Broiler Yields Using Chicks from Egg Weight Extremes and Diverse Strains

Hatching eggs were obtained from four commercial breeder flocks of different strains. Eggs were categorized as “heavy” and “light”, to represent the top and bottom thirds by weight from each flock. Chicks from heavy eggs had better overall live performance through 49 days than those from light eggs. Differences in live performance among the strains exceeded that between heavy and light eggs, yet responses by each strain to egg weight were similar. Relative incidence of carcass defects that would influence grade and bone-out yields varied among the strains, but alterations due to extremes in hatching egg weight were negligible.