Influence of prestorage incubation on embryonic development, hatchability, and chick quality

Abstract

Egg storage longer than 7 d is associated with a delay in hatch time and a decline in hatchability and chick quality. Prestorage incubation is suggested as a method to reduce the negative effects of prolonged storage times by altering the developmental stage of the embryo, but earlier research has shown that prestorage incubation can both be detrimental and beneficial for hatchability. The reason for these ambiguous results is not clear and the effect of prestorage incubation on chick quality is not studied extensively. The objective of this study was to investigate changes in developmental stage of embryos during prestorage incubation and the effect of prestorage incubation on hatchability and chick quality. Two experiments were conducted. In experiment I, eggs were stored for 3, 5, 8, or 12 d. In experiment II, eggs were stored for 5 or 11 d. Half of the eggs was stored immediately at 16 to 18 degrees C and the other half was exposed to prestorage incubation for 6 h in experiment I and for 4.5 h in experiment II. According to the classification table of Eyal-Giladi and Kochav (EG), embryonic development was advanced by prestorage incubation from developmental stage EG11.67 to developmental stage EG13.26 in experiment I (P = 0.02) and from developmental stage EG9.22 to developmental stage EG12.63 in experiment II (P< 0.0001). In experiment I, prestorage incubation reduced hatchability of set eggs from 59.3 to 51.5% when storage time was 12 d but did not reduce hatchability when storage time was 3, 5, or 8 d (interaction P = 0.02). Prestorage incubation increased chick length (P = 0.004). In experiment II, prestorage incubation increased hatchability of fertile eggs from 80.6 to 85.9% when storage time was 11 d but did not increase hatchability when storage time was 5 d (interaction P = 0.0009). Prestorage incubation increased percentage of second grade chicks (P = 0.0007). It seems that storage time, embryonic development at egg collection, and prestorage incubation duration determine the effect of prestorage incubation on hatchability and chick quality.

Effect of Different Storage Period on Egg Weight, Internal Egg Quality and Hatchability Characteristics of Fayumi Eggs

“…The egg weight loss increased together with days of storage as reported by researchers for many poultry species. The egg weight loss observed during storage in the present research followed the expected pattern and was higher than that found by Reijrink et al (2009) for broiler breeder eggs when stored at 16 to 18°C and unspecified relative humidity and by González-Redondo (2010) for redlegged partridge eggs when stored at room temperature (15°C) and 80% RH. Weight losses which occur during the storage of eggs are related to the temperature and humidity of the environment in which the eggs are stored and to the length of the storage period.…”

“…Different studies showed that hatchability of eggs decreases quickly after 8 d of storage period for pheasant (Demirel and Kırıkçı, 2009), 7 d of storage time for duck (Onba ılar et al, 2007), 5 d of storage time for broiler breeder hen (Petek and Dikmen, 2006) , 28 d of storage length for partridge (González-Redondo, 2010), 15 d of storage length for ostrich (Hassan et al, 2005) and 4 d of storage length for guinea fowl eggs (Moreki and Ditshupo, 2012). For chickens, it was suggested that pre-storage incubation has no effect on hatchability, when storage time is shorter than 8 d and can both be detrimental and beneficial when storage time is prolonged (Reijrink et al, 2009). Some negative changes in egg quality of all poultry species have been reported due to prolonged storage time (Tilki and Saatçi, 2004).…”

Significance of chick quality score in broiler production

“…These data may, however, also be indicative for subsequent flock performance. In scientific research, the percentage of second grade chicks in a flock has been used as an indicator of flock quality and found to vary with egg storage duration (Tona et al, 2004;Reijrink et al, 2010), pre-incubation treatments during storage (Reijrink et al, 2009) and incubation temperature profile (Lourens et al, 2005), and large variation (0.0% to 20.6%) was found among these studies. Chicks were classified as second grade when they 'were not able to stand straight up or showed visible signs of suboptimal incubation conditions, such as red hocks or rough navels' (Lourens et al, 2005), or as all chicks that were not a first grade chick, 'being clean, dry and free from deformities, completely sealed navel, and no yolk sac or residual membrane protruding from the navel' (Tona et al, 2004;Reijrink et al, 2009 and.…”

Microclima, idades das matrizes e tempos de estocagem influenciam na perda de água dos ovos no transporte?

“…Os mesmos autores observaram que as estações do ano exercem forte influência sobre a variação da temperatura no contêiner climatizado, sendo que o verão foi considerado a pior época para se transportar ovos. Quando os ovos férteis são submetidos a altas temperaturas fora da incubadora, pode ficar comprometida a viabilidade embrionária nos estádios iniciais de desenvolvimento, reduzir a taxa de eclosão, além de aumentar a taxa de mortalidade (CONY et al, 2008;REIJRINK et al, 2010;BARACHO et al, 2013).…”