Effect of eggshell temperature during incubation on embryo development, hatchability, and posthatch development

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of different eggshell temperature (EST) profiles during incubation on embryo mortality, hatchability, and embryo development. Furthermore, chicks from different EST profiles were reared under low and high housing temperatures to investigate subsequent posthatch growth and rectal temperature. Two batches of eggs were used in this experiment. Hatching eggs were subjected to 36.7 or 37.8 degrees C EST during the first week, to 37.8 degrees C EST during the second week, and to 37.8 or 38.9 degrees C EST during the third week of incubation. Posthatch housing temperature decreased from 35 degrees C at d 1 to 30 degrees C at d 7 (high) or decreased from 30 degrees C at d 1 to 25 degrees C at d 7 (low). The difference between machine temperature and EST (DT) was used to illustrate the effect of EST on heat production during incubation. DT differed per batch, and was smallest when eggs were incubated at 36.7 degrees C instead of 37.8 degrees C during wk 1. High EST during wk 3 of incubation (38.9 degrees C instead of 37.8 degrees C) reduced DT only in batch 2. Embryo development was most retarded in eggs incubated at 36.7 degrees C EST compared with at 37.8 degrees C during the first week of incubation. However, highest hatchability and embryo development were always found when EST was maintained at 37.8 degrees C constantly throughout incubation. Chicks that hatched from eggs incubated at low EST during wk 1 of incubation had lower rectal temperature after hatching, especially under low housing temperatures, and this effect lasted until 7 d posthatch in batch 1. The highest rectal temperatures were always found in chicks incubated at 37.8 degrees C EST constantly throughout incubation. Eggs and chicks from different batches require different environmental conditions for optimal embryo development, hatchability, and posthatch growth. Rearing temperature and incubation conditions affect the ability of young chicks to maintain their rectal temperature during the first week posthatch.

The Effects of Different Eggshell Temperatures Between Embryonic Day 10 and 18 on Broiler Performance and Susceptibility to Ascites

“…French (2000) reported that even small temperature differences of 0.5 or 1 o C (from 37.5 to 38.0 or 38.5 o C) during the period of three to 25 days of incubation can significantly affect the embryonic development of turkeys. Several studies have shown that incubation temperature influences embryo development and post-hatch performance (Lourens et al, 2005(Lourens et al, , 2007Meijerhof, 2009b;Molenaar et al, 2011). In studies that compared normal eggshell temperatures (approximately 37.8°C) to high shell temperatures (38.9 to 39.5°C), chick hatching weight was lower when eggs were incubated at high eggshell temperature at the end of incubation (Lourens et al, 2005;Joseph et al, 2006; (Hulet et al, 2007;Meijerhof, 2009b).…”

Increasing the incubation temperature between embryonic day 7 and 10 has no influence on the growth and slaughter characteristics as well as meat quality of broilers

“…A main advantage is that the embryonic development can be easily manipulated. Different endogenic factors with an impact on the avian embryogenesis have been investigated including the oxygen concentration (LeonVelarde and Monge, 2004;Chan and Burggren, 2005; -E-mail: Carsten.Werner@tiho-hannover.de Mortola and Labbe, 2005), the light colour (Rozenboim et al, 2003;Halevy et al, 2006) or the temperature around the brooding eggs (Christensen et al, 2001;Gauly et al, 2001;Von Blumroder and Tonhardt, 2002;Maltby et al, 2004;Tonhardt et al, 2004;Yahav et al, 2004a and2004b;Lourens et al, 2005;Collin et al, 2007;Hammond et al, 2007;Piestun et al, 2009). Direct manipulations include the in-ovo injection of growth hormones or factors (e.g.…”

Adaptive response to Eimeria acervulina in rearing hens is affected by suboptimal incubation temperature and heat exposure in later life

“…Incubation Eggs (n 5 800, Lohmann Brown; breeder flock age 42 weeks, Verbeek Hatchery, Lunteren, the Netherlands) were randomly divided over two eggshell temperature (EST) treatments during incubation. Eggs were incubated at a considered optimum EST of 37.88C in the OI treatment (Lourens et al, 2005;Molenaar et al, 2010). In the SI treatment, eggs were incubated at an EST of 36.78C from embryonic days (EDs) 0 to 7, 37.88C from EDs 8 to 14 and 38.98C from EDs 15 to 21.…”

“…Temperature is one of the most important environmental factors for the development of the chicken embryo. Previous studies in broilers and layers demonstrated that deviations from optimum incubation temperature (between 378C and 388C; Wilson, 1991) have negative effects on embryo development (Romanoff, 1972;Shafey, 2004;Molenaar et al, 2010), hatchability (Deeming and Ferguson, 1991;Decuypere and Michels, 1992), chick quality (Lourens et al, 2005;Molenaar et al, 2010) and subsequent performance (Decuypere, 1979;Lourens et al, 2005). Walstra et al (2010) previously demonstrated that the combination of suboptimal incubation, hatch and rearing management reduces the capacity of layer hens to adapt to infectious challenges as compared with layers hatched and reared under more -E-mail: irene.walstra@wur.nl optimized conditions.…”