The effect of nonventilation during early incubation on the embryonic development of chicks of two commercial broiler strains differing in ascites susceptibility.
[en] Despite thorough selection during the last decade, the incidence of ascites is still high in modern broiler strains. Although ascites occurs mostly at the end of the rearing period, there are indications that the etiology of this problem may have started during embryonic development. Recent studies have shown that the post-hatch performance of the broiler chick might be influenced by changing the environmental conditions in the incubator during embryonic development. This study investigated the effect of increasing incubator CO(2) concentration up to 0.7%, by nonventilation during the first 10 d of incubation, on the embryonic development of 2 commercial broiler strains (Cobb and SAS) differing in their susceptibility for ascites syndrome. The Cobb strain is suspected to be less susceptible than the SAS strain. Overall, the chick embryos of the Cobb strain had a faster development than those of the SAS strain as expressed by their higher BW from embryonic day (ED)10 until ED18. Nonventilation stimulated embryonic development resulting in higher embryonic BW, early hatch, and narrower spread of hatch in both strains. In the SAS strain, nonventilation improved hatchability by more than 10%. Gas composition of the air cell in the egg of the nonventilation groups (both Cobb and SAS) had higher partial pressure of CO(2) and lower partial pressure of O(2) from ED11 until ED14 compared with the ventilation groups. During the entire incubation period, partial pressure of CO(2) was higher in eggs of the Cobb strain compared with the SAS strain. Plasma triiodothyronine, thyroxine, and corticosterone levels were different at the end of the incubation period and during hatching due to nonventilation at the beginning of incubation. It is concluded that nonventilation during the first 10 d of incubation had a stimulatory effect on embryonic development of the 2 broiler strains with no effect of heart weights but with effects on hormone levels, air cell pressures, and hatching parameters.
Disciplines :
Animal production & animal husbandry
Author, co-author :
De Smit, L.
Bruggeman, V.
Debonne, M.
Tona, J. K.
Kamers, B.
Everaert, Nadia ; KU Leuven > Department of Boisystems > Division Livestock-Nutrition-Quality
Witters, A.
Onagbesan, O.
Arckens, L.
De Baerdemaeker, J.
Decuypere, E.
Language :
English
Title :
The effect of nonventilation during early incubation on the embryonic development of chicks of two commercial broiler strains differing in ascites susceptibility.
Publication date :
2008
Journal title :
Poultry Science
ISSN :
0032-5791
eISSN :
1525-3171
Publisher :
Poultry Science Association, United States - Illinois
Blacker, H. A., S. Orgeig, and C. B. Daniels. 2004. Hypoxic control of the development of the surfactant system in the chicken: Evidence for physiological heterokairy. Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 287:403-410.
Buys, N., E. Dewil, E. Gonzales, and E. Decuypere. 1998. Different CO2 levels during incubation interact with hatching time and ascites susceptibility in two broiler lines selected for different growth rate. Avian Pathol. 27:605-612.
Christensen, V. L., G. S. Davis, and K. Nestor. 2002. Environmental incubation factors influence embryonic thyroid hormones. Poult. Sci. 81:442-450.
Clum, N. J., D. K. McClearn, and G. F. Barbato. 1995. Comparative embryonic development in chickens with different patterns of postnatal growht. Growth Dev. Aging 59:129-138.
Coleman, M. A., and G. E. Coleman. 1991. Ascites control through proper hatchery management. Misset World Poult. 7:33-35.
Darras, V. M., L. R. Berghman, A. Vanderpooten, and E. R. Kuhn. 1992. Growth hormone acutely decreases type III iodothyronine deiodinase in chicken liver. FEBS Lett. 310:5-8.
Decuypere, E., J. Buyse, and N. Buys. 2000. Ascites in broiler chickens: Exogenous and endogenous structural and functional causal factors. World's Poult. Sci. J. 56:367-377.
Decuypere, E., E. Dewil, and E. R. Kühn. 1991. The hatching process and the role of hormones, Pages 239-256 in Avian Incubation. Butterworth & Co., London, UK.
Decuypere, E., C. G. Scanes, and E. R. Kühn. 1983. Effect of glucocorticoids on circulating concentrations of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) and on peripheral monodeiodination in pre- and post-hatching chickens. Horm. Metab. Res. 15:233-236.
De Groef, B., S. Grommen, and V. Darras. 2006. Increasing plasma thyrocine levels during late embryogenesis and hatching in the chicken are not caused by increased sensitivity of the thyrotropes to hypthalamic stimulation. J. Endocrinol. 189:271-278.
De Smit, L., V. Bruggeman, J. K. Tona, M. Debonne, O. Onagbesan, L. Arckens, J. De Baerdemaeker, and E. Decuypere. 2006. Embryonic developmental plasticity of the chick: Increased CO(2) during early stages of incubation changes the developmental trajectories during prenatal and postnatal growth. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A Mol. Integr. Physiol. 145:166-175.
De Smit, L., K. Tona, V. Bruggeman, O. Onagbesan, M. Hassanzadeh, L. Arckens, and E. Decuypere. 2005. Comparison of three lines of broilers differing in ascites susceptibility or growth rate. 2. Egg weight loss, gas pressures, embryonic heat production, and physiological hormone levels. Poult. Sci. 84:1446-1452.
Dewil, E., N. Buys, G. A. A. Albers, and E. Decuypere. 1996. Different characteristics in chick embryos of two broiler lines differing in susceptibility to ascites. Br. Poult. Sci. 37:1003-1013.
Girouard, R. J., and B. K. Hall. 1973. Pituitary-adrenal interaction and growth of the embryonic avian adrenal gland. J. Exp. Zool. 183:323-331.
Hassanzadeh, M., H. Gilanpour, S. Charkhkar, J. Buyse, and E. Decuypere. 2005. Anatomical parameters of cardiopulmonary system in three different lines of chickens: Further evidence for involvement in ascites syndrome. Avian Pathol. 34:188-193.
Havenstein, G. B., P. R. Ferket, and M. A. Quereshi. 2003. Growth, livability, and feed conversion of 1957 versus 2001 broilers when fed representative 1957 and 2001 broiler diets. Poult. Sci. 82:1500-1508.
Hogg, A. 1997. Single stage incubation trails. Avian Poult. Biol. Rev. 8:168. (Abstr.)
Huybrechts, L. M., R. Michielsen, V. M. Darras, F. C. Buonomo, E. R. Kuhn, and E. Decuypere. 1989. Effect of the sex-linked dwarf gene on thyrotrophic and somatotrophic axes in the chick embryo. Reprod. Nutr. Dev. 29:219-226.
Hylka, V. W., and B. A. Doneen. 1983. Ontogeny of embryonic chicken lung: Effects of pituitary gland, corticosterone, and other hormones upon pulmonary growth and synthesis of surfactant phospholipids. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 52:108-120.
Julian, R. J. 2000. Physiological, management and environmental triggers of the ascites syndrome: A review. Avian Pathol. 29:519-527.
Kalliecharan, R., and B. K. Hall. 1974. A developmental study of the levels of progesterone, corticosterone, Cortisol, and cortisone circulating in plasma of chick embryos. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 24:364-372.
Kinung'hi, S. M., G. Tiahun, H. M. Hafez, M. Woldemeskel, M. Kyule, M. Grainer, and M. P. O. Baumann. 2004. Assessment of economic impact caused by poultry coccidiosis in small and large scale poultry farms in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia. Int. J. Poult. Sci. 3:715-718.
Maxwell, M. H., and G. W. Robertson. 1998. UK survey of broiler ascites and sudden death syndromes in 1993. Br. Poult. Sci. 39:203-215.
McNabb, F. M. A., E. A. Dunnington, T. B. Freeman, and P. B. Siegel. 1989. Thyroid hormones and growth patterns of embryonic and posthatch chickens from lines selected for high and low juvenile body weight. Growth Dev. Aging 53:87-92.
Meeuwis, R., R. Michielsen, E. Decuypere, and E. R. Kuhn. 1989. Thyrotropic activity of the ovine corticotropin-releasing factor in the chick embryo. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 76:357-363.
Sadler, W. W., H. S. Wilgus, and E. G. Buss. 1954. Incubation factors affecting hatchability of poultry eggs. Poult. Sci. 33:1108-1115.
Scott, T. R., W. A. Johnson, D. G. Satterlee, and R. P. Gildersleeve. 1981. Circulating levels of corticosterone in the serum of developing chick embryos and newly hatched chicks. Poult. Sci. 60:1314-1320.
Tona, K., B. Kemps, V. Bruggeman, F. Bamelis, L. De Smit, O. Onagbesan, J. De Baerdemaeker, and E. Decuypere. 2005. Comparison of three lines of broiler breeders differing in ascites susceptibility or growth rate. 1. Relationship between acoustic resonance data and embryonic or hatching parameters. Poult. Sci. 84:1439-1445.
Tona, J. G., R. D. Malheiros, F. R. Bamelis, C. Carheghi, V. M. B. Moraes, O. Onagbesan, E. Decuypere, and V. Bruggeman. 2003. Effects of storage time on incubation egg gas pressure, thyroid hormones and corticosterone levels in embryos and on their hatching parameters. Poult. Sci. 82:840-845.
Tona, K., O. Onagbesan, V. Bruggeman, L. De Smit, D. Figueiredo, and E. Decuypere. 2007. Non-ventilation during early incubation in combination with dexamethasone administration during late incubation 1. Effects on physiological hormone levels, incubation duration and hatching events. Dornest. Anim. Endocrinol. 33:32-46.
Visschedijk, A. H. J. 1968. The air space and embryonic respiration. 2. The times of pipping and hatching as influenced by an artificially changed permeability of the shell over the air space. Br. Poult. Sci. 9:185-196.
