Effects of Short-Term Storage or Pre-Storage Heating of Hatching Eggs from Young Broiler Breeder Flock before Incubation on Hatching Parameters and Chick Quality

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of short-term storage (four days) or pre-storage heating of hatching eggs from young Ross broiler breeding flocks (28 week old) on hatching parameters and chick quality. In total, 1350 hatching eggs of 1 d and 4 d of laid were individually numbered and distributed three treatments, named as NS (eggs that were not stored), S (eggs that were stored for four days before incubation) and HS (eggs that were heated at 37.7 °C and a relative humidity of 60% for 24 h and then stored for three days before incubation). The HS treatment increased the hatchabilities of set and fertil eggs compared to the NS and S treatments, whereas the S decreased the these variables compared to the NS treatment. The embrionic mortality in the HS eggs was lower than those in the NS and S eggs. The rate of discarded chicks was higher in the S group than in the HS group. The chick weight in the NS treatment was higher than those in the S and HS treatments. In conclusion, the pre-storage heating of hatching eggs from young broiler breeder flock positively affected hatchability without chick weight and quality.