The Effect of a Helium-Oxygen Atmosphere on the Developing Chick Embryo and Subsequent Growth of Chicks.
Abstract
Hatchability of chicken eggs in plastic chambers supplied with a flow-through of He-O2 (79%:21%) or compressed breathing air was compared with hatches in a commercial incubator (air). In the commercial incubator, hatches averaged 89.6%; in He-02, 50.5%; and in air, 58.6%. Frequently, the He-O2 embryo failed to utilize all the albumen in the egg; some delays in time for hatch were observed. No gross or microscopic abnormalities were found attributable to the He-O2 atmosphere, and chicks from the He-O2 incubators showed no difference in growth, reproductive performance, or various physiologic measurements through 4 months of the F1 generation. The low hatchability in the plastic chambers (He-O2 and air) as compared to eggs set in the commercial incubator, when considered with other observations, suggests that suboptimum conditions of physical factors were responsible for the results rather than any effect due to helium per se. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1971
- Accession Number
- AD0730278
Entities
People
- Charles E. Sewell Jr
- David H. Miller
- Juan Valera
- Thomas M. Ferguson