title: Improved hatchability and posthatch performance in turkey poults receiving a dextrin-iodinated casein solution in ovo.
abstract: Two experiments were conducted with a commercial turkey company using a commercial egg injection system to investigate the effect of a dextrin-iodinated casein solution injected in ovo at 25 d of incubation on turkey poult hatchability, hatch weight, and growth (6 or 7 d posthatch). In experiment 1, a total of 3,900 turkey eggs (1,300 per group) were injected at 25 d of incubation with either 200 μL of a control (physiological saline) solution or a dextrin solution (18% maltodextrin and 10% potato starch dextrin) with 75 or 375 μg/mL of iodinated casein (DexIC75 or DexIC375, where Dex and IC refer to dextrin and iodinated casein, respectively). Two hundred poults from each group were neck-tagged, weighed (hatch weight), placed in a commercial turkey house within a single brooder ring, and weighed again (7 d posthatch). In experiment 2, a total of 5,200 eggs (2,600 per group) were injected with the control or DexIC75 solution. A total of 600 poults (300 per group) were neck-tagged and hatch weights were obtained, followed by placement in a single brooder ring in a commercial house and a second weighing (6 d posthatch). Eggs in experiments 1 and 2 were obtained from hen flocks that were 33 and 5 wk into the laying cycle, respectively. In experiment 1, the DexIC75 injection resulted in a 1.8% increase (P = 0.03) in hatch weight. In experiment 2, the DexIC75 treatment resulted in a 2.4% increase in hatchability (P = 0.01), a 4.3% increase in hatch weight (P < 0.001), and a 1.8% increase in 6-d poult weights (P < 0.03) compared with controls. Results of this study indicate that a solution containing dextrin and 75 μg/mL of iodinated casein injected into turkey eggs at 25 d of incubation may be used to improve early poult weights, hatchability, or both in commercial turkey production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR72701, USA. wbottje@uark.edu
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bottje
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wolfenden
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wolfenden
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pumford
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lassiter
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Slagle
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hargis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002364:Caseins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004531:Eggs / Q000032:analysis*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000494:pharmacology; D007467:Iodoproteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008320:Maltose / Q000494:pharmacology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D014422:Turkeys / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D005839:Gentamicins; D007467:Iodoproteins; D011134:Polysaccharides; D008320:Maltose; C008315:maltodextrin; C010353:thyroactive iodinated casein