Effects of In- Ovo injection of beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl butyrate and glucose on intestinal morphology and growth performance of broiler chickens

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of in- Ovo injection of beta-hydroxy beta-methyl butyrate and glucose on intestinal morphology and growth performance of broiler chickens. On day 18 of incubation 400 Ross 308 breeder fertile eggs were weighed and distributed into 4 treatments in a completely randomized design. 1 ml of an in-Ovo fed solution including: 1) 150 g glucose in 5 g/l Nacl(GLU), 2) 1 g beta hydroxy-beta-methyl butyrate in 5g/l Nacl (HMB)and 3) 5g/l NaCl was injected into amniotic fluid of eggs(PC). The control group remained non-injected (NC). Upon hatch, chicks were weighed and transferred to the experimental house and reared to 42 days. Feed intake and daily gain were recorded and FCR was calculated based on observed data. Glucose and HMB lead to significant reduction in hatchability (P<0.05). Hatched chicks Body weight and body weight to egg weight ratio produced from treated eggs were significantly higher than that control (P<0.05), though FCR remained with no significant difference. In ovo administration of glucose and HMB appeared with no significant differences on FCR. On day 21 post-hatch, compared to control group, villi height and surface area of hatched chicks from egg injected with glucose and HMB, lead to significantly increase(P<0.05).Conclusion was that, in- Ovo injection of Glucose and HMB can improve post-hatch chick performance and development parameters such as: day old chick weight, chick to egg weight ratio as well as broiler chicken intestinal morphology.