| Author(s) | T.M. Shafey*, A.A. Al-Sobayel, T.H. Al-Mohsen, H.A. Al-Batshan M. J. Al-Hassan and M. M. Ghannam** |
| Affiliation | *Department of Animal Production, College of Agriculture, King Saud University, PO Box 2460, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia. **Department of Physics, College of Science, King Saud University, P O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia. |
| Title | Effects of Continuous White Fluorescent Light Incubation of Eggs upon Thyroid Hormones and Other Blood Constituents at Hatching, Post-hatch Performance, and Carcass Quality of Meat Chickens |
| Source | Journal of King Saud University. Agricultural Sciences. Volume 17, No 1. (2005/1425) |
| Abstract | The effects of continuous white fluorescent light (WL) and dark-control (D) incubations of meat-type breeder eggs on the weight of liver, heart and tibia (as a proportion of body weight), plasma concentration of total calcium, phosphorus, electrolytes, and thyroid hormones (triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxin (T4)) at d 1 of age and post-hatch performance of chickens from 1 to 35 d of age and carcass composition at 35 d of age were studied. Birds hatched from eggs incubated under WL had higher plasma T3 and lower plasma concentration of sodium and chloride at d 1 of age and feed consumption over the 35-d experimental period than those hatched from eggs incubated in the dark. The WL incubation did not influence the weight of liver, heart and tibia, plasma concentration of potassium, total calcium, phosphorus, T4 and T3:T4 ratio at d 1 of age, and weight gain, feed conversion ratio over the 5-week experimental period and carcass composition of birds at 35 d of age.It is concluded that WL incubation altered thyroid function at d 1 of age without altering the growth of chickens and quality of chickens produced. |
