EFFECT OF HATCH WINDOW UPON INTESTINAL DEVELOPMENT, CHICK QUALITY, POST HATCH PERFORMANCE ACCORDING TO ROSS-308 BROILER BREEDER AGE

Abstract

This study was carried out to find out the effects of breeder age on incubation results, intestinal development during hatch window, chick quality and first week broiler performance. A total of 259280 eggs were obtained from commercial Ross-308 broiler breeder flocks at 32 and 52 weeks old, which were equally divided on the basis of breeder age in two groups, group A (young 32 weeks) and group B (old 52 weeks age).These 32 and 52 weeks old flocks, 30% and 7.0% were hatched 24h before pull time and 50% and 60% were hatched 12h before pull time, respectively. Hatchability of fertile eggs and hatchability of total eggs were found higher in 32 weeks old flock than the other. The chick hatch weight was determined as 39.5g and 42.1g in 32 and 52 weeks old flocks, respectively. Chick weight/initial egg weight rate was found to be higher as 67.3% in the 32 weeks old flocks. On hatching day, chick length was also higher in 52 weeks old flock. Relative yolk-free chick weight was higher in 32 weeks old (86.0%) flock than the other (83.0%). Intestine weight rate was higher as 5.24% in chicks from 32 weeks old than the other (4.96%). At one week of age, the body weights and weight gains were 167.5g and 162.7g, and 128g and 120.6g in 32 and 52 weeks old flocks, respectively. Higher mortality ratio as 1.9% was observed in 52 weeks old flock. In conclusion, intestinal development during hatch window, incubation parameters, chick quality and first week broiler performance is affected by breeder age.