Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T10:42:30.414Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Interrelationships of egg size, chick size, posthatching growth and hatchability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2007

H.R. Wilson
H.R. Wilson
Affiliation:
Poultry Science Department, University of Florida, Gainsville, FL 32611, USA
Get access

Abstract

Several interrelationships are apparent between egg weight, chick weight, chick growth and other parameters. The hatchability of intermediate size eggs is better than that of very large or very small eggs. Decreased hatchability, hatchling weight, chick growth and chick viability have been associated with the first few eggs produced by young pullets. Incubation time is positively correlated with egg size. Embryo weight is not correlated with egg weight during the first half of the incubation period. Thereafter the correlation increases and reaches a maximum at the time of hatching (0.5–0.95). Chick weight is primarily determined by initial egg weight, normally being 62–78% of egg weight, and is secondarily determined by weight loss during incubation, shell and residue weight, strain, incubation time and conditions, breeder age and chick sex. The correlation of egg weight to posthatching chick weight decreases with increasing age of the chick. A 1 g change in egg weight has been shown to result in a corresponding change of 2–13 g in broiler weight at 6 to 8 weeks of age. This effect is much greater in eggs from young breeders than in those from old breeders. The effects of egg weight on chick feed conversion have been variable with no clear conclusion. Improved growth and uniformity may be obtained by growing chicks separately according to hatchling size. Therefore, sorting eggs by weight prior to incubation might be advantageous in some production operations to improve broiler or pullet uniformity and efficiency.

Keywords

Chickeggembryogrowthhatchabilityincubationinterrelationshipsweight
Type
Reviews
Information
World's Poultry Science Journal , Volume 47 , Issue 1 , March 1991 , pp. 5 - 20
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Al-Murrani, W.K. (1978) Maternal effects on embryonic and post-embryonic growth in poultry. British Poultry Science 19: 277–281CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anonymous (1974) Broiler weight varies with breeder age and egg size. Poultry World 02 1974Google Scholar
Ar, A., Paganelli, C.V., Reeves, R.B., Greene, D.G. and Rahn, H. (1974) The avian egg:water vapor conductance, shell thickness, and functional pore area. The Condor 76: 153–158Google Scholar
Axelsson, J. (1954) Influence of size of eggs on growth rate of embryos and chicks. Proceedings of the Tenth World's Poultry Congress 10: 12–13Google Scholar
Bielfelt, S.W. and Shultz, F.T. (1989) Research note: genetic effects on embryonic growth in domestic turkeys. Poultry Science 68: 315–318CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blyth, J.S.S., Pun, C.F. and Sang, J.H. (1965) Survey of line crosses in a Brown Leghorn flock. II. Relations of hatched chick weight to egg weight in inbred lines and their crosses. British Poultry Science 6: 217–223CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bray, D.F. (1965) Embryonic weight as a selection criterion in alternation of growth curves of domestic birds. Data from the domestic turkey. Canadian Journal of Genetics and Cytology 7: 1–11CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bray, D.F. and Iton, E.L. (1962) The effect of egg weight on strain differences in embryonic and post-embryonic growth in the domestic fowl. British Poultry Science 3: 175–188Google Scholar
Bray, T. (1983a) Broilers — Chick quality problems. Gleadthorpe Experimental Husbandry Farm Poultry Booklet 10: 4–9Google Scholar
Bray, T. (1983b) Broiler chick weight — Does it matter? Gleadthorpe Experimental Husbandry Farm Poultry Booklet 11: 17–20Google Scholar
Brunson, C.C. and Godfrey, G.F. (1953) The relationship of egg shape, egg weight, specific gravity and 21-day incubation weight-loss to hatchability of Broad-Breasted Bronze turkey eggs. Poultry Science 32: 846–849CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burke, W.H. and Sharp, P.J. (1989) Sex differences in body weight of chicken embryos. Poultry Science 68: 805–810CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burton, F.G. and Tullett, S.G. (1983) A comparison of the effects of eggshell porosity on the respiration and growth of domestic fowl, duck and turkey embryos. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 75A: 167–174Google Scholar
Burton, F.G. and Tullett, S.G. (1985) The effects of egg weight and shell porosity on the growth and water balance of the chicken embryo. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 81A: 377–385CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calder, W.A. III (1979) The Kiwi and egg design: evolution as a package deal. Bioscience 29: 461–467Google Scholar
Connor, J.K. (1986) The significance of age of breeder flock and chick weight in meat chicken production. Proceedings Poultry Information Exchange (PIX), Gold Coast, Queensland, pp. 37–50Google Scholar
Deaton, J.W., McNaughton, J.L. and Reece, F.N. (1979) Relationship of initial chick weight to body weight of egg-type pullets. Poultry Science 58: 960–962CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drent, R.H. (1970) Functional aspects of incubation in the Herring Gull. In: The Herring Gull and Its Egg. (Eds. Baerends, G.P. and Drent, R.H.), Behaviour (Supplement) 17: 1–132Google Scholar
Erdei, M. (1970) Effect of egg weight on growth of breeding chicks and broilers. Lucr. Stiint. Inst. Cerc. Zooteh 27: 859–873 (Animal Breeding Abstracts 39: 593)Google Scholar
Farner, D.S. (1978) Introduction. In: Aves 10: 1–35 (Ed. Brush, A.H.) Chemical Zoology, (Eds. Florkin, M. and Scheer, B.T.), Academic Press, New YorkGoogle Scholar
Galpin, N. (1983) Factors affecting the hatching weight of Brown Leghorn chickens. Proceedings of the Royal Society Edinburgh 58: 98–113Google Scholar
Gardiner, E.E. (1973) Effects of egg weight on posthatching growth rate of broiler chicks. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 53: 665–668CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ghany, M.A., Godfrey, E.F. and Aull, H.L. (1966) The relationship of egg weight to chick weight in Japanese quail. Poultry Science 45: 1422–1423Google Scholar
Godfrey, E.F. and Jaap, R.G. (1952) Evidence of breed and sex differences in the weight of chicks hatched from eggs of similar weight. Poultry Science 31: 1108–1109CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Godfrey, G.F., Williams, C. and Marshall, C.E. (1953) The relative influence of egg size, age at sexual maturity and mature body weight on growth to twelve weeks of age. Poultry Science 31: 496–500Google Scholar
Godfrey, G.F. and Williams, C. (1955) Unsuitability of the chick weight:egg weight ratio as an indicator of post-natal growth. Poultry Science 34: 164–166Google Scholar
Goodwin, K. (1961) Effect of hatching egg size and chick size upon subsequent growth rate in chickens. Poultry Science 40: 1408–1409Google Scholar
Guill, R.A. and Washburn, K. (1973) Relationship between hatch weight as a percentage of egg weight and feed conversion ratio in broiler chicks. Poultry Science 52: 1641–1646Google Scholar
Gupta, N.D. and Johar, K.S. (1975) Early body weight of five strains of White Leghorns. British Poultry Science 16: 593–598CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hagger, C., Steiger-Stafl, D. and Marguerat, C. (1986) Embryonic mortality in chicken eggs as influenced by egg weight and inbreeding. Poultry Science 65: 812–814CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Halberslaben, D.L. and Mussehl, F.E. (1922) The relation of egg weight to chick weight at hatching. Poultry Science 1: 143–144Google Scholar
Hassan, E.M. and Nordskog, A.W. (1971) Effect of egg size and heterosis on embryonic growth and hatching speed. Genetics 67: 279–285Google Scholar
Hawes, R.O. and Petitte, J.N. (1983) A comparison of the relationship of egg weight, yolk weight and yolk sac weight with post-hatch growth in broilers. Poultry Science 62: 1433Google Scholar
Hearn, P.J. (1986) Making use of small hatching eggs in an integrated broiler company. British Poultry Science 27: 498Google Scholar
Henderson, E. W. (1950) Breed and egg weight variation in incubation period. Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station Quarterly Bulletin 32: 520–525Google Scholar
Henderson, E. W. (1953a) Is the size of broilers affected by the size of eggs from which they are hatched? Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station Quarterly Bulletin 35: 405–409Google Scholar
Henderson, E. W. (1953b) Growth of twelve-week-old chickens and affected by size of eggs. Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station Quarterly Bulletin 35: 436–439Google Scholar
Henderson, E. W. (1956) A ‘breed’ difference in weight of eggs and size of chicks. Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station Quarterly Bulletin 39: 42–46Google Scholar
Ichinoe, K. (1973) The relationship between hatching time and sex-ratio in chicks. Poultry Science 52: 1584–1592CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Insko, W. M. Jr, Maclaury, D. W., Begin, J. H. and Johnson, T. H. (1971) The relationship of egg weight to hatchability of Coturnix eggs. Poultry Science 50: 297–298CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joubert, J. J., Potgieter, G. F., Honeyborne, N. S. and Cloete, A. (1981) The influence of egg size on the future development of broilers. Zootecnia International 01 1981: 24–25Google Scholar
Jull, M.A. and Heywang, B.W. (1930) Yolk assimilation during the embryonic development of the chick. Poultry Science 9: 393–404CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jull, M.A. and Quinn, J.P. (1924) The shape and weight of eggs in relation to the sex of chicks in the domestic fowl. Journal of Agricultural Research 29: 195–201Google Scholar
Khan, A.G., Jaap, R.G. and Harvey, W.R. (1973) The effect of egg weight on eight-week body weight of normal and dwarf progeny from dwarf dams. Poultry Science 52: 211–218CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khan, A.G., Poulouse, M.V. and Chakraborti, S. (1975) Sexual dimorphism in the weight of chicks. British Poultry Science 16: 637–639Google Scholar
Kosin, I.L., Abplanalp, H., Gutierrez, J. and Carver, J.S. (1952) The influence of egg size on subsequent early growth of the chick. Poultry Science 31: 247–254Google Scholar
Krzanowska, H. (1959) Early embryonal growth in inbred lines of Brown Leghorns and their crosses. Poultry Science 38: 1446–1455CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Landauer, W. (1967) The hatchability of chicken eggs as influenced by environment and heredity. Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station Monograph 1 (Revised), pp. 68–137Google Scholar
Lane, L.R., Ryan, C.B. and Bradley, J.W. (1969) Seasonal differences in performance and water consumption of broilers as influenced by sex, egg weight and grain source. Poultry Science 48: 1834Google Scholar
Lerner, I.M. and Gunns, C.A. (1952) Egg size and reproductive fitness. Poultry Science 31: 537–544CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lohle, K. and Lowka, A. (1971) Studies on meat quality in broilers of varying hatching egg weights. World's Poultry Science Journal 27: 108 (English summary from Archiv für Geflugelzucht and Kleintierkunde 19(2))Google Scholar
Maclaury, D.W. and Insko, W.M. Jr (1968) Relation of pre-incubation factors and post-hatching performance to length of incubation period. I. Effects of egg weight and storage time on length of incubation period. Poultry Science 47: 305–311Google Scholar
Mahmoud, T.H. (1971) The interrelationship between dam weights, egg weights and one-day chick weights for Bobwhite quail. Agricultural Research Review 49: 103–107Google Scholar
Marks, H.L. (1975) Relationship of embryonic development to egg weight, hatch weight and growth in Japanese quail. Poultry Science 54: 1257–1262Google Scholar
Masic, B., Apostolov, N., Srajber, L. and Zigic, L. (1974) Uticaj tezine jaja na porast i kvantitativno genetske paramutre porast Pilica Beli Plimut (Effect of egg weight on growth and quantitative genetic parameters of growth of White Plymouth Rock chicks). Arhiva za Poljoprerredne Nauke God. 27: 159–167Google Scholar
Mather, C.M. and Laughlin, K.F. (1976) Storage of hatching eggs: the effect on total incubation period. British Poultry Science 17: 471–479CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McClung, M.R. and Smith, R.M. (1949) Relationship between egg weight and growth rate of market chickens. Poultry Science 28: 774Google Scholar
McNaughton, J.L.Deaton, J.W., Reece, F.N. and Haynes, R.L. (1978) Effect of age of parents and hatching egg weight on broiler chick mortality. Poultry Science 57: 38–44Google Scholar
Merritt, E.S. and Gowe, R.S. (1965) Post embryonic growth in relation to egg weight. Poultry Science 44: 477–480Google Scholar
Mong, S.J., Snyder, M.D., Fechheimer, N.S. and Jaap, R.G. (1974) The origin of triploidy in chick (Gallus domesticus) embryos. Canadian Journal of Genetics and Cytology 16: 317–322CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moran, E.T. Jr and Reinhart, B.S. (1980) Poults yolk sac amount and composition upon placement: Effect of breeder age, egg weight, sex, and subsequent change with feeding or fasting. Poultry Science 59: 1521–1528Google Scholar
Morris, R.H., Hessels, D.F. and Bishop, R.J. (1968) The relationship between hatching egg weight and subsequent performance of broiler chickens. British Poultry Science 9: 305–315Google Scholar
Narahari, D., Mujeer Abdul, K., Thangavel, A., Ramamurthy, N., Viswanathan, S., Mohan, B., Muraganandan, B. and Sundararasu, V. (1988) Traits influencing the hatching peformance of Japanese quail eggs. British Poultry Science 29: 101–112CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Noble, R.C. and Yafei, N. (1988) An association between low embryo hatchability in eggs from young broiler birds and aspects of lipid metabolism. Proceedings of the 18th World's Poultry Congress 18: 640–642Google Scholar
O'Connor, R.J. (1984) The Growth and Development of Birds, John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY, USAGoogle Scholar
O'Neil, J.B. (1950) Relationship of chick size to egg size and its effect upon growth and mortality. Poultry Science 29: 774Google Scholar
O'Neil, J.B. (1955) Percentage size of chick at hatching and its relationship to growth and mortality. Poultry Science 34: 761–764Google Scholar
Penquite, R. and Milby, T.T. (1941) Hatching weight of chicks from hens fed different protein levels. Poultry Science 20: 195–200Google Scholar
Petersen, Chr. Bonsdorff (1984) Egg Weight and Weight of Day Old Chicks — the Influence on Growth Rate and Feed Efficiency of Broilers, National Committee for Poultry and Eggs, Denmark, pp. 1–44Google Scholar
Pope, C.W. and Schaible, P.J. (1957) Association of egg weight and chick weight. Poultry Science 36: 1149Google Scholar
Powell, J.C. and Bowman, J.C. (1964) An estimate of maternal effects in early growth characteristics and their effects upon comparative tests of chicken varieties. British Poultry Science 5: 121–132CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Proudfoot, F.G. and Hulan, H.W. (1981) The influence of hatching egg size on the subsequent performance of broiler chickens. Poultry Science 60: 2167–2170Google Scholar
Proudfoot, F.G., Hulan, H.W. and McRae, K.B. (1982) Effect of hatching egg size from semi-dwarf and normal maternal meat parent genotypes on the performance of broiler chickens. Poultry Science 61: 655–660Google Scholar
Rahn, H. and Ar, A. (1974) The avian egg: incubation time and water loss. The Condor 76: 147–152CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rahn, H., Paganelli, C.V. and Ar, A. (1975) Relation of avian egg weight to body weight. The Auk 92: 750–765Google Scholar
Reinhart, B.S. and Moran, E.T. Jr (1979) Incubation characteristics of eggs from older Small White Turkeys with emphasis on the effects due to egg weight. Poultry Science 58: 1599–1605Google Scholar
Rendel, J.M. (1943) Variations in the weights of hatched and unhatched duck eggs. Biometrika 33: 48–58Google Scholar
Ricklefs, R.E. (1987) Comparative analysis of avian embryonic growth. Journal of Experimental Zoology (Supplement) 1: 309–323Google Scholar
Ricklefs, R.E., Hahn, D.C. and Montevecchi, W.A. (1978) The relationship between egg size and chick size in the Laughing Gull and Japanese quail. The Auk 95: 135–144Google Scholar
Romanoff, A.L. (1960) The Avian Embryo. Structural and Functional Development, Macmillan, New York, NY, USAGoogle Scholar
Romanoff, A.L. and Romanoff, A.J. (1949) The Avian Egg, J. Wiley, New York, NY, USAGoogle Scholar
Saeki, Y. and Akita, T. (1971) The effect of hatching egg size on early growth of the chick, with special reference to the result in the crossbred. Science Reports of the Yokohama National University, Section II, 18: 17–25Google Scholar
Scott, H.M. and Phillips, R.E. (1936) Egg size in relation to growth of Narragansett turkeys. Poultry Science 15: 435–438Google Scholar
Sefton, A.E. and Siegel, P.B. (1974) Body weight relationships of newly hatched Japanese quail. Poultry Science 53: 1254–1256Google Scholar
Shakhnova, L. and Shashina, G. (1988) Performance of Cornish and Plymouth Rock breeders hatched in consecutive generations from eggs of different weight. Proceedings of the 18th World's Poultry Congress 18: 429–431Google Scholar
Shanawany, M.M. (1984) Inter-relationship between egg weight, parental age and embryonic development. British Poultry Science 25: 449–455CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shanawany, M.M. (1987) Hatching weight in relation to egg weight in domestic birds. World's Poultry Science Journal 43: 107–115Google Scholar
Siegel, P.B., Coleman, J.W., Graves, H.B. and Phillips, R.E. (1968) Incubation period of chickens selected bidirectionally for juvenile body weight. Poultry Science 47: 105–107Google Scholar
Skewes, P.A., Wilson, H.R. and Mather, F.B. (1988) Correlation among egg weight, chick weight, and yolk sac weight in Bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus). Florida Scientist 51: 159–162Google Scholar
Skoglund, W.C. and Tomhave, A.E. (1949) Relationship between egg weight, initial chick weight and subsequent broiler growth. Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 278: 1–12Google Scholar
Skoglund, W.C., Seegar, K.C. and Ringrose, A.T. (1952) Growth of broiler chicks hatched from various sized eggs when reared in competition with each other. Poultry Science 31: 796–799CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Somaiah, K.T. and Shirley, H.V. (1963) Broiler performance as influenced by egg size. Tennessee Farm and Home Science Progress Report No. 48Google Scholar
Strong, C.F. Jr and Jaap, R.G. (1977) Embryonic and early post-hatching growth patterns of dwarf broiler-type chickens. Poultry Science 56: 1595–1599Google Scholar
Sunde, M. L. and Bird, H. R. (1959) The effect of pullet maturity on fertility and hatchability of eggs. Poultry Science 38: 272–275CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swart, D., Rahn, H. and deKock, J. (1987) Nest microclimate and incubation water loss of eggs of the African ostrich (Struthio camelus var. domesticus). Journal of Experimental Zoology (Supplement) 1: 239–246Google Scholar
Tegtmeyer, M. and Benthin, G. (1970) The influence of weight of the hatching eggs, of the day-old chicks and of sex on mortality, weight gains and feed efficiency of broilers. World's Poultry Science Journal 26: 615 (English summary from Archiv für Geflugelkunde 33, 1969)Google Scholar
Tindell, L.D. and Morris, D.R. (1964) The effects of egg weight on subsequent broiler performance. Poultry Science 43: 534–539Google Scholar
Tindell, L.D. and Womack, J.C. (1965) Intra-population egg weight and subsequent broiler performance. 62nd Proceedings of the Association of Southern Agricultural Workers, Inc. pp. 254–255Google Scholar
Tserveni-Gousi, A.S. (1987) Relationship between parental age, egg weight and hatching weight of Japanese quail. British Poultry Science 28: 749–752Google Scholar
Tullett, S.G. and Burton, F.G. (1982) Factors affecting the weight and water status of the chick at hatch. British Poultry Science 23: 361–369Google Scholar
Tullett, S.G. and Burton, F.G. (1987) Effect of two gas mixtures on growth of the domestic fowl embryo from days 14 through 17 of incubation. Journal of Experimental Zoology (Supplement) 1: 347–350Google Scholar
Upp, C.W. (1928) Egg weight, day old chick weight and rate of growth in Single Comb Rhode Island Red chicks. Poultry Science 7: 151–155Google Scholar
Washburn, K.W. and Guill, R.A. (1974) Relationship of embryo weight as a percent of egg weight to efficiency of feed utilization in the hatched chick. Poultry Science 53: 766–769Google Scholar
Whiting, T.S. and Pesti, G.M. (1983) Effects of the dwarfing gene (dw) on egg weight, chick weight, and chick weight:egg weight ratio in a commercial broiler strain. Poultry Science 62: 2297–2302CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whiting, T.S. and Pesti, G.M. (1984) Broiler performance and hatching egg weight to marketing weight relationships of progeny from standard and dwarf broiler dams. Poultry Science 63: 425–429CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiley, W.H. (1950) The influence of egg weight on the pre-hatching and post-hatching growth rate in the fowl. II. Egg weight-chick weight ratios. Poultry Science 29: 595–604Google Scholar
Wilson, H.R. and Harms, R.H. (1971) Male to female ratios for broiler-type and egg production-type breeders. British Poultry Science 12: 327–331CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, H.R. and Harms, R.H. (1988) Chick weight varies directly with egg weight. Poultry-Misset International 4: 10–13Google Scholar
Worth, C.B. (1940) Egg volumes and incubation periods. The Auk 57: 44–60CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wyatt, C.L., Weaver, W.D. Jr and Beane, W.L. (1985) Influence of egg size, eggshell quality, and post-hatch holding time on broiler performance. Poultry Science 64: 2049–2055Google Scholar
Yannakopoulos, A.L. (1988) Lack of effect of oviposition time and parental age on chick weight when egg weight remains constant. British Poultry Science 29: 431–434Google Scholar
Yannakopoulos, A.L. (1989) The relationship between egg weight and shell quality on poult hatching weight. Zootecnica International 3: 36–37Google Scholar
Yannakopoulos, A.L. and Tserveni-Gousi, A.S. (1987a) Relationship of parent's age, hatching egg weight, and shell quality to day-old chick weight, as influenced by oviposition time. Poultry Science 66: 829–833Google Scholar
Yannakopoulos, A.L. and Tserveni-Gousi, A.S. (1987b) Research note: Effect of breeder quail age and egg weight on chick weight. Poultry Science 66: 1558–1560Google Scholar
Zawalsky, M. (1962) The effect of sex, egg weight, and pre-incubation storage on hatching time and chick weight. Poultry Science 41: 1697Google Scholar
Zawalsky, M. (1965) Pre-incubation storage effects on growth to broiler age. Poultry Science 44: 1428Google Scholar
Zervas, N.P. and Collins, W.M. (1965) Genetic variation in 14-day embryo weight. Poultry Science 44: 631–636Google Scholar