Effects of in-ovo injection of glutamine on late-term embryo development, hatchability, one-day old chick quality and small intestine morphological traits in broilers

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of in-ovo injection of glutamine on late term embryo development, hatchability, one-day old chick quality and small intestine morphological traits in broilers. Hatching eggs were obtained from a Ross 308 breeder flock at 36 weeks of age and were injected with glutamine into the air sac on day 17 of incubation. Six treatment groups were created as follows: negative control (no injection), positive control (injected with only distilled water), and four groups injected with different doses of glutamine dissolved in 0.5 ml distilled water, dose 1: 20 mg; dose 2: 40 mg; dose 3: 60 mg; dose 4: 80 mg. On day 20 of incubation, embryo weight, yolk absorption and embryo body and leg length were found to be highest in embryos given 40 mg of glutamine (P < 0.01). Chick hatching weight and relative chick weight were highest in the 40 mg treatment (dose 2) (45.9 g and 72.2% respectively). At hatch, villus growth in the duodenum, jejenum and ileum was stimulated by glutamine injection at dose 2 (40 mg). These findings showed that a 40 mg glutamine in-ovo injection gave the optimum increase in embryonic growth and liveability, chick quality and villus development in broilers.