Embryonic Growth, Hatching Time and Hatchability Performance of Meat Breeder Eggs Incubated under Continuous Green Light

Abstract

The effects of dark-control (D) and continuous green light (GL) exposure of incubated meat-type breeder eggs (Hybro) on embryonic growth from 5 to 15 days of age, hatching time, hatchability per cent and chick hatching weight were investigated in three consecutive experiments at 33, 38, and 41 weeks of age. A total of 798 eggs were used in this study. Eggs were set in an incubator on trays either in the D or under two tubes of 20-watt green fluorescent light during the first 18 days of incubation. Eggs from both treatments were transferred to the dark hatching compartment at 19 days of incubation. The light intensity was in the range of 1,340 to 1,730 lux at the surface of the eggs. GL incubation of eggs significantly (p<0.01) increased weight (expressed as an absolute value) and daily weight gain of embryos at 11 and continued to 15 days of age, hatchability per cent by 4.8%, reduced dead embryos per cent and chick weight at hatch by 37 and 2%, respectively and accelerated hatching time by about 24 h when compared with the D-control incubation. Chicks hatched at 504 h of incubation had significantly (p<0.01) higher body weight, expressed as an absolute value or as a percentage of egg weight, than those hatched earlier at 456 h of incubation. It was concluded that the GL incubation of meat breeder eggs reduced incubation period and chick weight at hatch and increased embryonic growth and hatchability per cent. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2002. Vol 15, No. 12 : 1702-1707)