Effect on hatchability of length of time for turning eggs during the incubation in Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa)

Abstract

El volteo de los huevos en la incubación artificial es clave para lograr buenas tasas de eclosión y pollos viables. En la producción de perdiz roja (Alectoris rufa) la duración recomendada para el periodo durante el que los huevos deben ser volteados en la incubación no se ha comprobado experimentalmente. Para contribuir al conocimiento de la duración óptima del periodo de volteo, se incubaron 74 huevos divididos en tres grupos: huevos volteados hasta el día 18 ó 19, volteados hasta el día 20 ó 21 y volteados hasta el día 22 de incubación. La tasa de eclosión fue mayor en los huevos volteados durante 20 días o másTurning of the eggs during the artificial incubation is critical in order to obtain a good hatchability and viable one-day-old chicks. In Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) farming, the recommended length of time during which the eggs should be turned along the incubation process has not been experimentally tested. With the aim of improving knowledge on the optimum length of time for the eggs to be turned during the incubation, seventy four eggs were incubated, divided into three groups: eggs that were turned until day 18 or 19, eggs that were turned until day 20 or 21, and eggs that were turned until day 22 of incubation. The hatchability of the eggs was higher for the eggs that were turned during the incubation over at least 20 days