Patent ID: 8899177

Claim:
A method for improving hatching yield of hatchery eggs, comprising: applying a coating composition to a surface of a shell of at least one hatchery egg, the coating composition comprising a coating agent and a liquid vehicle, the coating agent being present in a concentration of from 0.01 to 8% w/w based on the total weight of the coating composition and being selected from the group consisting of a polymer, a polysaccharide, a lipid, a protein, a natural wax, a natural resin, a hydrocarbon and a latex, and mixtures thereof; evaporating the liquid vehicle from the coating composition to form a porous solid or semi-solid coating over the surface of the shell; and incubating the at least one hatchery egg under conditions sufficient to cause hatching, wherein the hatching yield of the at least one hatchery egg subjected to the coating composition is greater than that the hatching yield of other hatchery eggs that were not subjected to the coating composition.