Broiler performance is known to be related to embryonic developmental parameters. However, strain or genotype differences with regard to embryo physiological parameters and juvenile growth have received little attention. A total of 1,200 hatching eggs produced by Cobb and Ross broiler breeders of the same age were studied. At setting for incubation and between 66 and 130 h of incubation, egg re...

Previous investigations conducted in our laboratory have shown that the arginase system and, consequently, the Krebs ornithine cycle, is reactivated in baby chicks experimentally infected with Salmonella pullorum (Ross et al., 1956). A similar reactivation, as evidenced by an alteration in the nitrogen excretion pattern, was demonstrated in chicks treated with the endotoxin of S. pullorum (Dool...

There is substantial individual variation in the time taken by broiler chicks to traverse a T-maze and thereby reinstate visual contact with their companions. Chicks completing this task quickly (high performance, HP) subsequently grew faster in the laboratory and on farm, exhibited greater sociality, and showed less pronounced adrenocortical responses to a partial water immersion stressor than...

Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the laying stage which is a critical period for chick survival. We investigated the relationship of neonatal chick performance, brain antioxidant status and vitamin E supplementation level in hens. Starting at 17 weeks, hens were randomly divided into five groups. The control group received a basal diet without supplemental vitamin E (VE, dl-αtocopherol ...

A .—We assessed potential eff ects of introduced Norway rats (Ra us norvegicus) on Least Auklets (Aethia pusilla) breeding at Sirius Point on Kiska Island, the largest auklet colony in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. We compared productivity, chick growth, and adult survival of Least Auklets during 2001–2003 at Kiska and two nearby, rat-free Least Auklet colonies on Buldir and Kasatochi islands. ...

Increased meat and egg production leads to concomitant changes in poultry practices, including the indiscriminate use of formaldehyde sanitize hatching eggs. Although this sanitizer aids increase production, its toxic potential for man avian embryos represents an obstacle long-term use. This review assesses whether essential oils fit into context contamination, reviewing their antimicrobial eff...

Palm kernel cake (PKC) is the main byproduct from the palm oil industry in several tropical countries that contains considerable amounts of oligosaccharide. We earlier demonstrated beneficial prebiotic effects of oligosaccharides extract of PKC (OligoPKC) in starter and finisher broiler birds. This study was envisaged to elucidate the effects of in ovo and/or oral administration of the OligoPKC...

In domestic chickens, the provision of maternal care strongly influences the behavioural development of chicks. Mother hens play an important role in directing their chicks' behaviour and are able to buffer their chicks' response to stressors. Chicks imprint upon their mother, who is key in directing the chicks' behaviour and in allowing them to develop food preferences. Chicks reared by a moth...