Initiation of incubation: understanding chicken embryo processes

At the moment of oviposition, the chicken embryo is very sensitive and should be handled with care. This means that environmental changes, like temperature, might negatively influence the embryo quality. The sensitivity of the embryo to environmental disturbances increases when fertilized eggs are stored. Egg storage is common at commercial hatcheries and is known to result in higher embryo mortality, lower hatchability, and worsened chick quality. After storage, eggs are generally warmed in approximately 5 hours from storage temperature (<18°C) to incubation temperature (37.8°C) before the start of the 21-day incubation period. Even though ample literature shows that temperature during storage and incubation largely affects embryo development and mortality, it is still largely unknown how temperatures in-between storage and incubation affect the developing embryo.

The aim of this project is to understand the biological processes of the chicken embryo during the temperature transition from egg storage to incubation. The outcomes of this project could lead to practical applications in hatcheries worldwide by adapting the initiation of incubation to decrease embryonic losses and improve chick quality.