The effects of hen's age and egg storage duration on selected growth parameters of turkey embryos

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of hen's age (A) and egg storage duration (T) on selected growth parameters of turkey embryos. At 32, 38, 46, and 51 wk of hen's age, 1,512 eggs laid on one or 2 consecutive days were collected randomly and marked. At each sampling date, the eggs were randomly divided into 4 groups and were stored for various periods of time, that is, 7, 10, 13, and 17 d. All eggs were stored at a temperature of 15°C and relative air humidity of 76%. On d 9, 15, 21, and 24 of incubation, 5 eggs containing live embryos were randomly selected from each group for analysis of the following parameters: relative body weight (RBW) of embryos, relative weight of the yolk sac (RWY), relative weight of unused albumen (RWA). The effects of hen's age and egg storage duration on the RBW of embryos were observed on d 15, 21, and 24 of incubation (P < 0.05). The effects of hen's age and egg storage duration on RWY were noted on all analyzed days of incubation (P < 0.05). Embryos in eggs laid by younger hens (aged 32 and 38 wk) and stored for a shorter period were characterized by a faster rate of albumen utilization than embryos in eggs laid by older hens (aged 46 and 51 wk). The largest amount of unused albumen was found in eggs laid by hens in wk 51 of the laying season (P < 0.05), and stored for 17 d (P < 0.05). In conclusion, numerous interactions (AxT) between selected growth parameters of turkey embryos indicate that the quality of hatching eggs changes with hen's age, affecting their suitability for long-term storage under standard conditions. Therefore, eggs laid by younger breeders should not be stored for longer periods due to undesirable changes in RWY and RWA.

Keywords: albumen; embryo body weight; incubation; yolk sac.