Effect of lighted incubation from set till hatch on hatch moment and chick development

C. W. van der Pol*†, I. A. M. van Roovert-Reijrink*, C. M. Maatjens*†, B. Kemp†, H. van den Brand†

*HatchTech 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.

In a commercial practice, eggs are incubated in complete darkness. In nature, a hen leaves the nest regularly, exposing the developing embryo to light. A darkness-light rhythm has previously been shown to influence embryonic brain development, circadian hormonal release, and embryonic development, and it may be speculated that it will influence several other aspects of embryonic development. The data presented here is part of a larger experiment on the effect of light during incubation on bone development. Download the entire article via the button below.