Day-old chicken quality and performance of broiler chickens from 3 different hatching systems

Carol Souza da Silva; Roos Molenaar; Mona F. Giersberg; T. Bas Rodenburg; Johan W. van Riel; Kris De Baere; Iris Van Dosselaer; Bas Kemp; Henry van den Brand; Ingrid C. de Jong

doi:10.1016/j.psj.2020.12.050

Day-old chicken quality and performance of broiler chickens from 3 different hatching systems

Carol Souza da Silva, Roos Molenaar, Mona F. Giersberg, T. Bas Rodenburg, Johan W. van Riel, Kris De Baere, Iris Van Dosselaer, Bas Kemp, Henry van den Brand, Ingrid C. de Jong

AISS Animal Welfare

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

In on-farm hatching systems, eggs are transported at d 18 of incubation to the broiler farm, where chickens have immediate access to feed and water after hatching. In hatchery-fed systems, newly hatched chickens have immediate access to feed and water in the hatchery and are transported to the farm thereafter. Conventionally hatched chickens can remain without access to feed and water up to 72 h after hatching until placement on the farm. The current study compared day-old chicken quality, performance, and slaughter yield of broiler chickens that were on-farm hatched (OH), hatchery-fed (HF), or conventionally hatchery-hatched (HH). The experiment was performed in 6 rooms in 1 house. Each room contained 2 duplicate pens with approximately 1,155 chickens per pen; 2 rooms with each 2 duplicate pens were assigned to 1 treatment. The experiment was repeated during 3 consecutive production cycles. Chickens originated from young parent stock flocks. Results showed that HF and OH chickens were heavier and longer than HH chickens at day (D) 1. Relative weight of stomach and intestines were highest for OH chickens. The OH chickens had worse day-old chicken quality in terms of navel condition and red hocks than HH and HF chickens. Treatments did not differ in first wk and total mortality. From D0 until slaughter age, body weight was highest for OH, followed by HF and HH. Furthermore, carcass weight at slaughter age (D40) was highest for OH chickens, followed by HF and HH chickens. Breast fillets showed a higher incidence of white striping and wooden breast in HF and OH chickens compared with HH chickens. In conclusion, the current study showed that both OH and HF chickens of young parent flocks had better growth performance, which could explain the higher prevalence of breast myopathies, compared with HH. The worse day-old chicken quality for OH compared with HH and HF does not seem to affect first wk mortality and later life performance.

Original language	English
Article number	100953
Pages (from-to)	1-11
Number of pages	11
Journal	Poultry Science
Volume	100
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2020.12.050
Publication status	Published - Mar 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This experiment was part of the EU-China Healthy Livestock project. The authors wish to acknowledge that Healthy Livestock is funded by the European Union H2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement number 773436. The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. We are very grateful to Henk Gunnink, Theo van Hattum, and our students Elly Docters van Leeuwen and Karin de Zeeuw for their assistance with the measurements during this experiment and to the animal caretakers of the Experimental Poultry Centre. The slaughter plant is much acknowledged for their help with carcass sampling. Shai Barbut, Maurice van Esbroeck and Maaike ten Hove are acknowledged for their help with the slaughter yield measurements.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors

Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Funding

This experiment was part of the EU-China Healthy Livestock project. The authors wish to acknowledge that Healthy Livestock is funded by the European Union H2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement number 773436. The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. We are very grateful to Henk Gunnink, Theo van Hattum, and our students Elly Docters van Leeuwen and Karin de Zeeuw for their assistance with the measurements during this experiment and to the animal caretakers of the Experimental Poultry Centre. The slaughter plant is much acknowledged for their help with carcass sampling. Shai Barbut, Maurice van Esbroeck and Maaike ten Hove are acknowledged for their help with the slaughter yield measurements.

Keywords

breast myopathies
broiler
early nutrition
on-farm hatching
performance

Access to Document

10.1016/j.psj.2020.12.050Licence: CC BY

1-s2.0-S003257912031004X-mainFinal published version, 228 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Day-old chicken quality and performance of broiler chickens from 3 different hatching systems",

abstract = "In on-farm hatching systems, eggs are transported at d 18 of incubation to the broiler farm, where chickens have immediate access to feed and water after hatching. In hatchery-fed systems, newly hatched chickens have immediate access to feed and water in the hatchery and are transported to the farm thereafter. Conventionally hatched chickens can remain without access to feed and water up to 72 h after hatching until placement on the farm. The current study compared day-old chicken quality, performance, and slaughter yield of broiler chickens that were on-farm hatched (OH), hatchery-fed (HF), or conventionally hatchery-hatched (HH). The experiment was performed in 6 rooms in 1 house. Each room contained 2 duplicate pens with approximately 1,155 chickens per pen; 2 rooms with each 2 duplicate pens were assigned to 1 treatment. The experiment was repeated during 3 consecutive production cycles. Chickens originated from young parent stock flocks. Results showed that HF and OH chickens were heavier and longer than HH chickens at day (D) 1. Relative weight of stomach and intestines were highest for OH chickens. The OH chickens had worse day-old chicken quality in terms of navel condition and red hocks than HH and HF chickens. Treatments did not differ in first wk and total mortality. From D0 until slaughter age, body weight was highest for OH, followed by HF and HH. Furthermore, carcass weight at slaughter age (D40) was highest for OH chickens, followed by HF and HH chickens. Breast fillets showed a higher incidence of white striping and wooden breast in HF and OH chickens compared with HH chickens. In conclusion, the current study showed that both OH and HF chickens of young parent flocks had better growth performance, which could explain the higher prevalence of breast myopathies, compared with HH. The worse day-old chicken quality for OH compared with HH and HF does not seem to affect first wk mortality and later life performance.",

keywords = "breast myopathies, broiler, early nutrition, on-farm hatching, performance",

author = "{Souza da Silva}, Carol and Roos Molenaar and Giersberg, {Mona F.} and Rodenburg, {T. Bas} and {van Riel}, {Johan W.} and {De Baere}, Kris and {Van Dosselaer}, Iris and Bas Kemp and {van den Brand}, Henry and {de Jong}, {Ingrid C.}",

note = "Funding Information: This experiment was part of the EU-China Healthy Livestock project. The authors wish to acknowledge that Healthy Livestock is funded by the European Union H2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement number 773436. The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. We are very grateful to Henk Gunnink, Theo van Hattum, and our students Elly Docters van Leeuwen and Karin de Zeeuw for their assistance with the measurements during this experiment and to the animal caretakers of the Experimental Poultry Centre. The slaughter plant is much acknowledged for their help with carcass sampling. Shai Barbut, Maurice van Esbroeck and Maaike ten Hove are acknowledged for their help with the slaughter yield measurements. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 The Authors Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.",

year = "2021",

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doi = "10.1016/j.psj.2020.12.050",

language = "English",

volume = "100",

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AU - Molenaar, Roos

AU - Giersberg, Mona F.

AU - Rodenburg, T. Bas

AU - van Riel, Johan W.

AU - De Baere, Kris

AU - Van Dosselaer, Iris

AU - Kemp, Bas

AU - van den Brand, Henry

AU - de Jong, Ingrid C.

N1 - Funding Information: This experiment was part of the EU-China Healthy Livestock project. The authors wish to acknowledge that Healthy Livestock is funded by the European Union H2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement number 773436. The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. We are very grateful to Henk Gunnink, Theo van Hattum, and our students Elly Docters van Leeuwen and Karin de Zeeuw for their assistance with the measurements during this experiment and to the animal caretakers of the Experimental Poultry Centre. The slaughter plant is much acknowledged for their help with carcass sampling. Shai Barbut, Maurice van Esbroeck and Maaike ten Hove are acknowledged for their help with the slaughter yield measurements. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Authors Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

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N2 - In on-farm hatching systems, eggs are transported at d 18 of incubation to the broiler farm, where chickens have immediate access to feed and water after hatching. In hatchery-fed systems, newly hatched chickens have immediate access to feed and water in the hatchery and are transported to the farm thereafter. Conventionally hatched chickens can remain without access to feed and water up to 72 h after hatching until placement on the farm. The current study compared day-old chicken quality, performance, and slaughter yield of broiler chickens that were on-farm hatched (OH), hatchery-fed (HF), or conventionally hatchery-hatched (HH). The experiment was performed in 6 rooms in 1 house. Each room contained 2 duplicate pens with approximately 1,155 chickens per pen; 2 rooms with each 2 duplicate pens were assigned to 1 treatment. The experiment was repeated during 3 consecutive production cycles. Chickens originated from young parent stock flocks. Results showed that HF and OH chickens were heavier and longer than HH chickens at day (D) 1. Relative weight of stomach and intestines were highest for OH chickens. The OH chickens had worse day-old chicken quality in terms of navel condition and red hocks than HH and HF chickens. Treatments did not differ in first wk and total mortality. From D0 until slaughter age, body weight was highest for OH, followed by HF and HH. Furthermore, carcass weight at slaughter age (D40) was highest for OH chickens, followed by HF and HH chickens. Breast fillets showed a higher incidence of white striping and wooden breast in HF and OH chickens compared with HH chickens. In conclusion, the current study showed that both OH and HF chickens of young parent flocks had better growth performance, which could explain the higher prevalence of breast myopathies, compared with HH. The worse day-old chicken quality for OH compared with HH and HF does not seem to affect first wk mortality and later life performance.

AB - In on-farm hatching systems, eggs are transported at d 18 of incubation to the broiler farm, where chickens have immediate access to feed and water after hatching. In hatchery-fed systems, newly hatched chickens have immediate access to feed and water in the hatchery and are transported to the farm thereafter. Conventionally hatched chickens can remain without access to feed and water up to 72 h after hatching until placement on the farm. The current study compared day-old chicken quality, performance, and slaughter yield of broiler chickens that were on-farm hatched (OH), hatchery-fed (HF), or conventionally hatchery-hatched (HH). The experiment was performed in 6 rooms in 1 house. Each room contained 2 duplicate pens with approximately 1,155 chickens per pen; 2 rooms with each 2 duplicate pens were assigned to 1 treatment. The experiment was repeated during 3 consecutive production cycles. Chickens originated from young parent stock flocks. Results showed that HF and OH chickens were heavier and longer than HH chickens at day (D) 1. Relative weight of stomach and intestines were highest for OH chickens. The OH chickens had worse day-old chicken quality in terms of navel condition and red hocks than HH and HF chickens. Treatments did not differ in first wk and total mortality. From D0 until slaughter age, body weight was highest for OH, followed by HF and HH. Furthermore, carcass weight at slaughter age (D40) was highest for OH chickens, followed by HF and HH chickens. Breast fillets showed a higher incidence of white striping and wooden breast in HF and OH chickens compared with HH chickens. In conclusion, the current study showed that both OH and HF chickens of young parent flocks had better growth performance, which could explain the higher prevalence of breast myopathies, compared with HH. The worse day-old chicken quality for OH compared with HH and HF does not seem to affect first wk mortality and later life performance.

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Day-old chicken quality and performance of broiler chickens from 3 different hatching systems

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

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