Effects of the in ovo injection of Inovocox EM1 vaccine (EM1 vaccine) suspended in commercial diluent on developing broiler embryos were investigated in 3 trials. Effects of the EM1vaccine administered by in ovo injection on broiler embryogenesis and posthatch performance was determined by evaluating site of injection (SOI), embryo staging (ES), hatchability, and chick quality parameters. Oocyst output, microscopic lesion scores, and grow-out performance were further examined through day 35 posthatch. In these studies, it was shown that oocyst output began at day 3 posthatch (6 days post-injection), and peaked at day 7 posthatch (10 days post-injection). The EM1 vaccine had no effects on hatchability, various and chick quality parameters that were examined in the study. Similarly, grow-out performance through day 35 posthatch was not affected by the EM1 vaccine. SOI and ES provided information on the accuracy of in ovo vaccine delivery to the embryos, and were found to be significantly influenced by embryo age. In conclusion, in ovo injection of the EM1 vaccine has no detrimental effect on broiler embryogenesis, hatching chick quality, or the performance characteristics of Ross × Ross 708 broilers.

As the international poultry industry searches for antibiotic alternatives, dietary probiotic supplementation has exhibited the ability to decrease FCR, increase live weight gain, and regulate inflammatory responses within the gut of broiler chickens. The in ovo (or in egg) supplementation of probiotics has the potential for promoting early colonization of probiotic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and providing enhanced protection against pathogens in the hatchery and grow-out facilities. In the present studies, the in ovo injection of either L. animalis + E. faecium combination or L. animalis + B. licheniformis combination on d 18 of incubation does not negatively affect the chick’s ability to hatch out of the egg. These combinations also influence post-hatch performance, where FCR, gastrointestinal tissue weights, and immune-physiological parameters were impacted under non-challenged and coccidiosis-challenged grow-out conditions. These results indicate the physiological and immunomodulatory role that beneficial bacteria may have on a developing chick.

Effects of varying dosages (0.6 to 4.8 μg/egg) of vitamin D3 (D3) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3), administrated by in ovo (amniotic) injection, on various embryonic and post-hatch physiological variables in Ross 708 broilers were investigated. The in ovo injection of 1.2 to 4.8 μg of both D3 and 25OHD3 increased serum 25OHD3 concentrations in broiler embryos in comparison to non-injected and diluent-injected control groups. Furthermore, the effects of 2.4 μg of D3 and 25OHD3 alone and in combination on the performance, meat yield and quality, small intestine morphology, and immunity of the broilers fed a diet restricted in calcium and phosphorous (ReCaP) content by 20% throughout grow out, period were investigated. In comparison to the in ovo injection of diluent or the combination of D3 and 25OHD3, the in ovo injection of 2.4 μg of 25OHD3 increased breast meat yield at 14 and 40 days of age (doa). In addition, Serum IgM increased in response to the in ovo injection of 25OHD3 at 14 doa. Furthermore, increases in villus length VL to crypt depth ratio (RVC) at both 14 and 40 doa in response to the injection of 25OHD3 alone were observed. The improvements in these observed factors may be due to an improvement in small intestine morphology in response to the in ovo injection of 25OHD3 alone. Lastly, the effects of 2.4 μg of D3 and 25OHD3 alone or in combination on the performance, meat yield and quality, small intestine morphology, and immunity of Ross 708 broilers after being subjected to a coccidiosis challenge at 14 doa were investigated. The in ovo injection of 25OHD3 alone increased broiler BW gain from 29 to 41 doa in comparison to those injected with diluent or D3 alone. Furthermore, the RVC of birds increased before and 2 weeks after a coccidiosis challenge when in ovo-injected with 25OHD3 alone in comparison to being injected with diluent or D3 alone. These results indicate that 25OHD3 alone may improve small intestine morphology, growth performance, and increase meat yield and antibody production of broilers subjected to a coccidiosis infection.

Studies were conducted to investigate the effects of in ovo injection of selenium (Se) either as seleno-methionine (Se-Met) or sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) into the yolk of incubating eggs on tissue Se concentration, embryo livability, lipid peroxidation, immune response and growth performance. When white-shelled eggs were injected with 0.1ml of solutions providing 0, 2.5, 5, 10 or 20 μg Se/egg, no detrimental effects on embryo viability at 20 days of incubation were noted. The effects on tissue Se concentrations suggested that Se-Met and Na2SeO3 were metabolized differently by the chick embryo. In a subsequent study using injection doses up to 60 μg/egg, a greater linear response in tissue Se was obtained with Se-Met, compared with Na2SeO3 (P < 0.01). Minimal changes in heart and breast muscle Se concentrations were noted above the 40 μg dose when Na2SeO3 was used (P > 0.05). In a study with broiler eggs, injection doses of 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 40 μg Se/egg were used. Se-Met or Na2SeO3 at doses up to 40 μg Se/egg had little effect on embryo viability. Injecting Se-Met resulted in greater tissue Se accumulation than Na2SeO3 at 20 days of incubation. In another study with broiler eggs using injection doses up to 40 μg Se/egg, Se-Met injection resulted in higher hatchability, reduced lipid peroxidation in the lung and heart muscle of the embryos after 20 days incubation and higher Se concentrations in heart and breast muscle of hatched chicks through 7 days and in lung through 21 days of growth. In a feeding trial with broiler breeder hens, adding 0.3 mg/kg of Se as Se yeast or Na2SeO3 to the diet improved tissue Se status at hatching of progeny chicks. Taken together, these results indicate that injection of Se into the yolk of incubating eggs may be useful for enhancing Se status during embryonic and early post-hatch development. Therefore, the improvement in Se status using this method in conjunction with dietary Se supplementation of breeder hens would be much greater than with only using dietary supplementation.

The effects of varying dosages of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol [25(OH)D3] in commercial diluent injected into the amnion of developing broiler embryos were investigated in a preliminary trial and 2 consecutive main trials. Evaluation of the results of the preliminary trial showed that the in ovo injection of 0.60 micrograms of 25(OH)D3 is capable of increasing its subsequent levels by approximately 3 fold in the circulation of broiler embryos on 19.5 days of incubation. Similarly, results of the 2 main trials showed that the in ovo injection of 0.60 micrograms of 25(OH)D3 significantly improved hatchability on day 21 of incubation and the subsequent performance and bone characteristics of broilers through 28 days of post-hatch age. In conclusion, it is suggested that the in ovo injection of 25(OH)D3 at a 0.60 micrograms dose may be used to effectively improve hatchability, and the performance and bone characteristics of Ross ~ Ross 708 broilers.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is the organism that causes avian respiratory mycoplasmosis, leading to chronic respiratory disease in chickens and infectious sinusitis in turkeys (Stipkovits and Kempf, 1996; Levisohn and Kleven, 2000). It is also responsible for reductions in egg production and other economic losses in the poultry industry (Stipkovits and Kempf, 1996; Levisohn and Kleven, 2000). Commercially, layer chickens are vaccinated against MG in the pullet phase before lay. In this dissertation, the potential application of in ovo vaccination in layer embryos for the subsequent early protection of pullets against field-strain MG infections was investigated. The use of different sites of injection [air cell (AC) or amnion (AM)] and various dosages of live attenuated 6/85 (6/85MG) and ts-11 (ts-11MG) vaccine strains of MG delivered in ovo at 18 days of incubation were evaluated. Vaccine dosages of ts-11MG up to 7.25 x 105 CFU did not have negative effects on the hatch and posthatch results. However, only the 7.25 x 105 CFU dosage had a negative effect on overall BWG. The ts-11MG was not transmitted from vaccinated to sentinel birds at both the hatch and posthatch periods, and no subsequent MG DNA or serology responses were detected in response to the vaccine. Administration of the 6/85MG vaccine at dosages up to 1.73 x 103 CFU did not negatively affect hatchability or other posthatch variables. Antibody production against 6/85MG through d 42 posthatch with no associated hatch or posthatch mortalities were likewise observed. The high dose of 6/85MG (1.73 x 104 CFU) resulted in a greater than 15 % mortality at hatch and a greater than 40 % mortality during the first 2 wk posthatch. Trachea and bronchi lesion scores in the pullets were significantly increased when they were challenged at d 28 of age with RMG. However, birds that were in ovo-vaccinated with 6/85MGV exhibited no significant microscopic lesions due to the RMG challenge. The 1.66 x 103 CFU dosage of 6/85MGV is proposed to offer the best protection in layer pullets against field-strain MG infections.

In this study, the effects of individual and combinatorial electrolyte solution comprised of carbohydrate, salt, and a stimulant injected into broiler hatching eggs on subsequent late term embryogenesis and post hatch performance up to D 10 were evaluated in separate trials. The effects of solution concentration and volume on embryo body weight and yolk reserves were likewise considered, and limited posthatch growth, body weight, and yolk sac effects of a compound electrolyte solution were evaluated. The individual and combinatorial effects of injected solutions were examined in an effort to yield the maximum physiological growth effects on embryogenesis from the metabolic pathways in which these compounds are involved. Limited effects on embryo and post hatch mortality were found. However, both post hatch yolk reserves and liver weights were affected by in ovo injection. These effects could be key in increasing bird weight by processing day.

Effects of various levels of L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) (12 and 25 mg) in ovo injected at 17 and 18 days of incubation, on embryonic and posthatch physiological variables in Ross 708 broilers were investigated. There were no significant treatment effects on the hatchability or serum concentrations of L-AA in the broilers. Eye L-AA concentrations were higher, and plasma nitric oxide levels were lower in male chicks treated in ovo with 12 mg of L-AA. While exposed to elevated atmospheric NH3 levels, the in ovo injection of 12 mg of L-AA increased the body weight gain and decreased the feed conversion ratio of the broilers from 0 to 28 days of age (doa). Decreased tracheal attenuation incidence was also experienced at 0 doa in the in ovo injected L-AA groups, and tracheal inflammation was significantly reduced at 28 doa in response to the in ovo injection of 12 mg of L-AA.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:07:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Leandro_Chaves.pdf: 338456 bytes, checksum: 57c6cacc6b04986783e71300fb8c8f77 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-08-31 / Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance, development of digestives organs and recovered of Salmonella Enteritidis in chicks of different genetics lineages inoculated with probiotic using the technique of in ovo injection. The challenge with Salmonella spp and the feed fasting were promoted in chick s moments after the hatch. The birds ISA Label, Hubbard and Cobb were used in the experiments and the probiotic inoculated was based in multiple microorganism s culture. The experiments were designing in experimental random blocks with factorial arrangement 2x2x2 (probiotic X salmonella challenge X genetic lines). In both experiments the eggs were inoculated by in ovo injection at 19 days of incubation with probiotic and challenged with Salmonella Enteritidis in first day of age. In second experiment, the Cobb lineage birds were submitted to fasting of water and feed for 30 hours. The data were analyzed by variance analyses and Tukey test. The results showed that was no reduction of Salmonella colonization in digestive tract of chicks inoculated with probiotic. The inoculation of probiotic did not improve the performance of the chicks. Lower index of Salmonella were observed in older birds. In second experiment the fasting affected negatively the performance of the birds and the birds submitted to fasting were more susceptible to Salmonella Enteritidis / Dois experimentos foram conduzidos para avaliação do desempenho, desenvolvimento de órgãos e recuperação de Salmonella Enteritidis em pintos de diferentes linhagens inoculados com probiótico através da técnica de injeção in ovo. O desafio com Salmonella sp. e o jejum alimentar foi promovido nos pintos nos momentos seguintes à eclosão. Para tanto, foram utilizadas aves das linhagens ISA Label, Hubbard e Cobb e como probiótico utilizou-se um produto à base de cultura múltipla de microrganismos (Colostrum). Os experimentos foram delineados em blocos casualizados em arranjo fatorial 2x2x2: probiótico (presença ou ausência) x desafio (presença ou ausência) x linhagens (Hubbard ou ISA Label no experimento I e para o experimento II, além do fator probiótico e desafio, foi considerado o fator jejum após a eclosão (zero ou 30 horas). Nos dois experimentos os frangos foram inoculados in ovo, no 19° dia de incubação com a cultura de microrganismos e inoculados, no primeiro dia de vida, com Salmonella Enteritidis. No segundo experimento, utilizou-se frangos Cobb sendo esses submetidos a jejum total de água e ração, de 30 horas em relação aos tratamentos controle. Os dados foram submetidos a analise de variância e quando necessário utilizou-se o teste de Tukey (5%). Não foi observada redução da colonização do trato intestinal dos pintos por Salmonella Enteritidis com o uso de probiótico (P>0,05). A cultura de microrganismos também não proporcionou melhoria nos resultados zootécnicos dos pintos, havendo inclusive menor peso ao nascer das aves inoculadas com a cultura (P<0,05). Menores índices de positividade para Salmonella spp foram observados em aves mais velhas. No segundo experimento, o fator jejum influenciou negativamente o desempenho das aves sendo que, aves submetidas à restrição alimentar foram mais susceptíveis à infecção por Salmonella Enteritidis