Effect of eggshell temperature and a hole in the air cell on the perinatal development and physiology of layer hatchlings

Roos Molenaar*, Sonja de Vries†, Ilona van den Anker†, Ron Meijerhof‡, Bas Kemp†, and Henry van den Brand†

*HatchTech Incubation Technology B.V., P.O. Box 256, 3900 AG Veenendaal, the Netherlands; †Adaptation Physiology Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, the Netherlands; ‡Poultry Performance Plus, Kleine Enkweg 1, 7383 DB Voorst, the Netherlands.

To investigate the effect of incubation conditions on layer hatchlings, an experiment was performed in which layer eggs were incubated at a normal (37.8°C) or high (38.9°C) eggshell temperature (EST) and a hole was punctured in the air cell of half of the eggs in both EST treatments from d 14 of incubation onward. Chick development, plasma metabolites, and hepatic glycogen were measured at 12 h after emergence from the eggshell. Download the entire article via the button below.