Previous research has shown that providing light during incubation can have positive effects on hatchability and chick quality; however, white light alone has been observed to improve these factors only in pigmented broiler eggs and non-pigmented white layer eggs. Monochromatic red light has been shown to improve hatchability in layer eggs. Therefore the objective of this study was to utilize one light fixture that emitted both white and monochromatic red light to determine if this one light source could improve hatchability in both types of chicken eggs and pigmented Pekin duck egg. To determine this, 3 experiments were conducted, the first using White Leghorn eggs (N = 6912), the second using commercial broiler eggs (N = 4608), and the third using commercial Pekin duck eggs (N = 3564) in which eggs were incubated with 12 h of light and 12 h of darkness (LED) or complete darkness (DARK); the light level was 250 lux. Hatchability, embryo mortality, and hatchling quality were measured. In Experiment 1, LED had fewer early dead embryos (P = 0.03), less overall embryo mortality (P = 0.05), fewer chicks with unhealed navels (P < 0.001), fewer chicks with defects (P < 0.001), and a higher percentage of fertile eggs that hatched (P = 0.05) than DARK. In Experiment 2, LED had fewer chicks with unhealed navels (P = 0.003), fewer chicks with defects (P = 0.001), and a higher percentage of fertile eggs that hatched (P = 0.04) than DARK. In Experiment 3, LED had fewer early dead embryos (P = 0.05), lower overall embryo mortality (P = 0.04), and a higher percentage of fertile eggs that hatched (P = 0.05), and had ducklings with lower bodyweights at hatch (P = 0.04) than DARK. These results indicate that providing both white and red light during incubation can improve chick quality across poultry varieties. This type of fixture could be used to improve commercial hatchery efficiency and chick quality.

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SUMMARYFootpad dermatitis (FPD) is a major animal welfare and economical concern. A field trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of eggshell conductance (G) and incubation temperature profiles (TEM) on duck footpad skin structure at hatch and 35 d of age, and their influence on probability to observe FPD scores under commercial conditions. A total of 10,000 Pekin duck eggs were assigned to 4 treatments, resulting from a combination of two G, reduced and normal, and two TEM, elevated and normal. At hatch, 6 ducklings from each treatment were weighed and footpad skin samples collected for histological processing. The remaining ducklings were placed in a commercial house. At 35 d, 5 drakes and 5 hens from each treatment combination were weighed and classified for FPD using a 3-level scale to determine probabilities to observe each score using logistic regression. Additionally, footpads of 7 ducks per treatment combination were sampled for histological analysis. Data were analyzed as a CRD with 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments. There were no effects of treatments on BW at hatch and 35 d. High TEM and reduced G increased residual yolk. On footpad skin layer measurements, an interaction effect was observed on dermis length and area and total papillae height at hatch. At 35 d reduced G ducks had more area of epidermis than normal G. Additionally, either elevated TEM or reduced G tended to increase the probability (P<0.10) of having FPD. The stratus corneum was not affected by treatments. In conclusion, G and incubation TEM have an effect on footpad skin structure development during embryo development, and this might be related to FPD in ducks at market age.

Fatigued walking condition (FWC) in ducks is an important welfare and processing issue during the loading/unloading to the processing plant that can be related to heart and bone development. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of incubation conditions on duck embryo bone and heart development and their subsequent effects on ducks showing FWC at market age. Four groups of 2500 Pekin duck eggs were subjected to combinations of two incubation temperature profiles (elevated [E] and normal [N]) and two eggshell conductance profiles (G) (reduced [GR] and normal [GN]). At hatch 10 ducklings from each treatment combination were sampled for heart, liver, residual yolk, and total body weight as well as relative weights (organ percentage of whole body weight). Femur, tibia, and tarsus length and weight were also obtained, and relative asymmetry (RA) was calculated for each leg section. At 35 days of age during unloading of the truck at the slaughter plant, five hens and five drakes demonstrating normal walking and FWC were sampled. Body, heart, and ventricular weights were obtained along with femur, tibia and tarsus length, weight, and RA. Bone strength was evaluated using a three-point bending test, and tibia ash content was assessed. At hatch duckling bone characteristics and organ weights were found to be primarily affected by GR conditions, while heart development in older ducks was mainly impacted by E incubation temperatures. Tibia and relative weight at 35 days were also increased by GR and E. Fatigued ducks presented heavier tibias with more RA and cortical thickness but lower ash percentage. In conclusion, the changes in bone development during incubation and posthatch life were related to duck FWC presence during transportation to the processing plant.

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