Vencomatic BV, 5520 AD, Eersel, the Netherlands.
Poult Sci. 2011 Jun;90(6):1267-75. doi: 10.3382/ps.2010-00876.
A multilevel housing system for broilers was developed, named Patio (Vencomatic BV, Eersel, the Netherlands), in which the hatching and brooding phase are combined. In a Patio system, climate conditions differ from those provided in the hatchers currently in use. We compared the physiology of broilers hatched in a hatcher or in a Patio system, and included the effects of hatching time. Eggs from 1 breeder flock were incubated until embryonic d 18 in a setter and subsequently placed in a hatcher or the Patio until the end of incubation. From each hatching system, 154 chicks were collected per hatching time, at 465 h (early), 480 h (midterm), and 493 h (late) of incubation, from which 24 chicks/group were decapitated for analyses of blood plasma and organ weights. The remaining 130 chicks in each group from both systems were individually labeled and placed together in the Patio system. All chicks were given access to feed and water directly after hatch and were housed up to d 45 to monitor growth. From embryonic d 18 until the end of incubation, average ambient temperature and RH were 38.1°C and 50.8% in the hatcher and 35.2°C and 29.7% in the Patio system. Glucose and corticosterone were slightly higher in hatcher chicks, whereas organ weights were not affected by the hatching system. Although hatchling weights were lower in hatchery chicks, growth from d 0 to 45 was not affected by the hatching system. In both systems, glucose increased with hatching time, whereas lactate and triiodothyronine levels decreased. Yolk weights decreased with hatching time, whereas absolute and relative weights of the yolk-free body, intestines, stomach, lungs, and heart increased, indicating more advanced maturation of organs. Growth up to d 21 was depressed in chicks in the late group, which was possibly related to lower thyroid hormone levels at hatching. We conclude that the hatching system had minor effects on hatchling physiology and that posthatch growth and livability were not affected. Because hatching time affected broiler physiology, it seems important to take hatching time into account in future studies related to hatchling physiology.
我们开发了一种多层肉鸡饲养系统，名为 Patio（Vencomatic BV，荷兰 Eersel），其中包含孵化和育雏阶段。在 Patio 系统中，气候条件与当前使用的孵化器有所不同。我们比较了在孵化器或 Patio 系统中孵化的肉鸡的生理学特性，并包括了孵化时间的影响。从一个种鸡群获得的鸡蛋在孵化器中孵化至胚龄 18 天，然后放入孵化器或 Patio 系统中直至孵化结束。每个孵化系统在孵化时间 465 h（早期）、480 h（中期）和 493 h（晚期）时，从每个孵化系统中收集 154 只雏鸡，每组 24 只进行屠宰，用于分析血浆和器官重量。每组 130 只雏鸡从两个系统中单独标记并一起放入 Patio 系统中。所有雏鸡在孵化后直接获得饲料和水，并在 Patio 系统中饲养至 45 日龄，以监测生长情况。从胚龄 18 天到孵化结束，孵化器中的平均环境温度和相对湿度分别为 38.1°C 和 50.8%，而 Patio 系统中的平均环境温度和相对湿度分别为 35.2°C 和 29.7%。在孵化器中孵化的雏鸡的葡萄糖和皮质酮略高，而器官重量不受孵化系统的影响。尽管孵化厂的雏鸡体重较低，但从 0 日龄到 45 日龄的生长不受孵化系统的影响。在两个系统中，葡萄糖随着孵化时间的增加而增加，而乳酸和三碘甲状腺原氨酸水平则降低。蛋黄重量随着孵化时间的增加而减少，而无蛋黄体、肠道、胃、肺和心脏的绝对和相对重量增加，表明器官的成熟度更高。在晚期组的雏鸡中，21 日龄之前的生长受到抑制，这可能与孵化时甲状腺激素水平较低有关。我们得出结论，孵化系统对雏鸡的生理学特性影响较小，孵化后生长和成活率不受影响。由于孵化时间会影响肉鸡的生理学特性，因此在未来与孵化期生理特性相关的研究中，考虑孵化时间似乎很重要。
