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Changes to Cobb 500 chick characteristics, bone ash, and residual yolk mineral reserves during time spent in the
R L Hopcroft1, P J Groves1, W I Muir2
1Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Poultry Research Foundation, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia.
Insights
Removing chicks from the incubator within 30 hours of hatch benefits chick femur mineralization. Early hatching chicks show significant yolk mineral depletion during the unfed period, impacting bone development.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Poultry Science
- Bone Biology
Background:
- Hatch time influences chick development and nutrient utilization.
- The post-hatch unfed period impacts chick physiology and bone health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of hatch time and a 24-hour unfed period on chick bone mineralization.
- To investigate yolk mineral utilization in relation to hatch time and post-hatch fasting.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of femur bone ash percentage between early and late hatching chicks.
- Analysis of yolk mineral content (Mg, Zn, K, P, Fe, Cu, Ca, Na, Sr) over a 24-hour unfed period.
Main Results:
- Early hatching chicks experienced significant yolk mineral depletion (40-50% for Mg, Zn, K, P, Fe, Cu).
- Late hatching chicks (hatched ≤30h) exhibited higher femur bone ash percentage compared to early hatching chicks (>30h unfed).
Conclusions:
- Removing chicks within 30 hours of hatch positively influences femoral mineralization.
- Early yolk mineral utilization is critical for chick bone development and is affected by hatch timing.
Abstract:
Previous work has identified an effect of hatch time on chick femur mineralization. This experiment assessed the impact of hatch time and a 24-h post-hatch unfed time period on chick bone mineralization and yolk mineral utilization. In early hatching chicks, yolk Mg, Zn, K, P, Fe, and Cu decreased by 40 to 50% over the 24-h post-hatch unfed time period, whereas yolk Ca and Na decreased by 25 to 40% (P = 0.026). Yolk Sr was intermediate, decreasing by 37%. Late hatching chicks which had been hatched for no more than 30 h had a higher femur bone ash percentage compared to early hatching chicks which had spent over a 30-hour sojourn unfed in the incubator (P = 0.013). These results indicate that removing chicks from the incubator within 30 h of their hatch is likely to benefit their femoral mineralization.
