Somatometric indicators of embryos and neonatal chicks of meat and laying hens

In the studies, hatched eggs from 39-week-old meat and laying hens of the autosex cross “Dominant CZ” from the parental flock of LLC “Agrokormservis Plus” (Pyatigorsk) were used in three-tier cage batteries: “Sussex D-104” (“D-104”) – ♂ and ♀ Sussex, “Blue D-107” (“D-107”) – ♂ Andalusian Blue and ♀ Black-striped Plymouth Rock (PP), “Black D-849” (“D-849”) – ♂ Black-striped Plymouth Rock (PP) and ♀ Rhode Island. The shelf life of the eggs before incubation is three days. All the eggs were marked with a serial number and weight prior to incubation. Incubation of eggs from 144 to 150 pcs. in the group was carried out in the scientific and educational vivarium of the Stavropol State Agrarian University (SSAU) in farm, combined, modernized incubators “Stimul-1000” – six incubation trays and three output trays. Eggs in the control and experimental groups were turned after 45 minutes until the embryos pecked the shell.
During the period of pipping, hatching and incubation, three hatchers in the experimental groups were placed one above the other with a gap (30% of the area). The top tray was covered with a standard mesh lid, while the middle and bottom trays were covered with specially made mesh lids to prevent chicks from falling out. In the experimental groups, on the 8th day, a power cut-off was simulated for six hours and, accordingly, the temperature on the surface of the eggs first increased and then decreased due to the fan being switched off. A short-term violation of the temperature regime for the incubation of eggs of meat and laying chicks “Dominant TsZ” reduces the hatching of chicks and the body index of embryos before pecking the shell, and in day-old chicks it increases the weight of the residual yolk with the yolk sac and the ratio of body weight to the length of the intestine.

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