The fertile egg components may be damaged when the microclimatic conditions and transportation characteristics are combined inadequately. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize and to assess the spatial dependence of microclimatic profiles during transport of fertile eggs with different layout of boxes. A trial was conducted in a commercial poultry industry in Mogi Mirim in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, through monitoring five loads of hatching eggs. An air conditioned truck was used, with maximum capacity of 592 egg boxes. Two layout of boxes were assessed in the present study. One data logger was installed inside the egg boxes, totalizing 18 data loggers. The following thermal variables were studied: dry-bulb temperature (°C), relative humidity (%) and specific enthalpy (kJ kg-1 dry air). A completely randomized design was adopted , with a split-plot structure and was analysed through geostatistics (ordinary kriging). Inside the superior box layout, high values of temperature and lower values of relative humidity and specific enthalpy were registered. The worst regions for microclimatic in both layouts were located in the central and rear part of the truck during transport of fertile eggs.
poultry production; animal environment; prehatching operation; logistics
