Effects of fluorescent light during incubation on embryonic growth, hatchability traits and hatch times of meat breeder eggs

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of continuous white fluorescent light (FL) during incubation on embryonic growth from 5 to 17 days of age, hatchability traits, hatching times and chick weight at hatching of eggs from a meat-type breeder flock (Hybro). A total of 798 eggs were used in this study. Eggs were weighed, assigned into two groups of incubator trays. One group of incubator trays was incubated in the dark, while the other was incubated under two 20-watt day light FL tubes. The light intensity was in the range of 1350-1800 at the surface of the eggs. Lighted incubation of eggs significantly (P<0.01) increased daily weight and relative weight of embryos (embryo weight / egg weight), at 11 and 13 days of age, respectively and hatchability per cent by approximately 13.7%. Eggs incubated under light hatched earlier by approximately 25.5 hours and produced a smaller relative chick hatching weight (chick weigh/egg weight) by approximately 2.5% than those incubated in the dark. It is concluded that FL incubation of eggs may be a method to reduce the incubation period and improve hatchability per cent.