The effect of in ovo albumin feeding to Rhode Island Red poultry embryos on chick weight, hatchability, and embryo mortality immediately post-hatch

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of in ovo feeding using albumin on hatchability, hatching weight, embryo mortality, as well as on organ development of Rhode Island Red chicks. A total of 245 fertile eggs with viable embryos were randomly distributed in seven treatments with 35 replicates (eggs) each. The treatments were untreated eggs and eggs treated with a buffer solution (0.50% saline) or solutions containing increased levels of albumin (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5%). On 17 days of incubation, eggs were injected with solutions containing albumin dissolved in 200 μL of 0.5% sterile saline. After the solutions were injected, the pinholes in the eggs were sealed with molten paraffin and moved to a hatcher machine. Evaluation of the chicks’ weight, hatchability, and embryo mortality was made immediately post-hatch. Five viable chicks of each treatment were randomly selected and slaughtered by cervical dislocation to evaluate the heart, gastrointestinal organs and regional development. Data collected were subjected to polynomial regression (P≤0.05) after a significant ANOVA result. In ovo feeding using albumin directly affected (P≤0.05) the hatching characteristics of injected eggs. When eggs were injected with increased levels of albumin, there was a linear decrease (P≤0.05) in hatchability and an increase in embryo mortality. The increased supplementation of albumin resulted in a linear growth (P≤0.05) of gastrointestinal tract areas responsible for digestion (oropharynx plus esophagus, duodenal loop and cecum), and a linear decrease of heart, liver, pro-ventricle, gizzard and gastrointestinal tract areas responsible to absorption (jejunum plus ileum and colon plus rectum).