Influence of the Weight of the Eggs of Flesh Roux and Kuroiler Breeding Hens on Their Hatching in an Incubator

Abstract

To contribute to the development of poultry farming in Ivory Coast, a study was carried out in the Lakes Region, precisely in Yamoussoukro. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of egg weight on their hatching. To do this, Kuroiler (29 females and 6 males) and Chair Roux (29 females and 6 males) breeders aged 6 to 7 months were used. After rearing, 483 eggs including 230 Chair Roux eggs and 253 Kuroiler eggs were collected over twenty-one days. After identification and determination of their weight, the eggs were classified into three categories (Small eggs from 35 to 45g), Medium eggs from 46 to 55g) and Large eggs from 56 to 65g) and incubated in three incubators (Incubator 1, Incubator 2 and Incubator 3). In each incubator, the incubation performance was determined. The results showed that the average egg rate was higher (66.52% for Chair Roux eggs and 66.79% for Kuroiler eggs). Large eggs showed the highest fertility rate (95.92% for Chair Roux strain eggs, and 97.44% for Kuroiler strain eggs), followed by medium eggs (90.85% for eggs of the Chair Roux strain and 91.72% for eggs of the Kuroiler strain). In terms of the embryonic mortality rate, it was the small eggs which presented the highest rates with 17.85% for eggs of the Chair Roux strain and 26.66% for those of the Kuroiler strain. As for the actual hatching rate, large eggs recorded the highest rates (82.97% for Chair Roux eggs and 76.31% for Kuroiler strain eggs) followed by medium eggs (77.85% for Chair Roux strain eggs and 76.28% for Kuroiler strain eggs). Apart from Incubator 3 which recorded a higher embryonic mortality rate for large eggs (15.38%), Incubator 1 and Incubator 2 recorded higher rates for small eggs with respectively 11. 76% and 37.5%. In terms of the actual hatching rate, large eggs recorded the highest rates with 87.5% at Incubator 1 and 83.33%. Thus, it appears that large eggs and medium eggs are indicated to obtain a better hatching rate.