Comparative Weights and Body Lengths of Parthenogenetic and Normal Turkey Embryos

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONDEVELOPMENT of the germinal discs of newly laid unfertilized turkey eggs is characterized by a pronounced time lag in onset of development. The developing blastoderm of a newly laid fertilized turkey egg starts to develop soon after eggs are placed in the incubator and can be detected before the candler by 18 to 24 hours of incubation (Olsen and Marsden, 1954a). In contrast, some of the developing blastoderms of unfertilized turkey eggs first become visible at 48–72 hours, while others may require as much as 144 hours of incubation before they can be detected by candling (Olsen and Marsden 1954b; Olsen, 1965a). This present investigation was conducted to establish comparative growth curves for parthenogenetic and normal embryos.MATERIAL AND METHODSParthenogenetic embryos employed developed in unfertilized eggs of young Beltsville Small White (BSW) and heterozygous bronze (HB) turkey hens. The HB hens were essentially Beltsville Small Whites having…