Application of ozone during incubation period: hatchability, chick quality and organ growth, bacterial load of feces, and first-week performance in broilers.

Abstract

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of ozone (O₃) treatment during incubation period (IP) on hatchability, hatch window, chick quality and organ growth, bacterial load of feces and first-week growth performance in broilers. A total of 240 hatching eggs were weighed and randomly divided into control group (O₃-IP (-)) and O₃ treatment (O₃-IP (+)). A commercial O₃ generator was placed into the setter and O₃ treatment (at the level of 0.050 ppm) was applied during 1 min per hour in a cyclic period of 3 days during the 18-day incubation period. The egg weight loss between 1 and 18 days ranged with values 8.59% in O₃-IP (-) and 10.63% in O₃-IP (+) group. The pipping time and incubation length was determined as 500.67 h and 527.33 h in O₃-IP (-) and 489.67 h and 518.33 h in O₃-IP (+) respectively. The yolk sac weight was found to be higher in the O₃-IP (-) group compared to the O₃-IP (+). In conclusion, O₃ treatment during incubation period seems to be cause an acceleration for pipping time and shortening of total incubation period, unsteady effects for chick growth and quality, inhibitory effect for bacterial growth in feces.