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Acclimation to Heat During Incubation. 1. Embryonic Morphological Traits, Blood Biochemistry, and Hatching Performance

S. Yalçin^*,1, M. Çabuk, V. Bruggeman, E. Babacanolu^*, J. Buyse, E. Decuypere and P. B. Siegel

^* Ege University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, 35100 Izmir, Turkey; Celal Bayar University, Akhisar Vocational Training School, 45140 Manisa, Turkey; Laboratory for Physiology, Immunology and Genetics of Domestic Animals, Department of Biosystems, Katholieke Universiteit. Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 30, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; and Department of Animal and Poultry Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg 24061-0306

¹ Corresponding author: servet.yalcin{at}ege.edu.tr

Eggs obtained from broiler breeders at 32 (young), 42 (middle aged), and 65 wk (old) were used to measure the effects of heat acclimation during incubation on morphological, physiological, and metabolic traits at internal pipping (IP) and at hatch. All eggs were from the same stock, and hatching performance was also evaluated. Eggs from each breeder age were incubated at control (CONT) or 38.5°C for 6 h daily from d 10 to 18 of incubation (HA). On d 10 after heat exposure and on d 14, absolute and proportional weights were significantly lower for HA than CONT embryos. By the time of hatching, HA chicks were heavier than CONT chicks, which suggested accelerated growth. This effect was consistent across ages. Liver and heart weights were lower for HA than CONT chicks. At IP, pH was similar for HA and CONT embryos, whereas pO₂ and Na⁺ were significantly higher and pCO₂, HCO₃–, and K⁺ significantly lower for HA than CONT embryos. Blood pH was higher in embryos from older than for younger and mid-aged parents at IP. At hatch there was no effect of heat acclimation for blood HCO₃–, Na⁺, and K⁺ levels, whereas plasma triglyceride and T₃ levels were higher and plasma uric acid, glucose, and lipid peroxidation levels were lower for HA than CONT chicks. Embryonic mortality was similar among parental ages for CONT. In contrast for HA, embryonic mortality from older parents was higher than for younger and middle-aged parents. A delay in external pipping and hatching time with high incubation temperature was consistent across the breeder ages. It was concluded that lower blood pCO₂, HCO₃–, K⁺, and higher pO₂ at IP stage, plus increased plasma triglyceride concentrations at hatch, indicate adaptive responses of embryos.

Key Words: parental age • heat acclimation • blood biochemistry • embryonic growth • heat stress

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