Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-22dnz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T08:12:56.825Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Hatchling length is a potential chick quality parameter in meat type chickens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2013

N. MUKHTAR ,
S.H. KHAN  and
M.S. ANJUM
N. MUKHTAR*
Affiliation:
Department of Poultry Science, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi-Pakistan
S.H. KHAN
Affiliation:
Poultry Research Institute, Murree Road, Shamsabad, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
M.S. ANJUM
Affiliation:
Department of Poultry Science, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi-Pakistan
*
Corresponding author: mukhtar.nasir@gmail.com
Get access

Abstract

Like other chick quality parameters, hatchling length is an easy and repeatable quality evaluation parameter for newly hatched chicks. This important trait has a positive correlation with the size of the egg and the chick's weight. The hatchling length is the best indicator of pre-incubation and incubation conditions and for the rate of absorption of yolk after hatching in the body cavity of the chick. Chicks with large lengths have heavier heart weights, liver weights and bursa of Fabricius at hatch. The length at hatch can be measured from the crown to toe and it can be improved by maintaining embryo temperature until internal pipping, proper egg storage conditions, maximum turning of eggs, maintaining the minimum egg weight losses at the 18th day of embryonic development, maintaining ample O2 supply and removal of CO2 through gas exchange programs, improved shell quality and better health of the breeder flock.

The yolk does not play any role in the bird's future growth but it can create many disease problems in the bird's life. A bigger, day-old chick has a large residual yolk and a small yolk-free body mass. This characteristic does not play any role in the development and growth during the incubation and post incubation processes. In conclusion, hatchling length offers a fast, repeatable, and non-destructive method to evaluate chick quality.

Keywords

hatchling lengthchick qualitybody organsgrowth ratemortality
Type
Review Article
Information
World's Poultry Science Journal , Volume 69 , Issue 4 , December 2013 , pp. 889 - 896
Copyright
Copyright © World's Poultry Science Association 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

CHAMBLEE, T.N., BRAKE, J.D., SCHULTZ, C.D. and THAXTON, J.P. (1992) Yolk sac absorption and the initiation of growth in broilers. Poultry Science 71: 1811-1816.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
CHRISTENSEN, V.L., DONALDSON, W.E. and McMURTRY J.P. (1996) Physiological differences in late embryos from turkey breeders at different ages. Poultry Science 75: 172-178.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
CHRISTENSEN, V.L., WINELAND, M.J., FASENKO, G.M. and DONALDSON, W.E. (2001) Egg storage effects on plasma glucose and supply and demand glycogen concentrations of broiler embryos. Poultry Science 80: 1729-1735.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
CHRZĄSTEK, K., MADEJ, J.P., MYTNIK, E. and WIELICZKO, A. (2011) The influence of antibiotics on B-cell number, percentage, and distribution in the bursa of Fabricius of newly hatched chicks. Poultry Science 90: 2723-2729.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DECUYPERE, E. and BRUGGEMAN, V. (2007) The endocrine interface of environmental and egg factors affecting chick quality. Poultry Science 86:1037-1042.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DECUYPERE, E., TONA, K., BAMELIS, F., CAREGHI, C., KEMPS, B., De KETELAERE, B., De BAERDEMAKER, J. and BRUGGEMAN, V. (2002) Broiler breeders and egg factors interacting with incubation conditions for optimal hatchability and chick quality. Archive für Geflügelkunde Special Issue 66: 56-57.Google Scholar
DEEMING, D.C. (2005) Yolk sac, body dimensions and hatch-ling quality of ducklings, chicks and poults. British Poultry Science 46: 560-564.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DIOT, C. and DOUAIRE, M. (1999) Characterisation of a cDNA sequence encoding the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha in the chicken. Poultry Science 78: 1198-1202.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DRUYAN, S., SHLOSBERG, A. and CAHANER, A. (2007) Evaluation of growth rate, body weight, heart rate, and blood parameters as potential indicators for selection against susceptibility to the ascites syndrome in young broilers. Poultry Science 86: 621-629.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
GEIDAM, Y.A., BUKAR, M.M. and AMBALI, A.G. (2007) Chick quality control: a key to a sustainable poultry production in Nigeria. Nigerian Veterinary Journal 27 (2): 1-6.Google Scholar
HATCHTECH (a) Methods to improve chick length. Accessed from http://www.chicklength.com.Google Scholar
HATCHTECH (b) Chick length protocol. Accessed from http://www.chicklength.com.Google Scholar
HILL, D. (2001) Chick length uniformity profiles as a field measurement of chick quality. Avian Poultry Biology Review 12: 188 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
JOSEPH, N.S., LOURENS, A. and MORAN, E.T. Jr (2006) The effects of suboptimal eggshell temperature during incubation on broiler chick quality. Poultry Science 85: 932-938.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MACHAL, L. and SIMEONOVOVA, J. (2002) The relationship of shortening and strength of eggshell to some egg quality indicators and egg production in hens of different initial laying lines. Archiv für Tierzucht 45: 287-296.Google Scholar
MAULDIN, J.M., MAULDIN, S.M., JAVIER, S. and BRIAN D.F. (2008) Predicting chick quality: which is best - chick length or hatch day body weight? A technical article published on engormix.com site. (http://en.engormix.com/MA-poultry-industry/genetic/articles/predicting-chick-quality-which-t1142/103-p0.htm).Google Scholar
MEIJERHOF, R. (2005) What counts for chick quality? Hatchery Management Featured Articles. Hybro B.V., Boxmeer, Netherlands.Google Scholar
MOLENAAR, R., REIJRINK, I., MEIJERHOF, R. and VAN DEN BRAND, H. (2008) Relationship between hatchling length and weight on later productive performance in broilers. World's Poultry Science Journal 64: 599-603.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MOLENAAR, R. and REIJRINK, I. (2011) Chick length and organ development. HatchTech B.V., The Netherlands.Google Scholar
MURAKAMI, H., AKIBA, Y. and HORIGUCHI, M. (1992) Growth and utilisation of nutrients in newly-hatched chicks with or without removal of residual yolk. Growth Development and Aging 56: 75-84.Google ScholarPubMed
NANGSUAY, A., RUANGPANIT, Y., MEIJERHOF, R. and ATTAMANGKUNE, S. (2011) Yolk absorption and embryo development of small and large eggs originating from young and old breeder hens. Poultry Science 90 (11): 2648-2655.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
NOY, Y., UNI, Z. and SKLAN, D. (1996) Routes of yolk utilisation in the newly-hatched chick. British Poultry Science 37: 987-996.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
PARAMITHIOTIS, E. and RATCLIFFE, M.J.H. (1997) Immunology- symposium: current advances in avian immunology survivors of bursal B. cell production and emigration. Poultry Science 73: 991-997.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
PETEK, M. and DIKMEN, S. (2006) The effects of prestorage incubation and length of egg storage of broiler breeder eggs on hatchability and subsequent growth performance of progeny. Czech Journal of Animal Science 51: 75-79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
PETEK, M., ORMAN, A., DIKMEN, S. and ALPAY, F. (2010) Physical chick parameters and effects on growth performance in broiler. Archiv Tierzucht 53 (1):108-115.Google Scholar
ROMPPANEN, T. (1982) Postembryonic Development of the Chicken Bursa of Fabricius: A Light Microscopic Histoquantitative Study. Poultry Science 61: 2261-2270.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
TONA, K., ONAGBESAN, O., De KETELAERE, B., BRUGGEMAN, V. and DECUYPERE, E. (2008) Interrelationships between chick quality parameters and the effect of individual parameter on broiler relative growth to 7 days of age. Archiv für Geflügelkunde 69: 67-72.Google Scholar
ULMER-FRANCO, A.M., FASENKO, G.M. and O'DEA CHRISTOPHER, E.E. (2010) Hatching egg characteristics, chick quality, and broiler performance at 2 breeder flock ages and from 3 egg weights. Poultry Science 89: 2735-2742.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
WEYTJENS, S., MEIJERHOF, R., BUYSE, J. and DECUYPERE, E. (1999) Thermoregulation in chicks originating from breeder flocks of two different ages. Journal of Applied Poultry Research 8: 139-145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
WILLEMSEN, H., EVERAERT, N., WITTERS, A., DeSMIT, L., DeBONNE, M., VERSCHUERE, F., GARAIN, P., BERCKMANS, D., DECUYPERE, E. and BRUGGEMAN, V. (2008) Critical Assessment of Chick Quality Measurements as an Indicator of Posthatch Performance. Poultry Science 87 (11): 2358-2366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
WOLANSKI, N.J., LUITEN, E.J., MEIJERHOF, R. and VEREIJKEN, A.L.J. (2003) Yolk utilisation and chick length as parameters for embryo development. Avian and Poultry Biology Review 15: 233-234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
WOLANSKI, N.J., RENEMA, R.A., ROBINSON, F.E., CARNEY, V.L. and FANCHER, B.I. (2006) Relationship between Chick Conformation and Quality Measures with Early Growth Traits in Males of Eight Selected Pure or Commercial Broiler Breeder Strains. Poultry Science 85: 1490-1497.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
ZHAO, J.P., CHEN, J.L., ZHAO, G.P., ZHENG, M.Q., JIANG, R.R. and WEN, J. (2009) Live performance, carcass composition, and blood metabolite responses to dietary nutrient density in two distinct broiler breeds of male chickens. Poultry Science 88: 2575-2584.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed