Providing Glucose to Turkey Hatching Eggs Via Pressure Differential Antibiotic Dipping: Effects on Hatchability, Poult Quality, and Subsequent Performance

Abstract

Hatching eggs from 48 and 55-week-old Diamond White broiler breeder hens were weighed, then randomized into three groups of 2304 each. One group served as the control while the other two were commercially pressure differential dipped in a Spectam (3000 ppm)-quaternary ammonia (500 ppm) solution with and without glucose (10%). All were set and hatched together with a sample of resultant poults being grown to 14 weeks of age.Dipped eggs gained l.Og. Incidence of dead germs, pips, and cull poults was unchanged between treatments as were malpositions and malformations. Total yield of saleable poults and sex distribution were unaffected by dipping; however, an improvement in body weight appeared with the inclusion of glucose. Advantages to antibiotic dipping and/or glucose were not apparent in subsequent performance, carcass yield, or grade. (