Impact of Egg Storage and Prewarming Duration on Embryo Viability, Hatchability and Chick Quality

PDF
Published: May 20, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/jhvms.42122
Keywords:
egg incubation storage time preincubation warming hatchabil ity chick quality
T Boussaada
Scientific and Technical Research Centre for Arid Areas (CRSTRA), Biskra 07000, Algeria
MA Bennoui
Institute of Veterinary and Agronomic Sciences, Batna 1 University, Batna 05000, Algeria
AS Benatallah
Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (CRSP), Constantine 25000, Algeria.
C Aberkane
Department of Agricultural Sciences, Mohamed-Khider University, Biskra 07000, Algeria
D Ouachem
Institute of Veterinary and Agronomic Sciences, Batna 1 University, Batna 05000, Algeria.
Abstract

This study investigates the effects of storage time and pre-incubation warming duration on egg weight loss, hatchability, hatching synchrony, and chick quality. A total of 3000 eggs from Cobb 500 broiler breeder stock randomly devided into two storage times (4 and 10 days) and two pre-incubation warming durations (8 and 10 hours) at  25°C. The study was conducted in a commercial hatchery with 5 replicate trays per subgroup. Results showed that neither storage time nor preincubation warming duration had a significant effect on hatchability, embryonic mortality, or chick quality metrics, except for a slight improvement in the Pasgar score with a longer prewarming duration. A key finding was the significantly improved hatching synchronization and reduced average hatching time, in eggs stored for 10 days with a 10-hour prewarming duration.which reflected by significant interaction between storage time and prewarming duration.These results confirmed that extended storage increases egg weight loss, the preincubation warming duration of 10 hours may promote to improving hatching outcomes in commercial conditions.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Research Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

· Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

· Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

· Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Arora KL, Kosin IL (1968) The response of the early chicken embryo to
pre-incubation temperature as evidenced from its gross morphology
and mitotic pattern. Physiol. Zool. 41:104–112.
Boerjan M (2002) Programs for single stage incubation and chick quality.
Avian Poult. Biol. Rev. 13: 237–238.
Boerjan M (2010) Pre-heating - an effective tool for chick uniformity.
Retrived from https://www.pasreform.com/en/knowledge/61/pre-heating-
an-effective-tool-for-chick uniformity
Boussada T, Ouachem D (2018) Effet du poids du poussin d’un jour sur les
performances zootechniques du poulet de chair, Nature & Technology
Journal, Vol. B: Agronomic and Biological Sciences, 18:15-18. http://
www.univ-chlef.dz/revuenatec/issue-18/Article_B/Article_455.pdf
Boussaada T, Ouachem D, Shah T, Özkan S (2020) Effect of transport
duration, access to feed and water during transportation on growth
performance and organ development of broilers. Hayvansal Üretim.
(2): 109-120. DOI: 10.29185/hayuretim.777084
Christensen VL, Wineland MJ, Fasenko GM, Donaldson WE (2002) Egg
storage alters weight of supply and demand organs of broiler chicken
embryos. Poult. Sci. 81: 1738–1743.
Decuypere E, Bruggeman V (2007) The endocrine interface of environmental
and egg factors affecting chick quality. Poult. Sci. 86: 1037–1042.
Elibol O, Hodgetts B, Brake J (2002) The effect of storage and pre-warming
periods on hatch time and hatchability. Avian Poult. Biol. Rev.
:243–244.
Elibol O, Gucbilmez M, Brake J (2009) Effect of rate of preincubation
temperature increase on hatchability of broiler hatching eggs. Poult.
Sci. 88:46.
Elibol O, Brake J (2003) Effect of frequency of turning from three to eleven
days of incubation on hatchability of broiler. Poult. Sci. 82: 357-366.
Fasenko GM, Robinson FE, Whelan AI, Kremeniuk KM, Walker JA (2001)
Pre-storage incubation of long-term stored broiler breeder eggs: 1.
Effects on hatchability. Poult. Sci. 80:1406–1411.
Funk EM, Biellier HV (1944) The minimum temperature for embryonic
development in the domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus). Poult. Sci.
:538–540.
Gucbilmez M, Ozlü S, Shiranjang R, Elibol O, Brake J (2013) Effects of
preincubation heating of broiler hatching eggs during storage, flock age,
and length of storage period on hatchability. Poult. Sci. 92:3310–3313.
Hill D (2001) Chick length uniformity profiles as a field measurement of
chick quality? Avian Poult. Biol. Rev. 12:188.
Hodgetts B (1999) Incubation and hatching. Page 53 in The Poultry Production
Guide. K. Naheeda, ed. Elsevier Intl., Doetichem, the Netherlands.
Hubbard Breeders (2017) Incubation Guide. Retrieved from
https://www.hubbardbreeders.com/media/incubation_guide
en__053407700_1525_26062017.pdf
Joseph NS, Moran JR (2005) Effect of flock age and postemergent holding
in the hatcher on broiler live performance and further-processing yield.
J. Appl. Poult. Res. 14: 512–520.
Kamanli S, Durmu ş I, Aygoren H (2009) Effect of different temperature
and period pre-warming on hatching traits. J. Poult. Res. 8:20– 22.
Kosin IL (1956) Studies on pre-incubation warming of chicken and turkey
eggs. Poult. Sci. 35:1384-1392.
Lin YM, Druyan S, Yahav S, Brake J (2017) Thermal treatments prior to and
during the beginning of incubation affects development of the broiler
embryo and yolk sac membranes, and live performance and carcass
characteristics. Poult. Sci. 96:1939-1947.
Lourens A, van den Brand H, Meijerhof R, Kemp B (2005) Effect of eggshell
temperature during incubation on embryo development, hatchability,
and posthatch development. Poult. Sci. 84:914-920.
Mather CM, Laughlin KF (1976) Storage of hatching eggs: The effect on
total incubation period. Br. Poult. Sci. 17:471-479.
Meijerhof R, Noordhuizen J, Leenstra F (1994) Influence of preincubation
treatment on hatching results of broiler breeder eggs produced at 37
and 59 weeks of age. Br. Poult. Sci. 35:249–257.
Molenaar R, Reijrink IAM, Meijerhof R, van den Brand H (2008) Relationship
between hatchling length and weight on later productive
performance in broilers. World’s Poult. Sci. J. 64:599–603.
Molenaar R, Reijrink IAM, Meijerhof R, van den Brand H (2010) Meeting
embryonic requirements of broilers throughout incubation: a review.
Braz. J. Poult. Sci. 12:137–148.
Nasri H, van den Brand H, Najjar T, Bouzouaia M (2020) Egg storage and
breeder age impact on egg quality and embryo development. J. Anim.
Physiol. Anim. Nutr. 104:257–268.
Nicholson D (2012) Improving hatchability after longer periods of egg
storage. Intl. Hatch. Pract. 26:23-24.
Özlü, S, Shiranjang R, Elibol O, Brake J (2018) Effect of hatching time
on yolk sac percentage and broiler live performance. Braz. J. Poult.
Sci. 20:231-236.
Özlü S (2021) Storage period and prewarming temperature effects on synchronous
egg hatching from broiler breeder flocks during the early
laying period. Poult. Sci. 100:100918. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
psj.2020.12.016
Piestun Y, Druyan S, Brake J, Yahav S (2013) Thermal treatments prior to
and during the beginning of incubation affect phenotypic characteristics
of broiler chickens posthatching. Poult. Sci. 92:882–889.
Proudfoot FG (1966) Hatchability of stored chicken eggs as affected by daily
turning during storage and prewarming and vacuuming eggs enclosed
in plastic with nitrogen. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 46:47–50.
Reijrink IAM, Berghmans D, Meijerhof R, Kemp B, van den Brand H (2010)
Influence of egg storage time and preincubation warming profile on
embryonic development, hatchability, and chick quality. Poult. Sci.
:1225-1238.
Reijrink I, Meijerhof R, Kemp B, Graat E, van den Brand H (2009) Influence
of prestorage incubation on embryonic development, hatchability, and
chick quality. Poult. Sci. 88:2649-2660.
Renema RA, Feddes JJR, Schmid KL, Ford MA, Kolk AR (2006) Internal
egg temperature in response to preincubation warming in broiler breeder
and Turkey eggs. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 15:1–8.
Schmidt GS, Figueiredo EAP, Saatkamp MG, Bomm ER (2009) Effect of
storage period and egg weight on embryo development and incubation
results. Braz. J. Poult. Sci. 11: 1-5.
Shiranjang R, Ozlu S, Elibol O (2018) The effect of egg storage€ period,
hatching time, and initial brooding litter temperature on performance of
chicks from young breeder. Pages 50–55 in Proc. Intl. Poult. Sci. Cong.,
Turkey, May. World’s Poultry Science Association Turkish Branch,
Nigde, Cappadocia, Turkey.
Tona, K, Bamelis F, De Ketelaere B, Bruggeman V, Moraes VMB, Buyse
J, Onagbesan O, Decuypere E (2003) Effects of egg storage time on
spread of hatch, chick quality, and chick juvenile growth. Poult. Sci.
:736–741.
Tona K, Onagbesan O, De Ketelaere B, Decuypere E, Bruggeman V (2004)
Effects of age of broiler breeders and egg storage on egg quality, hatchability,
chick quality, chick weight, and post-hatch growth to forty-two
days. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 13:10–18.
van Roovert-Reijrink, IAM, van der Pol CW, Molenaar R, van den Brand H
(2018) Effect of warming profile at the onset of incubation on early embryonic
mortality in long stored broiler eggs. Poult. Sci. 97:4083–4092.
Walsh TJ, Rizk RE, Brake J (1995) Effects of temperature and carbon
dioxide on albumen characteristics, weight loss, and early embryonic
mortality of long stored hatching eggs. Poult. Sci. 74:1403–141 0.
Willemsen H, Everaert N, Witters A, De Smit L, Debonne M, Verschuere
F, Garain P, Berckmans D, Decuypere E, Bruggeman V (2008) Critical
assessment of chick quality measurements as an indicator of posthatch
performance. Poult. Sci. 87:2358–2366.
Wilson H (1990) Physiological requirements of the developing embryo:
temperature and turning. Pages 145–156 in Avian Incubation. S. G.
Tullet, ed. Butterworths, London, UK.
Wolanski NJ, Luiten EJ, Meijerhof R, Vereijken ALJ (2004) Yolk utilisation
and chick length as parameters for embryo development. Avian Poult.
Biol. Rev. 15:233–234.
Yildirim IE (2005) Effects of breeder age and preincubation storage of eggs
on hatchability, time of hatch and relative organ weight of quail chicks
at hatch. S. Afr. J. Anim. Sci. 35: 135–142.
Yousaf A, Jabbar A, Ditta Y (2017) Effect of pre-warming on broiler breeder
eggs hatchability and post-hatch performance. J. Anim. Health Pro.
:1–4.
Zakaria AH, Plumstead PW, Romero-Sanchez H, Leksrisompong N, Brake
J (2009) The effects of oviposition time on egg weight loss during
storage and incubation, fertility, and hatchability of broiler hatching
eggs. Poult. Sci. 88: 2712–2717.