Effect of in-ovo feeding maltose on the embryo growth and intestine development of broiler chicken

Abstract

The present experiment was conducted to study the effects of in ovo feeding maltose on the embryo growth and intestine development of broiler. On the 17.5d of incubation, altogether 635 eggs were divided randomly into 5 treatments. The eggs of treatment 2, 3, 4 and 5 were injected with 1 ml 4.5 g/L NaCl solutions containing 100 g/L, 200 g/L, 300 g/ L, 400 g/L maltose into the amnion fluid, while the eggs of treatment 1 as the control were only injected with 1 ml 4.5 g/L NaCl solution. The results showed that hatchling weights of in ovo feeding 100~300 g/L maltose solution group increased by 2.9 to 6.4% over controls. But higher maltose concentration reduced hatchability, and even resulted in all death (400 g/L maltose). The morphological examination of jejunum villus indicated on the day of hatching villus height, width and surface area of all IO feeding treatments exhibited increase compared with the control group and, in treatment 3, these were significantly increased by 17, 35 and 57%, respectively. So in ovo feeding found 200 g/L maltose solutions to the chicken embryo can promote the development of the jejunum villus, benefit due to enhancement in the absorption of nutrients and thus increase the weight of hatching.