L.F. Dyadichkina, I.M. Gupalo, N.S. Pozdnyakova, T.A. Melekhina
All-Russian Poultry Research and Technology Institute
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Summary. Influence of hen age (34, 46 and 50 weeks) on embryonic and early posthatch (1, 10 and 14 days of age) development in turkeys (cross “Universal”) were studied. Weight loss during 8, 13 and 24 days of incubation were significantly lower in eggs of 37-week turkey hens. On 21st day embryos from 37- and 46-wk hens tended to better utilization of protein: its relative weights were respectively 1.5 and 1.6 times lower in compare to embryos from 50-wk hens. More rapid embryonic growth during last week of incubation was found in eggs from older hens: embryonic weight gain between 14 and 21 days of incubation in eggs from 46- and 50-wk hens was higher than that from 37-wk hens by 38.6 and 41.9% respectively. Higher incidence of early embryonic death and higher percent of substandard chicks were found in eggs from younger hens; older hens featured higher incidence of late embryonic death. Live bodyweight of day-old chicks from 37-wk hens was found to be higher by 3.9 and 4.6% in relation to 46- and 50-wk hens respectively, relative bodyweight being higher by 2.8% in relation to both ages. In 10 days of age the chicks from 50-wk hens were the heaviest.
Keywords: turkey embryos, day-old chicks, incubation, post hatch development.