Fertility and Embryonic Mortality in Breeders

It was really an interesting article to know more about the fertilization process in poultry. The trial analysis report on the sperm quality and sperm numbers influence on the fertility % and early embryonic mortality % is clearly explaining the importance of insemination of hens with correct sperm dosage at regular intervals to get more number of chicks per hen and quality chicks. So, I am sure the perivitalline sperm hole assay will be a very useful tool to quantitatively analyse the fertility % i.e. breeding performance of males and females in broiler breeding flocks.

Dr.G.Venkatesh, M.V.Sc.,
Business development Manager
Alltech Biotechnology Pvt Ltd,
Bangalore, India

Very interesting article. I'd like to add an observation that breeder management, particularly the management of the maturity levels of the males and females must be carefully monitored. When males are not mature and mating before egg production starts, the fertility seldom reaches satisfactory levels. In nature, in the Spring, before the wild birds lay their eggs, they mate. It appears that pullets should be mating before starting egg production and this requires careful attention particularly to male maturity rates.

Practical aspect of this interesting and very elaborative article, in my opinion is, an introduction of a new management tool: Why not we rear a flock of breeder males after 25 weeks of placement of a breeder flock and intrduce the 25 weeks younger males to the flock approximately just before 50 weeks, and remove the old males to improve frequency of mating? My question to author is that above suggestion has any weight to consider for future research?

As flocks ages mating frequency decreases, fertility decreases, and embryonic mortality increases. This can be avoided by spiking younger male at the age of 40th week. Shell quality can be improved by controlling the egg size and increasing Ca in feed. The egg storage at farm plays an important role in hatchability, embryonic mortality, much emphasis should be given at farm while storage before despatching eggs to hatchery. Transportation of these eggs also a factor which can minimize hatchability.

Dear sir,

Thank you for your nice article. As flocks ages mating frequency decreases, fertility decreases, and embryonic mortality increases. This can be avoided by nutritional management as addition of essential fatty acids as omega 3 and/or omega 6, or by spiking younger male at the age of 40th week. Shell quality can be improved by controlling the egg size and increasing Ca in feed and pay attention to available phosphorous. The egg storage at farm plays an important role in hatchability, embryonic mortality, much emphasis should be given at farm while storage before despatching eggs to hatchery. Transportation of these eggs also a factor which can minimize hatchability. Some flock diseases can affect the fertility and hatchability, also seasonal and climate conditions.

dear sir,
good article but if it had been correlated with actual farm conditions it would have been much better.
normally breeder companies do their best in preparation of feed, disease prevention, egg storage and egg transportation. now the problem is that if we don,t have younger males what should we do. i think here comes male management. if we remove heavier males making them leaner and again introducing them in the sheds if it does not increase fertility it will maintain fertility for quite considerable time. i have done it with some success. waiting for every ones opinion.

Dear sir,
This article was very interesting. If we remove 8% of over weight(over 5Kg) males from the males at 35wks and introdused average weight new males can it affect to hatcherbility and how long will it take to recover?