce manure. After hatching, the chicks generally also quickly leave the container, and it is not necessary to first wait until all the eggs have hatched.

In a preferred embodiment of the container according to the invention, the transport system of the container has a drop system for removing the hatched chicks from the closed container with the aid of gravity This drop system has at least one chute for sliding down the hatched chicks; preferably said chute is formed by at least a portion of a side wall of the container that is inclined with respect to said levels, wherein, advantageously, said portion of the side wall can be placed in an upright position with respect to said levels, at least one open space being formed between said levels and said chute, in which the hatched chicks can drop down and subsequently end up on said chute. Alternatively, this drop system will include multiple chutes for sliding down the hatched chicks, said chutes being arranged in a zigzag pattern so that the chicks can then end up going from one chute to a next chute. Alternatively, this drop system will include at least one vertical open space through which the hatched chicks can fall down, this open space being provided with transverse elements for breaking the fall of the chicks. Preferably, these transverse elements are resilient.

Because the chicks are removed from the container under the influence of gravity, the transport system need not contain any moving parts to remove the chicks from the container. The transport system can thus be carried out in a simple manner, with no risk that the chicks can be hurt by the presence of moving parts. The chicks themselves do not weigh much and can easily undergo a free fall from a certain height without being hurt in the process. By providing a chute system, the free drop height can be limited, whereby, if the chute forms at least one side wall, the drop height per level will also be substantially the same everywhere. The free drop height will also remain limited as a result of the transverse elements that will break the fall of the chicks. Preferably, the maximum height the chicks can fall freely in the transport system will be smaller than 0.5 m, and more preferably 0.4 m.

In a preferred embodiment of the container according to the invention, it will have at least a temperature control mechanism to control the temperature in the container, the container preferably furthermore having an air circulation mechanism for creating a uniform temperature in the container.

Due to the presence of the temperature control mechanism, the temperature in the container can be set for the optimal hatching of the eggs. The temperature control mechanism can be part of a climate control mechanism that not only allows the temperature to be controlled, but also the air humidity and/or CO₂ concentration in the container to be controlled.

In a preferred embodiment of the container according to the invention, the container will contain at least one door for opening the container, said door preferably being a hinged door and said transport system being secured at least partially against an inside of this door.

Due to the presence of the door or the doors, the container can not only easily be filled with eggs, but it can also be easily cleaned or disinfected if necessary.

By attaching the transport system at least partially against the inside of a hinged door, this part of the transport system opens together with the door. This part therefore no longer forms an obstacle to placing the eggs in the container and this part of the transport system can also be easily cleaned or disinfected, if necessary.

The invention further relates to the use of the container according to the invention to allow hatching of incubated eggs, wherein pre-incubated eggs are introduced into the container on at least a number of said levels, the pre-incubated eggs are allowed to hatch in the container, and the hatched chicks are allowed to leave the container via the transport system while container is located in the poultry house.

Further advantages and particulars of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a number of preferred embodiments of a container according to the invention. However, this description is only given as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of protection as defined by the claims. The reference signs given in the description relate to the appended drawings wherein:

Figure 1 represents a schematic side view of a wheeled container according to the invention with two doors, one of which is open;

Figure 2 shows a schematic top view of the container according to Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows a schematic top view of a container with an alternative transport system for removing the chicks from the container;

Figure 4 shows a schematic top view of a container with a further alternative transport system for removing the chicks from the container;

Figure 5 represents a schematic side view of the container of Figure 4 in its extended position; and

Figure 6 shows a schematic side view of the container of Figure 4 on which the transparent side walls are shown. The invention relates generally to a container 1 for hatching of pre-incubated eggs in a poultry house. For example, in the case of chickens, these eggs are pre-incubated for about eighteen days, before being placed in the container 1. The eggs are pre-incubated in so-called setter trays 2. These trays 2 are formed by an open grid in which the eggs can be placed upright. Such setter trays 2 can contain a relatively large number of eggs, for example, one hundred and fifty eggs.

The container 1 has at least three levels 3 on which the eggs can be placed to hatch. In the example shown in the figures, the container 1 has nine levels 3, on each of which two egg trays 2 can be placed with one hundred and fifty eggs. These egg trays 2 can be specially designed to place the eggs in the container 1. Preferably, however, the egg trays 2 are used in which the eggs were pre-incubated during the setting stage. In this way, the eggs do not need to be transferred.

The levels 3 of the container 1 are preferably formed by an open grid 4, which in the shown container 1 is formed by metal rods over which the setter trays 2 can easily be slid into the container 1. The use of an open grid 4 offers the advantage that the air can flow freely along the eggs to keep them at the desired temperature. The container 1 itself is preferably closed such that the climate can be controlled therein. However, the necessary ventilation openings can be provided in the container for fresh air supply. On the one hand, the temperature in the container 1 can be controlled by one or more heating elements 5, which may also provide cooling. On the other hand, the interior of the container can also be cooled by aspiration of broiler house air through the ventilation openings. One or more fans 6 then provide a uniform distribution of the temperature, especially at the level of the eggs that are being further incubated. The climate control system may further include an installation for controlling the CO₂ content in the container 1 (for example, to make the eggs hatch more uniformly) and a system to control the air humidity in the container 1.

The envelope of the container 1 is formed by walls of which preferably at least one side wall is provided with at least one door 7. This door can be a sliding door or a roller-shutter door, but it is preferably a hinged door that can be opened. In the container 1 shown in the figures, both the left side wall and the right-side wall are provided with two hinged doors 7. These doors 7 form substantially the entire side wall such that egg trays 2 can be easily placed in the container 1. In order to have a good view of the eggs and the hatched chicks, the doors 7, and thus both the side walls, are made of a transparent material, in particular of Plexiglas (polymethyl methacrylate). Through these transparent walls, the chicks also get enough light to move out of the container 1.

The container 1 is preferably on legs or on wheels 8 such that it does not make contact with the floor of the poultry house. In this way, the risk of infection of the container 1 is limited. As shown in the figures, the container 1 is preferably on wheels 8 such that it can be driven in and out of the poultry house. The egg trays 2 are then placed in the container 1 outside the poultry house, such that there is no chance of infection of the egg trays 2. The egg trays 2 are preferably placed in the container 1 in the hatchery, such that the container serves to transport the eggs. During this transport, the climate in the container can be controlled by the climate control system, which can be equipped with batteries for this purpose, to provide the required energy at least during transport. According to the invention, the container 1 is provided with a common transport system for removing the hatched chicks from the container 1 from the various levels 3 of the container 1. This transport system extends between the different levels 3 and a lower part of the container, in particular, between these levels 3 and the underside 9 of the container 1. As soon as the chicks have hatched, they can thus leave the container 1 of their own accord. In this way, the chicks do not remain close together in the container but they will end up in the poultry house where they will immediately have food and water at their disposal and where they will also have all the space to develop well. The transport system is preferably a one-way transport system, provided such that once the chicks have left the container, they can no longer get back into the container. This can easily be achieved because the chicks drop or slide from the container from a predetermined height.

The transport system may contain moving parts, such as a belt conveyor or an elevator system, for transporting the chicks from the container, but preferably the transport system will include a drop system for removing the hatched chicks from the container 1 with the aid of gravity.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the drop system has a number of inclined gutters 10 each forming a chute for the chicks. The gutters 10 are located along the inside of both lateral sides of the container 1 and are in particular attached against the doors 7 which form the side walls. The gutters 10 therefore open together with the door, and thus do not interfere with accessing the container. At the height of each level 3, openings 11 are provided on both sides next to the egg tray 2, through which the chicks can drop or jump onto the gutters 10. The gutters 10 form a zigzag pattern and are arranged such that the chicks subsequently go from one chute to another, until they reach the bottom of the container 1 on the floor of the poultry house. The drop height of the chicks is always so small that they cannot be hurt while falling.

It will be appreciated that the embodiment shown in Figures

I and 2 include four separate drop systems, namely, one drop system for each door 7 or two drop systems for each egg tray 2 as shown in Figure 2. In other words, on each level, a chick may end up on one of the four drop systems. Each of these drop systems is accessible from each level as shown in Figure 1 , thus forming a common drop system.

In the embodiment according to Figure 3, the gutters 0 have been replaced by transverse elements 12 which extend into the openings

I I next to the egg trays 2 alongside both sides of the container. Due to the presence of these openings 11 , which extend above one another, a vertical open space 13 is formed through which the chicks can fall down from the different levels 3 to the poultry house floor. The transverse elements 12 break the fall of the chicks so they do not injure themselves. The transverse elements 12 are preferably resilient, and can be formed in particular by rubber fingers. In the embodiment according to Figure 3, the transverse elements 12 are mounted alternately against the grid 4 and against the side of the container 1. As a result, these transverse elements 12 can be made longer, so that their resilient effect is greater.

It will be appreciated that the embodiment shown in Figure 3 also includes four separate drop systems, namely, one drop system for each door 7 or two drop systems for each egg tray 2 as shown in Figure 3. In other words, on each level, a chick may end up on one of the four drop systems. Each of these drop systems is also accessible from each level, thus forming a common drop system.

Because in the embodiments as shown in the Figures 1 to 3, the side walls are always formed by the doors 7, and the gutters 10 and half of the transverse elements 12, respectively, are attached against the doors 7, if necessary, they can be cleaned and disinfected easily.

In the embodiment according to Figures 4 to 6, the gutters 0 are replaced with substantially planar overlapping plates 13 which form opposed side walls of the container 1. In this manner, the plates 13 form an open space 17 which extends adjacent to the egg trays 2 alongside the two sides of the container 1. Further, in this embodiment, a hinge pin 18 is provided at the bottom of the container 1 , via which the different levels 3 can be slid apart as shown in Figure 5. By sliding the levels 3 apart, the plates 13 end up slanted so that they form one long chute along which the chicks can slide down from the different levels 3 to the floor of the poultry house. The angle of inclination of the plates 13 is chosen such that the chicks cannot get hurt while sliding down, so that they can safely reach the floor of the poultry house. In addition, the distance between the plates 13 and the levels 3 also contributes to the drop height, so that it is also chosen such that the chicks cannot be hurt by their fall down to the chute formed by the plates 13 in the extended position of the container 1.

An advantage of the transport system shown in Figures 4 to 6 is that the drop height from one level to the transport system is independent of the position where the chick leaves the level, while this is not the case with the transport systems shown in Figures 1 to 3. For example, in Figure 1 , it is clear that the drop height of a chick on the upper level is higher in the middle of this level than completely to the left on this level.

It is clear that the embodiment shown in Figures 3 to 6 includes only two separate drop systems, namely one drop system for each side wall as shown in Figure 5. In other words, on each level, a chick may end up on one of the two drop systems. Each of these drop systems is accessible from each level as shown in Figure 5, thus forming a common drop system.

As described above, the container 1 itself is preferably closed, such that the climate can be controlled therein. To achieve this in both the open and closed slid positions, the roof of the container 1 comprises plates 14, 15 that can slide over each other. Concretely, the plates 14 slide outwardly when sliding open the container 1 and the plate 15 stays horizontally in the same position. All plates 14, 15 also move vertically while sliding open. Due to the central position of plate 15, it is advantageous to provide one or more fans 6 in this plate 15, which ensure a uniform distribution of the temperature. Optionally, one or more heating elements, which can preferably also provide cooling, may be provided in the plate 15.

To also close the container 1 on the left-side wall and the right-side wall, a double door 7 is provided which is fixedly positioned on the container 1 and each level is provided with a cover plate 16 as shown in Figure 6. The double door 7 provides a seal of the left side wall and the right-side wall of the container 1 in the closed position and also ensures that the space between the levels 3 in the open position is closed off. The cover plates 16 slide together with the levels 3 and thus provide a seal of the levels both in the slid closed and slid open position of the container 1.

In order to allow the egg tray 2 to be placed in the container 1 , the double doors 7 can be opened, and each of the cover plates 16 can be lifted upwards. Preferably, the double doors 7 and the cover plates 16 will be transparent, in particular, made from polymethyl methacrylate, so that, without opening the container 1 , it is possible to check how many of the eggs have already hatched.

Other drop systems than described above are possible. Instead of providing multiple gutter-shaped chutes 10 that connect together zigzagging as shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is possible to provide one or more chutes, each extending from the top of the container 1 to the bottom. The angle of inclination of these chutes can be limited by arranging the chutes around the container spirally. Each of the chutes will then extend over two or three or four sides of the container, for example.

Claims

1. Container for hatching of pre-incubated eggs in a poultry house, said container (1 ) having at least three levels (3) for hatching the pre-incubated eggs,

characterised in that

the container (1 ) is provided with at least one transport system for removing the hatched chicks from the container (1 ) from said levels (3), said transport system being common to said levels.

2. Container according to claim 1 , characterised in that it is on wheels (8).

3. Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said levels (3) are adapted for receiving one or more egg trays (2) containing the incubated eggs.

4. Container according to claim 3, characterised in that said levels (3) are each provided for receiving at least two egg trays (2).

5. Container according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that said transport system extends between said levels (3) and a lower part of the container (1 ), preferably between said levels (3) and the underside (9) of the container (1 ).

6 Container according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the transport system includes a drop system for removing the chicks from the container (1 ) by means of gravity.

7. Container according to claim 6, characterised in that the drop system has at least one vertical open space (13), through which the hatched chicks can fall down, in which space (13) transverse elements (12) are provided for breaking the fall of the chicks, said transverse elements (12) preferably being resilient.

8. Container according to claim 6, characterised in that the drop system includes at least one chute (10) for sliding down the hatched chicks.

9. Container according to claim 8, characterised in that the drop system includes multiple chutes (10) arranged in a zigzag pattern so that the chicks end up each time from one chute to a next chute.

10. Container according to claim 8, characterised in that said chute (10) is formed by at least a part of a side wall of the container (1 ) which is in an inclined position with respect to said levels (3), with at least one open space (17) being formed between said levels (3) and said chute (10) wherein the hatched chicks can drop down and subsequently end up on said chute (10).

11. Container according to claim 10, characterised in that said portion of the side wall can be put into an upright position with respect to said levels (3).

12. Container according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the container (1 ) includes at least one door (7) for opening the container (1 ), said door (7) preferably being a hinged door (7) and said transport system being secured at least partially against an inside of this door (7).

13. Container according to any of claims 1 to 12, characterised in that it has at least a temperature control mechanism to control the temperature in the container, wherein the container (1 ) preferably furthermore has an air circulation mechanism for creating a uniform temperature in the container.

14. Container according to any of claims 1 to 13, characterised in that the container (1 ) includes at least five levels (3) and preferably at least seven levels (3).

15. Container according to any of claims 1 to 14, characterised in that the container (1 ) has side walls made of a transparent material, in particular, polymethyl methacrylate.

16. Use of a container (1 ) according to any of claims 1 to 15 to allow hatching of pre-incubated eggs in a poultry house, wherein pre- incubated eggs are introduced into the container (1 ) on at least a number of said levels (3), the pre-incubated eggs are allowed to hatch in the container (1 ), and the hatched chicks are allowed to leave the container (1 ) via said transport system while the container (1 ) is located in the poultry house.

17. Use according to claim 16, characterised in that the pre- incubated eggs are placed in egg trays (2) in the container (1 ), preferably in the egg trays (2) in which these eggs were pre-incubated.

18. Use according to claim 16 or 17, characterised in that the pre-incubated eggs are placed in a hatchery in the container (1 ), after which the container (1 ) containing the pre-incubated eggs is transported to the poultry house.