Effects of egg size (weight) and age on hatching performance and chick quality of broiler breeder

Figures & data

Table 1. Effect of egg size on egg weight loss in a commercial Hubbard Classic broiler breeder flock at 45 weeks of age.

		Egg weight loss (%) at different incubation periods^1
Egg size	Egg weight at time of incubation (g)	7 days	14 days	18 days
Small	60.05^a ± 0.04	3.97^a ± 0.14	8.86^a ± 0.10	11.32^a ± 0.08
Medium	65.03^b ± 0.04	3.77^a ± 0.15	8.66^a ± 0.07	11.12^a ± 0.17
Large	70.03^c ± 0.04	3.27^b ± 0.17	8.16^b ± 0.06	10.62^b ± 0.08
SEM	1.4406	0.0811	0.404	0.0648
P value	0.000	0.734	0.946	0.535

Note: Means with different alphabets in a column differ significantly (P ≤ 0.05).

¹ Egg weight loss (%) = [(egg weight at setting − egg weight at different days of incubation)/egg weight at setting] ×100.

Table 2. Effect of age on egg weight loss in broiler breeder.

		Egg weight loss (%) at different incubation periods^1
Age (weeks)	Egg weight at time of incubation (g)	7 days	14 days	18 days
30	56.05^a ± 1.46	3.89^a ± 0.12	8.84^a ± 0.04	11.45^a ± 0.14
45	65.03^b ± 1.44	3.81^a ± 0.08	8.54^b ± 0.09	11.22^ab ± 0.06
60	68.92^b ± 1.69	3.51^b ± 0.04	8.56^b ± 0.13	11.08^b ± 0.13
SEM	1.35824	0.05815	0.05815	0.07145
P value	0.000	0.015	0.085	0.100

Note: Means with different alphabets in a column differ significantly (P ≤ 0.05).

¹ Egg weight loss (%) = [(egg weight at setting − egg weight at different days of incubation)/egg weight at setting] ×100.

Table 3. Effect of egg size on fertility and different hatchability parameters in a commercial Hubbard Classic broiler breeder flock at 45 weeks of age.

	Egg size
Parameters	Small	Medium	Large	SEM	P value
Average egg weight (g)	60.05^c ± 0.04	65.03^b ± 0.04	70.03^a ± 0.04	1.4406	0.000
Fertility (%)^1	96.67^a ± 0.89	93.33^b ± 0.33	90.33^c ± 0.33	0.9590	0.001
Hatchability of set eggs (%)^2	89.67^a ± 1.76	83.67^b ± 0.33	78.33^c ± 0.33	1.7195	0.001
Hatchability of fertile eggs (%)^3	92.74^a ± 1.08	89.64^b ± 0.34	86.72^c ± 0.60	0.9446	0.004
Embryonic mortality (%)
First week	2.0^b ± 0.0	2.8^a ± 0.3	3.3^a ± 0.0	0.2222	0.007
Second week	1.33^b ± 0.3	2.0^ab ± 0.0	2.33^a ± 0.3	0.2003	0.098
Third week	1.67^b ± 0.3	2.33^ab ± 0.3	3.00^a ± 0.0	1.789	0.037
Infertile eggs (%)	3.33^c ± 0.89	6.67^b ± 0.33	9.67^a ± 0.33	0.9590	0.001
Pipped-not-hatched eggs (%)	1.33 ± 0.33	1.00 ± 0.00	1.67 ± 0.33	0.1666	0.296
Culled chicks^4	0.67^b ± 0.33	1.00^a ± 0.00	2.00^a ± 0.00	0.222	0.007

Note: Means with different alphabets in rows differ significantly (P ≤ 0.05).

¹ Number of fertile eggs/number of eggs set × 100.

² Number of salable chicks hatched/number of total eggs set × 100.

³ Number of salable chicks hatched/number of fertile eggs set × 100.

⁴ Number of non-salable chicks culled at hatching/total number of eggs set × 100.

Table 4. Effect of broiler breeder age on fertility and hatchability traits (Means ± SE).

	Age (weeks)
Parameters	30	45	60	SEM	P value
Fertility (%)^1	92.89^a ± 1.06	93.44^a ± 0.96	83.87^b ± 0.82	0.673	0.003
Hatchability of set eggs (%)^2	79.89^ab ± 2.80	83.89^a ± 1.72	73.74^b ± 2.61	1.573	0.023
Hatchability of fertile eggs (%)^3	85.84^ab ± 2.22	89.70^a ± 0.944	83.05^b ± 2.22	1.178	0.063
Embryonic mortality (%)
First week	3.30 ± 0.6	2.78 ± 0.2	3.44 ± 0.6	0.316	0.299
Second week	2.33 ± 0.6	1.89 ± 0.2	2.33 ± 0.2	0.213	0.636
Third week	3.11 ± 0.6	2.33 ± 0.2	3.67 ± 0.37	0.264	0.115
Infertile eggs (%)	7.11^b ± 1.0	6.55^b ± 0.9	11.44^a ± 0.8	0.677	0.002
Pipped-not-hatched eggs (%)	1.80^b ± 0.3	1.33^b ± 0.2	2.78^a ± 0.4	0.206	0.011
Culled chicks^4	1.22^b ± 0.22	1.67^b ± 0.23	2.56^a ± 0.33	0.185	0.006

Note: Means with different alphabets in a rows differ significantly (P ≤ 0.05).

¹ Number of fertile eggs/number of eggs set × 100.

² Number of salable chicks hatched/number of total eggs set × 100.

³ Number of salable chicks hatched/number of fertile eggs set × 100.

⁴ Number of non-salable chicks culled at hatching/total number of eggs set × 100.

Table 5. Effect of egg size on chick weight, chick yield and chick length in a commercial Hubbard Classic broiler breeder flock at 45 week of age.

	Egg size
Parameters	Small	Medium	Large	SEM	P value
Eggs set (no.)	100	100	100	–	–
Egg weight (g)	60.05^c ± 0.04	65.03^b ± 0.04	70.03^a ± 0.04	1.440	0.000
Chick weight (g)
Male	40.47^c ± 0.24	43.84^b ± 0.24	47.82^a ± 0.25	0.294	0.000
Female	40.29^c ± 0.20	43.22^b ± 0.29	47.51^a ± 0.26	0.290	0.000
Chick yield (%)^1
Male	68.59 ± 0.70	68.43 ± 0.52	67.99 ± 0.18	0.272	0.706
Female	66.48 ± 0.853	66.38 ± 0.12	67.66 ± 0.23	0.330	0.227
Chick length (cm)
Male	18.99^c ± 0.05	19.60^b ± 0.05	19.72^a ± 0.04	0.0395	0.000
Female	18.98^c ± 0.07	19.37^b ± 0.06	19.55^a ± 0.06	0.0405	0.000

Note: Means with different alphabets in rows differ significantly (P ≤ 0.05).

¹ Chick weight/set egg weight ×100.

Table 6. Effect of broiler breeder age on broiler chick weight, chick yield and chick length (means ± SE).

	Age (weeks)
Parameters	30	45	60	SEM	P value
Eggs set (no.)	100	100	100	–	–
Egg weight (g)	56.05^b ± 1.46	65.03^a ± 1.44	68.92^a ± 1.69	1.358	0.000
Chick weight (g)
Male	40.07^b ± 2.04	44.04^ab ± 2.12	48.03^a ± 2.61	1.617	0.121
Female	39.16^b ± 2.00	43.67^ab ± 2.09	47.97^a ± 2.62	1.701	0.085
Chick yield (%)^1
Male	66.84^b ± 0.33	69.20^a ± 0.48	70.04^a ± 0.06	0.325	0.000
Female	56.05^b ± 1.46	65.03^a ± 1.44	68.92^a ± 1.69	1.358	0.000
Chick length (cm)
Male	18.07^c ± 0.18	19.44^b ± 0.22	20.32^a ± 0.24	0.346	0.001
Female	17.96^c ± 0.10	19.30^b ± 0.17	20.35^a ± 0.26	0.35554	0.000

Note: Means with different alphabets in rows differ significantly (P ≤ 0.05).

¹ Chick weight/set egg weight ×100.