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Title: Comparison blastoderms traits from two lines of broilers before and after egg storage and incubation

Author
item Bakst, Murray
item Akuffo, Valorie
item NICHOLSON, D - Aviagen, Ltd
item FRENCH, N - Aviagen, Ltd

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/19/2012
Publication Date: 9/24/2012
Citation: Bakst, M.R., Akuffo, V.G., Nicholson, D., French, N. 2012. Comparison blastoderms traits from two lines of broilers before and after egg storage and incubation. Poultry Science. 91 :2645–2648.

Interpretive Summary: Due to both economic and hatchery management concerns, the storage of fertilized eggs prior to incubation is a common practice in the poultry industry. Egg storage at 18C no impact on hatching eggs. However, for reasons yet to be explained, egg storage longer than 8 days negatively impact embryo survival and egg hatchability declines. We examined the impact of egg storage on the hatchability of eggs from two lines (A and B) of commercial broiler breeders with known differences in fertility (Line B higher) and hatchability following egg storage (Line A lower). Eggs from both lines were stored 3-4, 10-12, and 17 days. After each storage period the eggs were opened, the blastoderms (embryos ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 cells and appear as a disc on the surface of the yolk) were isolated, specific traits evaluated, and the observations analyzed. Blastodermal traits examined included the following: blastoderm diameter; total and percentage of live blastodermal cells; stage of blastoderm development; and, embryo weight and stage of development after 7 days of incubation following each storage period. Egg storage had no statistical impact on the above traits in blastoderms from each line at each storage interval. It was concluded that no single or combination of blastoderm traits can be definitively associated with the differences in hatchability following the storage of eggs from Lines A and B. This information will benefit other poultry scientist and those in the breeder sector of the poultry industry.

Technical Abstract: We examined the impact of egg storage on the hatchability of eggs from two lines (A and B) of commercial broiler breeders with known differences in fertility (Line B higher) and hatchability following egg storage (Line A lower). Eggs from both lines were stored in a 16 C room for 3-4, 10-12, and 17 days, the blastoderms were isolated, evaluated, and statistically compared. No significant interactions (line x duration of storage) were observed in the following traits: blastoderm diameter; total and percentage of viable blastodermal cells; stage of blastoderm development; and, embryo weight and stage of development after 7 days of incubation. However, significant differences were observed when comparing line averages across storage treatments (diameter and total number of blastodermal cells) and storage treatment averages across lines (percentage of viable cells, and embryo weight and stages following incubation). To ascertain the basis for the observed differences in fertility, perivitelline sperm-hole numbers were determined in eggs within 72 hr of lay (3-4 day storage group). Eggs from Line B had a significantly higher number of eggs having greater numbers of sperm-holes than eggs from Line A. It is concluded that no single or combination of blastoderm traits can be definitively associated with the inter-line differences in hatchability following eggs storage. Alternatively, differences in PVL sperm-hole counts between lines may be associated with the reported differences in fertility between the two lines.