What Does Bio-Security Mean and How Does Meyer Hatchery Stay Clean?

Biosecurity is defined as the measures we take to protect against and prevent the transmission of disease. Meyer Hatchery, and our hatching partners, have a rigorous and continuous sanitation routine in place that includes every stage of the incubation process from start to finish.

Before employees and non-employees can enter and exit our buildings, they are required to walk through foot baths to sanitize their footwear. They are also provided with disposable booties to be worn while inside the facility. Barn employees are required to have their own pair of boots for each barn so that they are not transferring anything from barn to barn. Sign-in sheets are also used in our barns and other buildings to keep track of all non-employee foot traffic.

After eggs are collected from the barns and before they are set in the incubators, they are placed in a cooler and fogged to disinfect.  This prevents bacteria from entering the incubators. All hatching equipment that new hatchlings come into contact with, goes through a tray washer to thoroughly sanitize and disinfect. All equipment only gets used once and then is taken to be sanitized before going on to the next hatch. The hatcher floors also get a thorough sanitizing foam application after each hatch. 

Additionally, our flocks go through a comprehensive vaccination process, and we are monitored continuously by NPIP and state vet officials who oversee and test the health of our flock and processes. Meyer Hatchery is NPIP certified with the additional classifications of AI clean and Salmonella monitored. Birds from Meyer Hatchery are disease-free. Your main weapon against any poultry disease is good poultry husbandry and biosecurity.