The relationship among age, yolk fatty acids content, and incubation results of broiler breeders

Abstract

This research was carried out to investigate the correlations among age, yolk fatty acids content, and incubation results of broiler breeders. Egg samples were obtained from Ross 308 broiler breeder parent stock at 28, 45, and 65 wk of age. A total of 1,800 eggs were used for incubation results of each age period. The mean values of hatchability of fertile eggs (H/F) were 94.04 +/- 0.42, 91.36 +/- 1.08, 85.97 +/- 0.96%, values for hatchability of total eggs (H) were 92.00 +/- 0.47, 83.61 +/- 1.23, 62.78 +/- 1.57%, and fertility ratios (F) were 97.83 +/- 0.30, 91.50 +/- 0.54, and 73.00 +/- 1.55% at 28, 45, and 65 wk of age, respectively (P < 0.01). The mean values of early embryonic mortality and hatched chick weight were 2.73 +/- 0.27, 4.01 +/- 0.56, 8.93 +/- 0.89% and 36.58 +/- 0.51, 42.47 +/- 0.48, 45.31 +/- 0.96 g, at 28, 45, and 65 wk of age, respectively (P < 0.01). Myristic acid and linoleic acid contents of yolk significantly decreased with increasing age of broiler breeder (P < 0.01). The mean yolk myristic acid contents were 0.34 +/- 0.02, 0.29 +/- 0.06, and 0.24 +/- 0.01 mg/g, and linoleic acid contents were 21.60 +/- 1.26, 16.05 +/- 3.04, and 13.87 +/- 0.49 mg/g at 28, 45, and 65 wk of age, respectively (P < 0.01). Correlations between breeder age and myristic acid and linoleic acid (r = -0.317 and -0.435, respectively) were significant when data were pooled from 28 to 65 wk of age. Significant correlations between H/F and myristic acid and linoleic acid were determined. The correlation between F and linoleic acid (r = 0.364; P < 0.05) was found to be significant with the change of breeder age. There were negative correlations between late embryonic mortality and myristic acid (r = -0.432; P < 0.05), stearic acid (r = -0.437; P < 0.05), and linoleic acid (r = -0.469; P < 0.5) at 28 to 65 wk of age. The findings from this study will contribute to the hatcheries of the poultry sector and the new studies that are going to be carried out..

Effects of maternal dietary EPA and DHA supplementation and breeder age on embryonic and post‐hatch performance of broiler offspring

“…The quality of chicks coming from older breeders (53 and 58 weeks) was significantly lower than the quality of chicks coming from younger breeders (33, 38, 43 and 48 weeks), in agreement with the findings of Tona et al (2004). Egg weight and consequently day-old chick weight increased significantly with age of the breeder flock, in agreement with Suarez et al (1997), O'Dea et al (2004 and Yilmaz-Dikmen and Sahan (2009). A positive correlation has been reported between egg weight and hatched chick weight by Shanawany (1987).…”

“…(), Zakaria et al. () and Yilmaz‐Dikmen and Sahan (), fertility and hatchability decreased with age, with the exception of the results for hatchability at 58 weeks in the current study. Eggs from older hens are associated with larger size and thinner shells with higher porosity, which promotes gas and water diffusion.…”

In ovo feeding of carbohydrates and incubated at a high incubation temperature on hatchability and glycogen status of chicks

“…The higher weight of hatched chicks from large eggs is due to the surplus supply of nutrients and the size of the residual yolk sac at hatch when compared with those hatched from small eggs (Lourens et al, 2006). The non significant effects of age of the flock (29 vs. 35 weeks) on hatchability traits were similar to those reported by Yilmaz-Dikmen & Sahan (2009) who found that hatchability of fertile eggs was similar between breeder flock ages of 28 and 45 weeks. The difference between glycogen levels of hatched chicks from different age groups of hens may indicate differences in their metabolic rate.…”

Egg storage and breeder age impact on egg quality and embryo development

“…Hatchability and fertility rates are highly dependent on the breeder flock age (Koppenol et al, 2015;Latour et al, 1996;Mather & Laughlin, 1979;Noble, Lonsdale, Connor, & Brown, 1986;O'Sullivan, Dunnington, & Siegel, 1991). Fertility, hatchability of set eggs (Almeida et al, 2008;Elibol, Peak, & Brake, 2002;Yilmaz-Dikmen & Sahan, 2009;Zakaria et al, 2005) and hatchability of fertile eggs in general decreased with the increase of the breeder age (Elibol et al, 2002;Yilmaz-Dikmen & Sahan, 2009;Zakaria et al, 2005). This was primarily due to an increase of the percentage of late dead embryos (Elibol et al, 2002).…”