title: Variability in preincubation embryo development in domestic fowl. 1. Effects of nest holding time and method of egg storage.
abstract: Embryos of eggs from Single Comb White Leghorn hens were analyzed to determine whether nest holding time and method of storage had a significant effect on postoviposition embryonic growth prior to incubation. Eggs were collected from 38- to 42-wk-old hens naturally inseminated and housed in floor pens. The experiment had a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with two nest holding times and two storage methods. Eggs were collected within 1 h of oviposition, placed on cardboard egg flats, and stored unpacked (Treatment 1), or put on flats, and packed in 30-dozen egg cases (Treatment 2). Eggs in Treatments 3 and 4 were marked within 1 h of oviposition, but remained in the nest for 6 to 7 h. These eggs were separated into unpacked (Treatment 3), and packed (Treatment 4) groups. All eggs were stored at 13.8 C for 4 days. A total of 250 embryos were staged after storage for development using the Eyal-Giladi and Kochav classification. Least square means (LSM) for stage of development were: Treatment 1, 10.76; Treatment 2, 11.52; Treatment 3, 12.41; and Treatment 4, 12.36. For the main effects, nest holding time significantly affected stage of development (P = .0001), but storage method (P = .1140) and nest holding time by storage method interaction (P = .0730) did not. Comparison of LSM of Treatment 1 versus 3 (P = .0001), 2 versus 4 (P = .0152), and 1 versus 2 (P = .0214) were significant, but Treatment 3 versus 4 (P = .8595) was not.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Fasenko
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Church
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Hardin
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Petitte
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D010058:Oviposition; D011309:Preservation, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors