Effect of strain and age of the broiler breeder female on incubation time and chick weight

Centro de Ganaderia, Colegio de Postgraduado Chapingo, Estado de Mexico, Mexico.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate effects of strain [five in Experiment (Exp.) 1 and six in Exp. 2)] and age (29, 47, and 57 wk in Exp. 1 and 29, 41, and 52 wk in Exp. 2) of commercial broiler breeders on incubation time and chick weight. Highly significant differences in egg weight were found among strains in both Exp. After adjusting for effects of egg weight, significant effects of strain, age, and their interactions were found on incubation time, egg weight at transfer, and chick weight at hatch in Exp. 1, but not in Exp. 2. Mean incubation times varied among strains from 496.6 to 498.8 h in Exp. 1 and from 499.3 to 501.9 h in the second experiment. In Exp. 1, incubation time decreased from 498.6 h when breeders were 29 wk to 494.8 at 47 wk, whereas in Exp. 2, it decreased from 510.5 h at 29 wk to 495.1 h at 41 wk. This decrease also resulted in a negative correlation between egg weight and incubation time. Differences due to strain and age were found for yolk and albumen percentage and yolk: albumen ratio. Percentage yolk was 27.2 and 32.7% and percentage albumen was 60.1 and 55.9% in eggs from 29 to 52 wk breeders, respectively. Shell percentage was significantly affected by strain. Strain by age interactions were found for each response in Exp. 1 but only for set and chick weight in Exp. 2. Differences among incubators were found only for incubation time; interactions of incubation time and strain and age were also detected. Results indicate that genotype, age of the female breeder, and incubator should be considered along with their interactions to obtain optimum hatching performance.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Yassin, A. G. J. Velthuis, M. Boerjan, J. van Riel, and R. B. M. Huirne Field Study on Broiler Eggs Hatchability Poult. Sci., November 1, 2008; 87(11): 2408 - 2417. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A. Hamidu, G. M. Fasenko, J. J. R. Feddes, E. E. O'Dea, C. A. Ouellette, M. J. Wineland, and V. L. Christensen The Effect of Broiler Breeder Genetic Strain and Parent Flock Age on Eggshell Conductance and Embryonic Metabolism Poult. Sci., November 1, 2007; 86(11): 2420 - 2432. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Lourens, H. van den Brand, M. J. W. Heetkamp, R. Meijerhof, and B. Kemp Effects of Eggshell Temperature and Oxygen Concentration on Embryo Growth and Metabolism During Incubation Poult. Sci., October 1, 2007; 86(10): 2194 - 2199. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. J. Wolanski, R. A. Renema, F. E. Robinson, V. L. Carney, and B. I. Fancher Relationships Among Egg Characteristics, Chick Measurements, and Early Growth Traits in Ten Broiler Breeder Strains Poult. Sci., August 1, 2007; 86(8): 1784 - 1792. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Everaert, B. Kamers, A. Witters, L. De Smit, M. Debonne, E. Decuypere, and V. Bruggeman Effect of Four Percent Carbon Dioxide During the Second Half of Incubation on Embryonic Development, Hatching Parameters, and Posthatch Growth Poult. Sci., July 1, 2007; 86(7): 1372 - 1379. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. C. Pappas, T. Acamovic, N. H. C. Sparks, P. F. Surai, and R. M. McDevitt Effects of supplementing broiler breeder diets with organoselenium compounds and polyunsaturated fatty acids on hatchability. Poult. Sci., September 1, 2006; 85(9): 1584 - 1593. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. J. Wolanski, R. A. Renema, F. E. Robinson, V. L. Carney, and B. I. Fancher Relationship Between Chick Conformation and Quality Measures with Early Growth Traits in Males of Eight Selected Pure or Commercial Broiler Breeder Strains Poult. Sci., August 1, 2006; 85(8): 1490 - 1497. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]