Beta alanine effects immediately pre- and post hatch on chick quality, carcass yield and meat quality in broilers

First, this study aimed to evaluate the effects on hatchability of in ovo supplementation of beta alanine (βA). Second, it assessed the effects on performance, meat quality and serum constituents of broiler chickens of βA injection in ovo and of supplementation with βA in feed for the first seven days after hatching. For this purpose, 960 fertilized broiler chicken eggs were distributed to hatchery trays in four treatment groups with six replicates on day 17 of incubation. The treatment groups consisted of eggs that were not injected (T1; negative control), injected with sterile solution with 0.9% salt (T2; positive control), injected with in ovo 1% βA solution (T3), and not injected, but with chicks were fed 1% βA for the first seven days after hatching (T4). Upon hatching, chicks from T1, T2, and T3 were fed commercial starter feed. All treatments were assessed with six replicates of 28 birds (14 females and 14 males) throughout the grow-out period. As a result of this study, T3 increased hatchability, yolk-free hatching weight and chick quality, and decreased yolk weight and feed access time at hatch. Both T3 and T4 improved carcass yield and meat quality, and T3 increased serum total antioxidant status at 42 days afer hatching. The results demonstrated that in ovo βA feeding improved hatching characteristics, and βA administration in ovo or in feed improved carcass yield and meat quality without affecting growth performance

Response of broiler chicks to L-Glutamine feeding in the immediate pre- and post-hatch periods

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of in ovo and post-hatching supplementation with L-Glutamine (Gln) on hatching characteristics, performance, small intestinal morphology, and muscle development of broilers. At day 18 of incubation, 960 fertilized eggs were allocated to four treatments with six replicates. Eggs were i) not injected (negative control) (NC), ii) subject to the standard incubation procedure (PG), iii) injected with 1 ml sterile solution with 0.9% salt (positive control) (PC), and iv) injected with 1% Gln solution (IG). On hatching, the SC chicks were fed with 1% Gln for seven days. The remaining chicks were fed a commercial starter feed. After hatching, there were six replicates of 28 birds in each treatment. Hatchability and yolk sac weight were lower and yolk-free chick weight (YFCW), whole gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and breast muscle weights were higher at hatching for chicks from the IG treatment. At 42 days old, feed conversation ratio (FCR) was lower in birds that had Gln added to their diet than for the other treatments. The FCR was also lower in IG birds than birds in the NC group. The GIT weight, villus height, villus width and crypt depth of the birds receiving dietary supplementation of Gln were greater than those of birds in PC and IG. Thus, in ovo injection of Gln improved hatching characteristics except for hatchability. Further, in ovo and dietary Gln administration reduced FCR by stimulating digestive system development