Low Temperature Effects on Embryonic Development and Hatch Time

Abstract

A series of experiments was conducted to estimate phenotypic correlations between incubation characteristics, and to evaluate the effects of cold stress and genotype during incubation on chick weight, egg weight loss, hatching time, and embryonic mortality. Eggs were cooled at 18 or 24 C, for 12, 24, 36, 48, or 72 h beginning on Day 8, 12, 14, 16, or 18 of incubation. Other eggs were cooled intermittently for 6 h every 48 h or 12 h every 96 h. A control group in each experiment was not cold stressed. Results indicated a low and negative correlation between hatching time and chick weight, and a low and positive correlation between hatching time and weight loss from transfer to hatching when variability due to egg weight was removed. Chick weights at hatching were lower in chicks from cooled eggs than those of chicks from eggs incubated under normal temperature. The chicks from cooled eggs were more susceptible to dehydration during holding in the hatcher. Incubation times were delayed approximately as long as the times of embryonic cooling. Embryonic mortality was significantly increased under continuous (single period) cold stress, but not under intermittent cooling (6 h every 48 h). Significant genotype by environment interactions were found in the response of embryos of various strains to cold stress. Exposure for 36 h or longer had detrimental effects on chick weight and embryo viability, but these effects were modified by interactions among the factors involved. The results indicated that embryos from cooled eggs lose more weight during incubation and that the neonatal chicks are more susceptible to dehydration during holding time, and have a longer incubation period, and a greater embryonic mortality.