Effects of pre-incubation laser irradiation on hatchability and small intestine enzymes activity in post-hatched broiler chickens

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate effects of short-term laser application on hatchability, died embryo in eggs and effects on post-hatch enzyme activity in different sections of small intestine (1, 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90%) in broiler chickens at 21 and 42 days of age. Two experiments were carried out. In the first experiment, 900 fertilised eggs (Ross 308) were randomly divided into three experimental groups (three replications and 100 eggs per group), which were irradiated with laser (HeliumNeon) at 0, 6 and 10 mW power respectively for 90 s; 12 h prior to incubation. The eggs were randomly incubated at industrial hatcheries. At hatch day, rates of unfertilised eggs, hatched, unhatched, dead unhatched embryos were determined in different phase of incubation (1–6 and 7–18 days). In the second experiment, 234 one-day-old chickens where allocated into three experimental groups based on irradiation laser levels (three replications and 26 birds per group). At post hatch days 21 and 42, six birds were randomly selected from each group, slaughtered and various sections of small intestine (1, 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90%) were sampled to evaluate alkaline phosphates (ALP), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and sucrase activities. According to the results, laser irradiation had no significant difference on egg hatchability, unfertilised eggs, unhatched died and died embryos (P>0.05). A significant difference was observed in small intestine LAP and ALP levels at days 21 and 42 (P<0.05). These results suggested that laser irradiation altered small intestine enzyme activity in broilers.