Poultry egg incubation: integrating and optimizing production efficiency

Due to its central position in the production chain, in-ovo development is influenced by pre-incubation factors that affect the quality of embryonated eggs and incubation conditions themselves, and both may influence egg hatchability and chick quality, as well as bird survival, growth performance, and phenotype in the field. The evolution of the incubation process over the years is characterized by significant scientific and technological development. Presently, the main current focuses of research are the manipulation of thermal incubation conditions, eggshell temperature, and the integrated effects of factors that influence incubation. In this context, one of the questions that needs to be asked is how effective are the current physical conditions of incubation to promote greater hatchability and better quality chicks, and higher survival and better performance in the field under adverse conditions or not. What are the new and future prospects for incubation? The purpose of this paper was to review the role of the physical agents of incubation, such as temperature, relative humidity, O2 and CO2 concentration, and egg turning and position from an integrated perspective, considering egg incubation as the transitional link between egg and poultry production.

Poultry egg incubation: integrating and optimizing production efficiency

Due to its central position in the production chain, in-ovo development is influenced by pre-incubation factors that affect the quality of embryonated eggs and incubation conditions themselves, and both may influence egg hatchability and chick quality, as well as bird survival, growth performance, and phenotype in the field. The evolution of the incubation process over the years is characterized by significant scientific and technological development. Presently, the main current focuses of research are the manipulation of thermal incubation conditions, eggshell temperature, and the integrated effects of factors that influence incubation. In this context, one of the questions that needs to be asked is how effective are the current physical conditions of incubation to promote greater hatchability and better quality chicks, and higher survival and better performance in the field under adverse conditions or not. What are the new and future prospects for incubation? The purpose of this paper was to review the role of the physical agents of incubation, such as temperature, relative humidity, O2 and CO2 concentration, and egg turning and position from an integrated perspective, considering egg incubation as the transitional link between egg and poultry production.(AU)

Effects of Ascorbic Acid Injection in Incubated Eggs Submitted to Heat Stress on Incubation Parameters and Chick Quality

Dose-dependent positive effects on hatchability and hatchling weight have been attributed to ascorbic acid (AA) when eggs were submitted or not to intermittent heat stress during incubation. Fertile breeder (Cobb(r)) eggs were used to determine if the pre-incubation injection of AA in ovo affects the incubation and hatchling quality of egg incubated under thermoneutral or intermittent heat stress conditions. Eggs were not injected or injected with 0, 2,4, or 6% AA/100µL water and incubated at continuous thermoneutral (37.5ºC) or hot (39.0ºC) temperature. Eggshell temperature (EST) increased in the second half of the incubation period in all experimental groups. The EST of non-injected eggs and of those injected with water was higher when incubated at 39°C than at 37.5°C, but EST was not different among eggs injected with AA. Egg mass loss and eggshell conductance were higher in the eggs incubated at 39°C than at 37.5°C.Hatchability was lower in the eggs injected with AA. Liver and yolk sac weights were higher, whereas heart and liver weights were lower in hatchlings from eggs incubated at 39°C; however, hatchling weight was not affected by incubation temperature. The results showed that AA doses affected egg conductive heat loss and hatchability, and that they did not minimize the effects of high incubation temperature on liver and heart development.(AU)

Effects of Ascorbic Acid Injection in Incubated Eggs Submitted to Heat Stress on Incubation Parameters and Chick Quality

Dose-dependent positive effects on hatchability and hatchling weight have been attributed to ascorbic acid (AA) when eggs were submitted or not to intermittent heat stress during incubation. Fertile breeder (Cobb(r)) eggs were used to determine if the pre-incubation injection of AA in ovo affects the incubation and hatchling quality of egg incubated under thermoneutral or intermittent heat stress conditions. Eggs were not injected or injected with 0, 2,4, or 6% AA/100µL water and incubated at continuous thermoneutral (37.5ºC) or hot (39.0ºC) temperature. Eggshell temperature (EST) increased in the second half of the incubation period in all experimental groups. The EST of non-injected eggs and of those injected with water was higher when incubated at 39°C than at 37.5°C, but EST was not different among eggs injected with AA. Egg mass loss and eggshell conductance were higher in the eggs incubated at 39°C than at 37.5°C.Hatchability was lower in the eggs injected with AA. Liver and yolk sac weights were higher, whereas heart and liver weights were lower in hatchlings from eggs incubated at 39°C; however, hatchling weight was not affected by incubation temperature. The results showed that AA doses affected egg conductive heat loss and hatchability, and that they did not minimize the effects of high incubation temperature on liver and heart development.

Desempenho e rendimento de carcaça de frangos de corte alimentados com pectina na ração / Performance and carcass yield of broiler chickens fed with pectin in the ration

Avaliou-se o efeito da ingestão contínua de pectina em 720 frangos de corte sobre o desempenho e rendimento de carcaça e o consumo de água. O delineamento foi inteiramente ao acaso, em esquema de parcela subdividida, com níveis de pectina 0, 1, 3 e 5%, e idade primeira, segunda, terceira, quarta, quinta e sexta semanas, com seis repetições por tratamento. A viabilidade criatória não foi influenciada pela pectina na ração. O peso vivo, o consumo de ração e o ganho de peso diminuíram, e a conversão alimentar aumentou com a ingestão de pectina aos 35 e 42 dias. Não houve efeito da pectina sobre o consumo de ração (CR) e o consumo de água (CAg) na terceira semana. Na sexta semana, o CAg e a relação CAg:CR aumentaram com a ingestão de pectina. Aos 35e 42 dias, todos os parâmetros avaliados para rendimento de carcaça e corte diminuíram com o aumento da ingestão da fibra, sendo que apenas o rendimento de coxa+sobrecoxa não sofreu influência aos 42 dias. Os dados mostram que a ingestão contínua de até 1% de pectina na ração mantém o desempenho máximo das aves e que o consumo acima desse nível prejudica os parâmetros zootécnicos e aumenta o consumo de água na fase de maior crescimento.(AU)

The effect of the continuous intake of pectin was evaluated for 720 broilers regarding performance, carcass yield and water consumption. The design was completely randomized in a split plot design, with pectin levels of 0, 1, 3 and 5% and age 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th week, with six replicates. The viability was not influenced by dietary pectin. Body weight, feed intake and weight gain decreased and feed intake increased with pectin at 35 and 42 days. No effect of pectin on feed intake (FI) and water consumption (W) in the third week. On the sixth week regarding W and FI: W increased with the intake of pectin. At 35 and 42 days all parameters for carcass and cut decreased with increasing intake of fiber, and only the thigh + drumstick yield was not affected at 42 days. The data show that the continuous intake of up to 1% pectin in the diet maintains the best performance in birds and consumption above that level affects the performance parameters and increases the consumption of water in the higher growth phase.(AU)