The effects of transport of 18-day old hatching eggs on physiology and behaviour of slow growing broiler chicken

Incubation and hatching commonly takes places at hatcheries, separate from the grow-out facilities where broiler chicks are raised. This means that sorted transported immediately after hatch, during which time they typically do not have access to feed water, subjected transport stress. Recently, innovative housing systems being developed in fertilized eggs on embryonic day 18 (E18) hatchery facility, hatch 21. In chicken, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA)-axis becomes functional around 14-16. It is therefore conceivable of E18 may lead a stress response chick embryo. Exposure prenatal affect coping capacity individual negatively impact its further development. We investigated whether prolonged has effects development slow growing chicken strain (Hubbard JA257). were for either 41 minutes (short transport, ST) or 219 (long LT). Transportation significantly increased heart rate ST. increase continued an intermediate measure 120 minutes. The HR then remained high measurement following LT. did find behavioural parameters measured juvenile tonic immobility open field test. Concentrations feather corticosterone as well faecal metabolites differ postnatal 36. showed leads autonomic embryos E18, but this elevation had no other indicators Nevertheless, our results emphasize incubated should be refined possible minimize exposure • There interest ovo rates Heart was higher min than transportation No long-term found behaviour Transport much