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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mississippi State, Mississippi » Poultry Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #330914
Title: Effects of in ovo injection of organic trace minerals and post-hatch holding time on broiler performance and bone characteristics

Author
item OLIVEIRA, T - Mississippi State University
item BERTECHINI, A - Mississippi State University
item BRICKA, R - Mississippi State University
item Kim, Elizabeth
item GERARD, P - Mississippi State University
item PEEBLES, E - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/14/2015
Publication Date: 9/20/2015
Citation: Oliveira, T.F., Bertechini, A.G., Bricka, R.M., Kim, E.J., Gerard, P.D., Peebles, E.D. 2015. Effects of in ovo injection of organic trace minerals and post-hatch holding time on broiler performance and bone characteristics. Poultry Science. 94:2677-2685.

Interpretive Summary: The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of in ovo injection of supplemental microminerals (zinc, manganese, and copper) and the effect of post-hatch feed and water restriction on the performance and physical-chemical bone parameters of male Ross x Ross broilers. In ovo injections are common practice in the poultry industry to vaccinate and to improve hatchability as well as allowing for a boost in performance fro. For this current study, four treatments were utilized, a noninjected treatment negative control group, a diluent injected treatment (positive control), and two additional treatment groups with increasing dosages of Zn, Mn, and Cu; a low mineral dosage group (LMD) and a high mineral dosage group (HMD). On d 17 of incubation (doi), 1,872 fertile eggs were distributed amongst the four treatment groups, in six replicate trays. The 4 treatment groups were then sub-divided into 2 POH holding time (HT) groups, with 15 birds randomly allocated to each of 6 replicate pens in each of the 8 groups. The first HT group (0HT) had immediate access to water and feed, and the second HT group (24HT) contained birds that were kept in transport baskets for 24 h before being released. Performance was determined and selected birds were subsequently necropsied and their tibiae extracted for analysis. Birds in the 24HT group had a lower body weight gain, feed intake and increased FCR when compared to the 0HT group at 21 d of age. Birds hatched from the HMD had a higher bone ash percentage when compared to the non-injected control group, indicating the increased dose of minerals in ovo may have had beneficial effects on growth. Additionally, birds supplemented in ovo with the LMD and HMD were found to have higher tibial Mn concentrations than those in the control groups. The results of this study indicate that holding birds for 24 hours post-hatch had negative effect on performance of broilers in the first 2 weeks of life; however, supplementation of LMD and HMD in ovo was found to have positive effects on bone mineralization of growing chicks.

Technical Abstract: Effects of the in ovo injection of organic Mn, Zn, and Cu in association with post-hatch (POH) feed and water restriction on the performance and physical-chemical bone parameters of male Ross × Ross 708 broilers were examined. On 17 d of incubation, a total of 1,872 eggs were subjected to in ovo injection using a commercial multi-egg injector. Treatments (TRT) includingd non-injected and diluent-injected controls. The respective Zn, Mn, and Cu levels (mg/mL) added to the diluent of the low (LMD) and high mineral (HMD) TRT groups were 0.181, 0.087, and 0.010, and 0.544, 0.260, and 0.030, respectively. The 4 TRT groups were then sub-divided into 2 POH holding time (HT) groups, with 15 birds randomly allocated to each of 6 replicate pens in each of the 8 groups. The first HT group (0HT) had immediate access to water and feed, and the second HT group (24HT) contained birds that were kept in transport baskets for 24 h before being released. Performance was determined and selected birds were subsequently necropsied and their tibiae extracted for analysis. In comparison to birds from 24HT group, those in the 0HT group had a higher BW gain and feed intake, and a lower FCR through 21 d POH. The percentage of bone ash of the birds belonging to the HMD group was higher than all other TRT on d 1 POH and was higher than the non-injection control group on d 21 POH. On d 1, the LMD and HMD groups had higher tibial Mn concentrations than those of the control groups. On d 7, bones from the HMD group had a higher concentration of Mn than did the non-injected control group, and likewise, on d 21 POH, had a higher concentration of Zn than did the control groups. In conclusion, a 24HT negatively affected the performance of the birds during the first 2 wk POH; however, the LMD and HMD TRT had a positive influence on bone mineralization.