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Background Aspergillosis is a common and usually terminal disease predominantly of young broiler chicks. Typically, chicks inhale the spores of Aspergillus as they hatch. These spores often contaminate modern hatcheries and are very difficult to eradicate from the ventilation systems in the hatcheries and so become a persistent problem. Spores found in hatcheries seldom originate there but are brought into the hatchery on the shells of eggs brought from the broiler breeder units. Compiled by: Rudolf H. van der Veen, Allied Nutrition Fred Bechaz, Lavendula

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Background Eggs become contaminated when they are laid onto possible contaminated wood shavings covering the floor of nest boxes. Farmers limit the level of contamination by carefully selecting dry wood shavings, which are less likely to be heavily contaminated with Aspergillus spores as well as through the use of formaldehyde granules known as prills. The prills evaporate, releasing gaseous formalin, which is one of the few agents known to be highly effective at killing Aspergillus spores. Compiled by: Rudolf H. van der Veen, Allied Nutrition Fred Bechaz, Lavendula

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