Ensuring the hygiene of hatching eggs is a cornerstone of successful poultry production. Traditionally, South African broiler breeder farms have relied on formalin fumigation to disinfect hatching eggs—a process known for its effectiveness but also its health hazards to staff. Now, a safer, potentially more effective alternative is emerging: Peroxsil Ag+.
A recent investigation tested the efficacy of Peroxsil Ag+, a hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectant, in comparison to formalin fumigation. The results reveal that Peroxsil Ag+ not only matches but may even surpass formalin in performance—without the safety risks.
Why Seek an Alternative?
While formalin is a powerful disinfectant, its use poses significant challenges. It requires precise temperature and humidity control to be effective, and even small inconsistencies in application can compromise results. More importantly, formalin is hazardous to human health, raising the stakes for staff safety and prompting the industry to seek safer, more reliable alternatives.
Peroxsil Ag+ addresses both concerns. It is not dependent on environmental conditions and, once diluted, breaks down into harmless water and oxygen, significantly reducing risks to personnel.
The Trials: Testing Peroxsil Ag+ in the Field
Trial 1: Can Peroxsil Ag+ Reduce Bacteria on Clean Hatching Eggs?
Eggs treated with Peroxsil Ag+ showed dramatic reductions in bacterial counts—from an average of 49.6 colony-forming units (CFU) per eggshell on untreated eggs to just 2.6 CFU with Peroxsil treatment. In comparison, rinsing with clean water increased bacterial counts to 55.8 CFU, ruling out a mere rinsing effect and confirming the disinfectant’s active role.
Conclusion: Peroxsil Ag+ significantly reduces bacterial load on clean eggshells.
Trial 2: What About Dirty Floor Eggs?
This test focused on highly contaminated eggs collected from the floor. Peroxsil Ag+ was tested alone and in combination with water rinsing. It outperformed both untreated and water-rinsed eggs, reducing eggshell contamination to undetectable levels.
Egg contents were also tested. Contamination dropped from 6.75 CFU per swab in untreated eggs to just 0.5 CFU in Peroxsil-treated eggs, showing that shell hygiene directly impacts internal egg cleanliness.
Conclusion: Peroxsil Ag+ reduces contamination both on the shell and inside the egg.
Trial 3: Is Peroxsil Ag+ as Effective as Formalin?
Across seven production sites, 480 hatching eggs were tested. Both formalin and Peroxsil Ag+ reduced bacteria, but Peroxsil-treated eggs showed consistently lower average bacterial counts, often achieving complete elimination of detectable bacteria. In contrast, formalin’s effectiveness varied significantly by site.
Conclusion: Peroxsil Ag+ is at least as effective as formalin, and potentially more reliable.
Egg Quality Post-Treatment
Even after transportation and grading at the hatchery, Peroxsil-treated eggs maintained lower bacterial levels than those treated with formalin. This suggests long-lasting protective effects that could help improve hatchery hygiene.
Is Fogging with Peroxsil Ag+ Effective?
A small pilot study evaluated cold fogging of eggs with Peroxsil Ag+. Results were inconsistent, with only a 50% reduction in bacteria. The issue? Insufficient air circulation between trays during fogging.
Conclusion: Cold fogging is not recommended at this stage due to uneven distribution.
Does Peroxsil Ag+ Affect Hatchability?
Over 20 hatch comparisons, involving more than 377,000 Peroxsil-treated eggs and 420,000 formalin-fumigated eggs, Peroxsil again showed promising results. In 15 out of 20 hatches, the percentage of first-grade chicks was higher in the Peroxsil group.
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Peroxsil Ag+ hatch rate: 84.02%
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Formalin hatch rate: 83.70%
Conclusion: Peroxsil Ag+ supports hatchability equal to or better than formalin, thanks to its disinfection efficiency.
What About Broiler Performance?
Unfortunately, post-hatch broiler performance data was not available at the time of reporting. However, the initial hygiene and hatch results are encouraging.
Summary: A Promising Future for Egg Hygiene
The findings across multiple trials show that Peroxsil Ag+ is a compelling alternative to formalin. It offers:
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Effective bacterial reduction on both clean and contaminated eggs
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Improved egg content hygiene
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Comparable or improved hatch rates
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Reduced safety risks for farm workers
With easy application, fewer infrastructure requirements, and safer handling, Peroxsil Ag+ could become the gold standard for hatchery hygiene in a health-conscious, sustainability-focused poultry industry.
Method at a Glance
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Dilution: 1:64 with clean tap water (0.78% hydrogen peroxide concentration)
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Application: Battery-powered knapsack sprayer, 350 mL per tray (150 eggs)
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Sampling: Sanitized tongs and rolling paddles for eggshell contact
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Scoring: Based on CFU count from 0% (heavy contamination) to 100% (no growth)
