Modification of the embryo and incubation of broiler breeder by ventilation at high altitude

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Marco Antonio Juarez-Estrada
Erick Iraim Lopez-Ruiz
Sonia Lopez-Cordova
Guillermo Tellez-Isaias
Omar Francisco Prado-Rebolledo

Abstract

This study explores the impact of gradually increasing high carbon dioxide (CO2) levels during the first 10 days of incubation at high altitude. Two ventilation conditions were compared. In the first, CO2 concentration gradually accumulates through the embryo's metabolism in a non-ventilated (NV) incubator during the first 10 days of embryonic development (ED10). In the second condition, the incubator was normally ventilated (V). Both treatments received V conditions for the remainder of the incubation period. The CO2 concentration in the V incubator remained at 0.13 % during the first ED10 days, whereas in the NV, the concentration gradually increased from 0.14 % to 0.9 %. Throughout the incubation, NV exhibited significantly lower (P < 0.05) embryonic mortality compared to V. Remarkably, the hatchability of fertile eggs (HFE) was 10 % significantly higher (P < 0.05) in NV conditions than V group. NV conditions at high altitude (2 230 m) produced embryos with heavier yolk-free body mass and a progressive trend of lighter yolk-sac weights from ED10 day until hatch. The weight of hatchlings in the NV treatment was 43.4 g, with a length of 17.5 cm, both of which were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than hatched chicks from the V group (41.5 g and 17.2 cm respectively). The NV condition at high altitude positively influenced the quality of hatchling chicks. We conclude that the NV condition, with a gradual increase of CO2 concentration during the first 10 days of incubation at high altitude, is preferable to the V conditions.

Keywords:
Embryonic mortality Egg Mass Loss Hatchability of Fertile Eggs Hypercapnia Hatchling Chick Quality

Article Details

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