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Serum corticosterone levels in embryos, newly hatched, and young turkey poults
Insights
Serum corticosterone levels in turkey embryos and poults show significant increases before hatching and fluctuations post-hatch. Exogenous corticosterone administration may improve hatchability and shorten incubation time.
Area of Science:
- Avian endocrinology
- Developmental biology
- Poultry science
Background:
- Corticosterone is the primary adrenocortical steroid in birds.
- Understanding corticosterone's role is crucial for avian development and stress response.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure serum corticosterone concentrations in turkey embryos and poults during development.
- To investigate the impact of exogenous corticosterone on hatching.
Main Methods:
- Serum samples collected from turkey embryos (12-28 days), newly hatched poults, and poults up to 15 days.
- Exogenous corticosterone administered to embryos prior to hatching.
Main Results:
- Significant serum corticosterone increase in embryos from day 17-18 and just before hatching.
- Decreased corticosterone during hatching and the first 6 hours post-hatch.
- Post-hatch corticosterone levels fluctuated between days 1 and 15.
- Exogenous corticosterone showed a trend towards shorter incubation and increased hatchability.
Conclusions:
- Serum corticosterone undergoes dynamic changes during turkey embryonic development and early post-hatch life.
- Exogenous corticosterone administration shows potential for enhancing turkey hatchability and development.
Abstract:
The objectives of these experiments were to determine the concentration of corticosterone, the principal adrenocortical steroid in avian species, in serum of turkey embryos (12 to 28 days of development), newly hatched turkey poults (pipped and up to 6 hr posthatch), and poults between 1 and 15 days of age. The effect of giving exogenous doses of corticosterone at a physiological concentration on hatching was also determined. A significant (P less than .01) increase in serum corticosterone from .69 to 1.26 ng/ml occurred in the embryos between 17 and 18 days of development; a second significant increase to 4 ng/ml was just prior to hatching. A decrease in serum corticosterone concentration was noted during hatching and for the first 6 hr after hatching. Concentrations of corticosterone in serum fluctuated as posthatch corticosterone secretion became established between 1 and 15 days posthatch. Treatment of embryos 2 days prior to hatching with exogenous doses of corticosterone (540 ng/embryo) suggested a trend toward shorter mean incubation time and significantly increased hatchability.