الفهرس 
Methods of in ovo techniqueOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The present study was carried out at the Quail Production Unit, Agricultural Experiments and Research Station at Shalaqan city, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University Farm, under the Egyptian conditions, during the period from May to October, 2017. The main objective of the study was to determine the effect of in ovo administration of Nano-Selenium (Nano-Se) and Glutamine (Gln) on hatchability, post hatch performance, carcass traits and some blood biochemical traits, under the prevailing conditions in Egypt.
A total number of 600 eggs with an average weight of 12 gm, obtained from a 12 weeks old Japanese quail breeder flock, were used in this study. A day before setting in the incubator, eggs were numbered, weighed individually and randomly divided into five experimental groups each of 120 eggs with three replicates (40 eggs each). Eggs were subjected to injection in air cell just before incubation as follows: The 1st group (T1) was used as a negative control and not injected. The 2nd group (T2) was considered as a positive control and injected with bovine serum albumin (BSA) that was used to dissolve Nano-Selenium. The 3rd (T3), 4th (T4) and 5th (T5) groups were received Nano-Se (2.5 ppb/egg), Glutamine (20 ppm/egg) and Glutamine (10 ppm/egg), respectively.
Hatchability percentage was recorded, post-hatch performance (productive and reproductive) such as: live body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, egg weight, egg production rate, egg mass and fertility, were recorded. Carcass traits as relative weight to live body weight were determined, such as: carcass yield, internal organs percentages (including: heart, small intestine, liver, gizzard, spleen, bursa, thymus, testes, ovary, oviduct and follicles) and breast muscles percentage. Also, some blood plasma constituents were determined. All data were analyzed statistically.
• Results obtained could be summarized as follows:
1- Hatchability percentage was significantly increased with Gln in ovo injection at 20 ppm/egg (T4). This increase was reached to 85.33% compared with the Nano-Se treatment (T3) which recorded significantly the lowest percentage (54.67%).
2- A significant increase existed in final live body weight (LBW) and body weight gain (BWG) in the treatments of positive control (T2) and Gln (T4 and T5) than the negative control (T1) and Nano-Se (T3).
3- Feed consumption (FC) of Gln in ovo injection group (T4) was significantly decreased compared to the other treatments. Results of FCR showed that, it was improved (p<0.0001) by Gln in ovo injection at 20 ppm, followed by Gln at 10 ppm, and the Nano-Se injection revealed intermediate FCR comparable to control groups.
4- The highest carcass yield relative weight was found in T3 followed by T5 compared to the T4 and control groups at 4 weeks of age.
5- Heart relative weight of theT2 and T3 groups was significantly higher than those of T1 and T4. Furthermore, the groups given Gln (T5 and T4) and Nano-Se (T3) showed higher liver relative weight than the control group. Also, gizzard relative weight increased in treated groups at 4 weeks of age.
6- The best carcass yield relative weight was recorded for in ovo injection treated groups at 6 week of age.
7- Heart relative weight of Gln (T5) group was significantly higher than the other groups at the 6th week of age.
8- Intestinal relative weight of T3 group (Nano-Se) and those of T2 were significantly higher than the other treatments at the 6th week of age.
9- Breast muscles relative weight was significantly increased in, injected groups Gln (T5 and T4) compared to the other treatments at 6th week of age.
10- Relative weights of spleen and bursa of Fabricius were significantly greater in chicks from the Gln in ovo injected groups (T4 and T5). A similar trend was observed for relative thymus weight in T3 (Nano-Se) and T5 (Gln) compared to the controls at 4 weeks of age.
11- Relative weight of spleen and thymus recorded a higher values for T3 (Nano-Se) and T4 (Gln) respectively at rhe 6th week of age.
12- Relative weight of bursa recorded higher values for T4 and T5 (Gln) groups respectively at the 6th week of age.
13- Relative weight of ovary and the largest 3 follicles recorded a higher values for T3 (Nano-Se) and T4 (Gln) treatments respectively at 12 week of age.
14- A significant difference in the relative weight of testes in Gln in ovo injected group (T5) compared to the other groups at 12 week of age.
15- Oviduct relative weight was higher in T2, T3 and T5 than T1 and T4 groups.
16- Egg weight was significantly increased in T2 and T5 than T1, T3 and T4 groups at the period from 10-12 weeks of age.
17- Egg production rate was highly increased in T2 and T3 than other groups at the period 10-12 week of age.
18- Egg mass was increased in T2 and T3 than other groups at the period from 10-12 week of age.
19- Fertility percentage of the second generation was highly increased in T3 and T5 than other groups.
20- Hatchability percentage of the second generation was highly increased in T3 and T5 than other groups.
21- There was a significant increase in hemoglobin concentration for T2 and T5 groups than the other groups at the 4th week of age.
22- A significant increase in hematocrit (%) T2 and T5 than the other groups at the 4th week of age.
23- Hematocrit (%) was significantly increased in T3, T4 and T5 than the control groups at 6 week of age.
24- Albumin and A/G ratio were significantly increased in T2 and T3 than the other groups at the 6th week of age.
25- Cholesterol and Triglycerides levels were significantly decreased in Nano-Se (T3) than the other groups at 6 week of age.
26- HDL level was significantly increased in Gln (T4 and T5) than the other groups at 6 week of age.
27- LDL level was significantly decreased in Gln (T4 and T5) groups than the other groups at 6 week of age.
28- Tri-iodothyronine (T3) hormone was significantly increased in all treated groups than untreated groups at 6 and 12 week of age.
29- Insulin like growth factor (IGF-1) was significantly increased in the in ovo injected (Nano-Se and Gln) groups than the control groups at the 6th week of age.
30- Follicles stimulating hormone (FSH) was significantly increased in all treated groups than untreated ones at the 12th week of age.
31- Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity was decreased in T2 and Gln groups (T4 and T5) than T1 and T3 groups at the 6th week of age.
32- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity was decreased in all treated groups than untreated one at the 6th week of age.
• Based on the present results, it is concluded that in ovo injection of Japanese quail eggs with Nano-Se or Gln leads to:
1- Increasing the hatchability (%) significantly with IO-Gln at 20 ppm/egg, as this increase reaches 85.33%.
2- Positive effect of IO-Gln on live body weight, carcass characteristics and relative weight of breast muscles, edible internal organs, testes and some blood parameters such as: hemoglobin, hematocrit, HDL and LDL.
3- Positive effect of IO-Nano-Se on the relative weight of the carcass yield, lymphoid organs, ovary, oviduct and some blood parametres such as: total cholesterol, triglycerides, albumin, and A/G ratio.
4- Positive effect of in ovo Gln or Nano-Se on fertility and hatchability (%) of the generation produced from eggs of Japanese quails breeder hens that originated from injected eggs and some blood hormones such as: T3, IGF-1, FSH and liver enzymes (AST and ALT).
Therefore, it is recommended to use in ovo injection with nano-selenium or glutamine in Japanese quail at the mentioned concentrations in our study to improve the aforementioned parameters.