Effects of lighting schedule during incubation of broiler chicken embryos on leg bone development at hatch and related physiological characteristics.

ABSTRACT: Providing a broiler chicken embryo with a lighting schedule during incubation may stimulate leg bone development. Bone development may be stimulated through melatonin, a hormone released in darkness that stimulates bone development, or increased activity in embryos exposed to a light-dark rhythm. Aim was to investigate lighting conditions during incubation and leg bone development in broiler embryos, and to reveal the involved mechanisms. Embryos were incubated under continuous cool white 500 lux LED light (24L), continuous darkness (24D), or 16h of light, followed by 8h of darkness (16L:8D) from the start of incubation until hatching. Embryonic bone development largely takes place through cartilage formation (of which collagen is an important component) and ossification. Expression of gen

SUBMITTER: van der Pol CW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6695123 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature