Effects of different light durations during incubation on hatching, subsequent growth, welfare, and meat quality traits
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Effects of different light durations during incubation on hatching, subsequent growth, welfare, and meat quality traits among three broiler strains Rao Muhammad Kashif Yameen 1
&
Jibran Hussain 1 & Athar Mahmud 1 & Saima 2
Received: 16 January 2020 / Accepted: 11 September 2020 # Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract Present study was aimed to evaluate the hatching traits and subsequent performance of broilers strains under the intermittent and continuous light regime during incubation. In total, 2250 eggs from Hubbard classic, Cobb-500, and Ross-308 strains (750 eggs from each of same age breeders) were incubated under three different light durations. First treatment was the incubation totally under darkness where no light was able to penetrate in the assigned section of machine. In the second treatment, eggs were incubated at 12 h of lightness and 12 h of darkness. In the third treatment, the eggs received lightning of 24 h. Data were collected for hatching traits and hatch window, growth performance, welfare aspects, and meat quality. A two-way factorial analysis was performed using SAS software applying Duncan’s multiple range test. The results showed that hatching traits were improved when Hubbard breeder eggs were provided with light period of 12 h. However, gait score was non-significantly different among the treatment. The meat quality was better in Hubbard broilers obtained after 12 h of intermittent light during incubation. Blood biochemistry was also improved in Hubbard broilers of 12 h of light duration. It was concluded that 12 h of light period during incubation is beneficial for getting better hatchability and subsequent performance of Hubbard broilers. Keywords Incubation . Light . Duration . Broiler . Strains
Introduction In today’s poultry practices, poultry producers are adopting emerging techniques to enhance their production at minimum costs. The most important thing in enhancing the production with maximum profit is to provide the birds best possible environment surroundings from incubation to market age so that birds can perform to the m aximal potential (Gongruttananun 2011). In hatchery practices, different aspects such as relative humidity, temperature, turning, and concentrations of carbon dioxide are considered as most vital
* Rao Muhammad Kashif Yameen [email protected] 1
Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Animal Production and Technology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
2
Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Production and Technology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
factors, but recent studies have evidenced that the exposure of developing embryos towards different sources of light and light intensities during incubation play an important role to enhance the hatchability and embryos growth rate, lessening the embryonic growth stress and ultimately increasing the birds’ performance at adult stage. Provision of lighting during incubation is quite possible and a practical practic
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