Effect of Bac-D™ on Hatchability, Conductance, Growth Rate and Feed Conversion on Turkey Poults

The effects of using UV light instead of formaldehyde in disinfection of hatching eggs on shell microbial load, embryo development, hatchability, and chick characteristics

In this study, it was aimed to determine the effects of using UV light instead of formaldehyde in disinfection of hatching eggs on the microbial load, shell and yolk compositions, embryo development, hatching results and chick characteristics. 552 hatching eggs were divided into formaldehyde fumigation and disinfection with UV groups. After disinfection, bacteriological growth was not observed in groups. While the difference between the groups in terms of hatching results was insignificant, it was determined that the incubation period in the UV group was shorter than that of formaldehyde group. On the hatching day, relative chick weight and weight of bursa Fabricus were found to be higher in the UV group  . UV light can be used as an alternative to formaldehyde as disinfection of hatching eggs because it is easy to use and does not cause any negative effects on egg shell structure, embryo development, hatching results and chick characteristics.

Genetic selection for growth performance and thermal tolerance under high ambient temperature after two generations using heat shock protein 90 expression as an index

Genetic selection for productive performance in high ambient temperatures was performed on two chicken strains, Rhode Island Red and Sinai, for two generations, and the heritable responses to tolerance were estimated using heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) gene expression. The results are summarised as follows: (1) heat stress negatively affected some economic traits, mainly bodyweight. This effect was more pronounced in the parent stock than in the first generation (F1) and second generation (F2). (2) This effect was modulated by the chicken strain, and the decreased bodyweight was more pronounced in RI strain than in the Sinai strain, indicating that the Sinai strain is more tolerant to high ambient temperature. (3) The offspring (F1 and F2) of both strains were more tolerant to high ambient temperature; this trend was also true for the parents of these two strains. (4) HSP90 mRNA expression was the same in both strains under normal conditions in all three generations. (5) Under high ambient temperature conditions, the Sinai strain (all generations) showed significantly increased HSP90 mRNA expression compared with the Rhode Island Red strain. These findings suggest that heat tolerance is passed from parents to offspring. We recommended that selection for heat-stress tolerance be applied to producing commercial strains reared in hot climate conditions.