Effect of maternal dietary manipulation and in ovo injection of nutrients on the biochemical attributes and carcass quality characteristics of post hatch turkey poults

Abstract

An experiment was undertaken involving maternal dietary manipulation (NRC, 1994-diet A or higher plane of nutrition-diet B), in ovo nutrient injection (in ovo essential amino acids- INA; linolenic acid, linoleic acid, retinol and DL-alpha-tocopherol-INFV; in ovo essential amino acids, linolenic acid, linoleic acid, retinol and DL-alpha-tocopherol-INAFV, sham control-S and un injected control-C) in a 2 × 4 factorial design. Two hundred turkey breeder hens and twenty-four viable toms of 30 to 35 weeks of age of small white variety were distributed into two treatment groups comprising of four replicates of 25 hens and 3 toms in each treatment. First four replicates were offered diet A and other four replicates were maintained on diet B for eight weeks. Five hundred and forty eight fertile eggs were collected and on 21st day embryonic day (ED), the eggs were in ovoinjected with nutrients. Irrespective of the plane of breeder nutrition, SGOT levels were significantly higher (P<0.01) in day old chicks in ovo injected group compared to control. Similarly, poults subjected to INAhad significantly higher (P<0.01) uric acid levels at day old compared to other in ovo injected groups. However, there were no significant differences observed in other serum biochemical attributes. Further, there was no significant difference among different treatment groups in carcass quality characteristics and cut-up-parts at eight weeks of age. Thus, it may be concluded that in ovo injection of nutrients may not adversely affect the serum biochemical attributes of the neonates and carcass quality characteristics of turkey poults.