Objectives:During the third week of incubation, embryo increases the uptake of fatty acids which may increase the potential for oxidative stress. Another time of potential increased oxidative stress occurs as the chick begins pipping when it must switch to active pulmonary respiration of oxygen as opposed to respiring via gas exchange from the temporary embryonic structures. With such important roles in energy production for the embryo, fat sources are essential to fuel the heart and for deposition of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in tissues such as the brain. In ovo administration of high quality fatty acids may beneficial for embryogenesis and hatching. Thus, this project conducted to study the effects of in ovo feeding of grape seed extract and vitamin E on hatchability, body weight and immune organs of broiler chickens. Materials and Methods: A randomized complete block design was used, with each tray level representing a block, and with all treatments being equally represented in each block. A total of 300 fertile Ross 308 breeder eggs, Simourgh hatchery Mashhad/Iran, were used. Treatments were injected in the air sac on d 18 of incubation. Treatments include 1) 0.3 mL olive oil; 2) 10 IU vitamin E dissolved in 0.3 mL olive oil; 3) 0.3 mL grape seed oil; 4) 0.5 mL grape seed oil; 5) holed- non-injected control; 6) and non-injected control group. Blood samples were collected from cervical vein of 4 birds in each replicate at 3 d of age. All data were analyzed using the procedures of SAS software (SAS Institute, 2008). Using the MIXED procedure, a 1-way ANOVA was used to test for all parameter differences among treatments, with treatment designated as a fixed effect and tray level as a random effect. Results and Conclusions:Results showed that in ovo feeding of olive oil, grape seed oil and vitamin E on d 18 of incubation decreased hatchability (P<0.05), however in ovo injection of 0.3 mL grape seed oil improved hatchling body weight. Also, holing eggs increased hatchability numerically. Olive oil improved the bird’s bursa of fabricius weight (P<0.05). There were no difference between birds yolk sac weight, spleen weight, liver weight, serum AST, ALT, total protein, albumin, bilirubin, glutamate dehydrogenase and sorbitol dehydrogenase level (P>0.05).

Keywords