EFFECTS OF FLOCK AGE, PRE-INCUBATION STORAGE, AND INCUBATION RELATIVE HUMIDITY ON HATCHABILITY CHARACTERISTICS OF EGGS FROM TWO LOCAL CHICKEN STRAINS | ||||
| Journal of Animal and Poultry Production | ||||
| Article 1, Volume 29, Issue 8, August 2004, Page 4413-4428 PDF (4.67 MB) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jappmu.2004.239405 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
| M. M. Khalifah,1; M. A. Ali1; L. M. A. Goher2; F. S. A. Ismail3; R. M. M. Ali2 | ||||
| 1Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University . | ||||
| 2Animal Production Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| 3Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of pre-incubation storage period of hatching egg, incubation relative humidity, and parental chickens, strain and age on hatchability performance. Two preincubation storage periods (3 or 14 days) and three incubation relative humidity (RH) levels (55, 60 or 65%) were investigated. A total number of 1155 hatching eggs produced by 40- or 60-wk-old Mamourah (M) and Gimmizah (G) hens were used in this study. Prior to incubation hatching eggs were stored for 3 or 14 days (at a range of temperatures between 14- 17°C and 62-65% RH).Eggs were incubated at a temperature of 37.8 °C with RH of 55, 60 or 65% for the first 18 days, then 65% RH for the last three days. Results showed that, post-stored egg albumen height was negatively affected for eggs from older hens (60-wk-old). Post storage egg albumen height was decreased while albumen pH was increased as the preincubation storage period extended to 14 days. Egg weight loss during the first 18 days of incubation was significantly higher for eggs of M (13.2%) than for those of G (12.9%), and, greater in eggs from 60-wk-old hens (13.2%) than in those from 40-wk-old hens (12.7%). The greatest egg weight loss (13.8%) was observed at incubation RH of 55%, and the lowest one (12.3%) was recorded under 65% RH. Eggs fertility and hatchability were not affected by strain of chickens, but they were significantly affected by parental age, length of presetting storage period, and incubation RH. Fertility and hatchability percentages were higher for eggs laid by 40-wk-old hens than for those of 60-wk-old hens, being 91 4 and 90.2%, and 87.8 and 83.45% for fertility and hatchability, respectively. The best egg fertility and hatchability percentages were obtained under incubation RH of 60%, and the worst ones were recorded at 65% RH. There were significant differences in incubation time of eggs due to the effects of chickens strain (491.9 VS. 492.8 h in G and M, respectively) and age ( 491.8 VS. 492.9 h in eggs produced by 40- and 60-wk-old hens, respectively), length of presetting storage period (489.7 VS. 495.1 h for eggs stored for 3 and 14 days, respectively), and incubation RH (490.4, 492.7 and 493.6 h at 55, 60 and 65% RH, respectively). Embryonic mortality was significantly increased in hatching eggs from older hens (60-wk-old), in eggs stored for 14 days prior to setting, and in those incubated at 65% RH. Average hatch- weight of chicks was not affected significantly by strain and age of parental chickens or the length of preincubation storage period of hatching eggs, while it was inversely related to the level of incubation RH. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Gimmizah and Mamourah eggs; storage period; relative humidity; fertility and hatchability | ||||
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