Effects of in ovo feeding of carbohydrates and arginine on hatchability, body weight, energy metabolism and perinatal growth in duck embryos and neonates.

1. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that in ovo feeding of carbohydrates and arginine into the duck amnion may improve the glycogen store and perinatal growth. At 23 d of incubation, fertile eggs were injected with 1·2 ml of sodium chloride (NaCl), sucrose + maltose (CHO), arginine (Arg) or sucrose + maltose + arginine (CHO + Arg), with controls not injected. Body weight, liver and muscle glycogen levels, and hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase activity were determined at 25 d of incubation, at hatch, and at 3 and 7 d posthatch. 2. At hatch and 7 d of age, the body weights were greater in the in ovo-feeding treatments than the controls. Arg and CHO + Arg significantly enhanced liver glycogen level at hatch compared with controls. CHO and CHO + Arg significantly increased muscle glycogen level at 25 d of incubation over controls. CHO and Arg decreased glucose-6-phosphatase at 25 d of incubation, whereas NaCl and CHO + Arg increased glucose-6-phosphatase at hatch relative to controls. 3. In ovo feeding of carbohydrates and arginine at 23 d of incubation may improve glycogen reserves, which may, in turn, provide the energy needed for perinatal growth.