Effects of posthatch glucose on poults fed and fasted during yolk sac depletion

The advantage of glucose administration after hatching was examined in terms of poult performance and body changes 3 days after administration. A .5-mL dose of 50% glucose in saline was either subcutaneously (sc) injected in the neck or intubated into the crop. Controls did not receive glucose nor were they handled. Controls and poults given glucose were divided into two groups and either brooded with feed and water or kept in transportation boxes and fasted. Poults that were fasted lost weight, and glucose treatments did not alter this loss; however, access to feed and water led to a gain in weight. Those poults given glucose had greater weight gains and feed consumption than controls. Liver, yolk sac, and carcass contained increased moisture in response to glucose when feed and water had been provided, whereas only the carcass expressed this change when the birds were fasted. Most changes to glucose were greater from sc than oral dosing, and neither egg weight of origin nor sex influenced the extent of poult response.