In ovo feeding improves energy status of late-term chicken embryos

Abstract

Maintenance of glucose homeostasis during late-term embryonic development is dependent upon the amount of glucose held in reserve primarily in the form of glycogen in the liver and upon the degree of glucose generated by gluconeogenesis from protein first mobilized from amnion albumen and then from muscle. Insufficient glycogen and albumen will force the embryo to mobilize more muscle protein toward gluconeogenesis, thus restricting growth of the late-term embryo and hatchling. We hypothesize that administration of available carbohydrates to the amnion will improve glycogen reserves and spare muscle protein mobilization for gluconeogenesis during late-term embryonic and posthatch neonatal development. Our hypothesis was tested by comparing BW gain, liver glycogen reserves, and muscle weight of in ovo fed and control embryos during last days of embryonic incubation until 25 d after hatching. We examined, using 600 birds from 2 different strains of commercial boilers, body and muscle weights and glycogen reserves following feeding embryos at d 17.5 of incubation with a solution containing maltose, sucrose, dextrin, and beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB). Providing carbohydrates and HMB to late-term embryos increased hatching weights by 5 to 6% over controls, improved liver glycogen by 2- to 5-fold, and elevated relative breast muscle size by 6 to 8%. These weight advantages were sustained through the end of the experiments at 25 d of age. It is reasonable to assume that the elevated glycogen levels in the in ovo treatment reduce the need to produce glucose via gluconeogenesis and, therefore, contribute to less use of muscle protein and hence a greater percentage of pectoral muscle weight in the in ovo birds.

Influence of different prebiotics and mode of their administration on broiler chicken performance

“…Based on chemical and physical features and dose of the injected substance, different site of injection (i.e. the embryo, the amnion, the allantois, the air cell or the yolk sac) and embryo age (0, 12, 17 or 18 days of incubation) have been used (Casas-Perez and Edens, 1995;Pilarski et al, 2005;Uni et al, 2005;Cheled-Shoval et al, 2011;Ebrahimnezhad et al, 2011).…”

Growth, Digestive Tract and Muscle Weights in Slow-Growing Broiler is not Affected by a Blend of Branched-Chain Amino Acids Injected into Different Sites of Egg

“…This period is associated with a reduced in initial body weight with respect to development of gastrointestinal tract (GIT), some organs and muscles, and thus, meat yield at market age (Mozdziak et al, 2002;Halevy et al, 2003;Bhuiyan et al, 2011). Therefore, the last period of incubation has become one of the critical periods for growth, developmental programming of digestive and metabolic organs and skeleton muscles and led to the development of in ovo feeding systems for poultry (Uni et al, 2005). It has been reported that, to reduce the negative effect of large hatching window and to increase performance, the use of some in ovo amino acid supplements (Tako et al, 2004;Kadam et al, 2008;Bakyaraj et al, 2011;Al-Daraj et al, 2012) are necessary in the last period of incubation.…”

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

“…Direct manipulations include the in-ovo injection of growth hormones or factors (e.g. insulinlike growth factor), amino acids, carbohydrates or neuromuscular active drugs into the embryos or its embryonic membranes (Kocamis et al, 1998;Heywood et al, 2005;Uni et al, 2005;McEntee et al, 2006;Pitsillides, 2006).…”