• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 2004

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of egg storage, broiler breeder age, and the change of egg weight during incubation on growth rate of chicks and 43-day-old dressing percentage. The trials involved hatching eggs obtained from 27-wk-old hens and stored for 6 d for the Young-EXP group, from 28-wk-old hens and stored for 0 d for the Young-CON group, from 51-wk-old hens and stored for 6 d for the Old-EXP group, and from 52-wk-old hens and stored for 0 d for the Old-CON group, The hens were two commercial broiler breeder flocks of the same strain (Cobb) but of different egg producing stages(early and middle stages of egg production). The chicks were grown on floor pens for 6 wks, The differences of setting egg weights between Old-CON and Old-EXP groups were 1 g, but those between Young-CON and Young-EXP groups were 2.9 g(P<0,05). The loss of egg weight during 18 d incubation did not greatly differ among four groups, but the loss of egg weight during 21 d incubation was significantly (P<0.05) more in the middle stage of egg production groups than in the early stage of egg production groups. The mean birth weights of the middle stage of egg production groups were significantly(P<0,05) heavier by 8,7 g than those of the early stage of egg production groups; however, the differences of 6-wk-old body weight were not significant between egg producing stages. The differences of body weights in both egg producing stages were not significantly influenced by egg storage period in overall wks of ages. Egg storage and hen age did not greatly influence to the 43 d dressing percentages, either, The correlations of the setting egg weight with 18 d egg weight during incubation, growth rate of chicks, or 43 d dressing percentage were not significant.