The Use of Dimethyl Sulfoxide in Assessing Fertility in Turkey Eggs

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and a nuclear stain are used in a rapid procedure to distinguish early embryonic mortality from true infertility in turkey eggs. The DMSO is used to make the vitelline membrane permeable and to aid in dissolving albumen covering the blastodisc region. Eggs incubated 24 hours are broken out and the bulk of the albumen removed. The yolk is placed in a petri dish and DMSO (0.5 ml.) is dripped slowly onto the blastodisc region. One minute later 0.1 ml. of the nuclear stain is placed on the blastodisc. The stain is rinsed after 30 seconds with either DMSO or 70% ethyl alcohol. When the stained blastodiscs are examined with a dissecting microscope, the lacunae are readily evident throughout the truly infertile blastodiscs. In contrast, no lacunae are present in obviously fertile eggs. Eggs in which lacunae are concentrated in the periphery of the blastodisc are considered to have been fertile, but one in which the embryo dies early in development.