Initial Internal Temperature Changes of Incubating Eggs

AMBIENT temperature during and prior to incubation significantly alters development. Kosin (1956) reported that pre-incubation warming of turkey eggs advanced early embryonic development, improved hatchability and shortened incubation time. In a study of the resistance of the chicken embryo to low temperature exposure, Moreng and Bryant (1956) found that at environmental temperatures of 50 to 55°F., four hours were required for the internal temperature of the egg to decline from incubation temperature to the ambient temperature. Law and Kosin (1958) reported that when eggs of initial temperatures of 55°F. and 70°F. were placed on egg flats and put into an incubator at 99¾°F., 30 and 10 minutes, respectively, were required for the internal temperature to reach 80°F. The objectives of this experiment were to determine whether egg weight, shell thickness and/or genetics influence the rate of warming and the asymptotic temperature attained by eggs during the initial phases of incubation.