Effects of oxygen concentration during incubation and broiler breeder age on embryonic heat production, chicken development, and 7-day performance

Older breeder flocks produce eggs with a relatively larger yolk and thereby a higher nutrient availability than young breeder flocks. To optimise nutrient utilisation and embryonic development throughout incubation and posthatch period, embryos originating from older breeder flocks may require a higher oxygen availability. The current study investigated effects of broiler breeder flock age and incubational oxygen concentration on embryonic metabolism and chicken development until 7-day posthatch. Similar sized eggs of a young (28–32 week) or old (55–59 week) Cobb 500 breeder flock were incubated at one of three oxygen concentrations (17%, 21% or 25%) from day 7 of incubation until 6 h after emergence from the eggshell. Posthatch, chickens were reared until 7 days of age. Egg composition at the start of incubation, heat production during incubation, and embryo or chicken development at embryonic day (ED)14 and ED18 of incubation, 6 h after hatch and day 7 posthatch were evaluated. An interaction was found between breeder age and oxygen concentration for yolk-free body mass (YFBM) at ED18. A higher oxygen concentration increased YFBM in the old breeder flock, whereas no difference was found between 21 and 25% oxygen in the young breeder flock. Yolk size was larger in the old compared to the young flock from ED0 until 6 h after hatch. Breeder flock age did not affect YFBM at ED14 and 6 h after hatch nor daily embryonic heat production, but there were some effects on relative organ weights. Chickens of the old compared to the young breeder flock showed a higher weight gain at day 7, but at a similar feed conversion ratio (FCR). A higher oxygen concentration during incubation stimulated embryonic development, especially between 17% and 21% of oxygen, in both flock ages. Although this growth advantage disappeared at 7 days posthatch, a low oxygen concentration during incubation resulted in a higher FCR at 7 days posthatch. Results indicated that breeder flock age seemed to influence body development, with an advantage for the older breeder flock during the posthatch period. Oxygen concentrations during incubation affected body development during incubation and FCR in the first 7 days posthatch. Although an interaction was found between breeder flock age and oxygen concentration at ED18 of incubation, there was no strong evidence that nutrient availability at the start of incubation (represented by breeder flock ages) affected embryo and chicken development at a higher oxygen concentration.