Abstract

PRADO-REBOLLEDO, Omar  and  JUAREZ-ESTRADA, Marco. Effect of incubator relative humidity on hatchability and embryonic mortality of broiler chicken in Mexican dry tropic. Abanico vet [online]. 2017, vol.7, n.2, pp.68-74. ISSN 2448-6132.  https://doi.org/10.21929/abavet2017.72.6.

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of two relative humidities (RH) in incubator machine over hatchability and embryonic mortality of broiler chicken in Mexican dry tropics. A total of 2,520 incubating eggs were warmed at room temperature, they were weighed each one and divided into treatments (1,260 eggs/each) placed in trays and preheated. These treatments were maintained with RH to 50 ± 2 % and the other RH of 58 ± 2 %. The temperature in both incubators was kept at 37.7ºC. These conditions prevailed from day 0 until day 19 of incubation. Weight loss was more significant (P<0.05), with 50 % RH than 58 % RH. Body weight and hatchability were no affected by incubation RH. The data of embryo mortality had a significant difference in the first week with 50 % of RH, the other stage of embryonic mortality was equal (P>0.05) with both RH incubation. The eggs incubated at 50 % RH had increased weight loss in comparison with the other incubation RH. It is concluded that both HR can be used without affecting incubating hatching.

Keywords : Hatchability; incubation; relative humidity; embryo mortality.