Effects of in ovo injection of different doses of coccidiosis vaccine and turn-out times on broiler performance,.

Inovocox EM1 vaccine (EM1) is hatchery-applied via in ovo injection for the control of coccidiosis in broiler chickens. Effects of 3 in ovo injection treatments (INT) and 2 turn-out times (TOT) on the hatching chick quality variables and 35 d posthatch performance of Ross × Ross 708 broilers were investigated. In a single-stage incubator, 1,440 hatching eggs were randomly distributed among 3 INT groups on each of 8 tray levels. At 19 d of incubation (doi), embryonated eggs were subjected to one of the following INT by in ovo injection: noninjected control; 1 × dose of EM1; 10 × dose of EM1. On 21 doi, hatchability of injected eggs (HI), hatching body weight (HBW), and hatching chick quality variables were determined. Additionally, for the grow-out phase, birds belonging to each INT were randomly subjected to a 7 or 10 d TOT. Twenty chicks were initially placed in each of 48 floor pens (6 INT × TOT combination groups × 8 replications) for growth performance evaluation from 0 to 35 d posthatch. The main effect of INT on hatching chick quality variables, as well as the main and interactive effects of INT and TOT on various grow-out performance variables were determined. Although there was no significant INT effect on HI or HBW, significant INT effects on chick total BW, yolk-free BW, and yolk sac weight were observed. There were significant INT effects on BWG and FCR in the 21- to 28-d posthatch interval, as well as on BWG and FCR in the 0- to 35-d posthatch interval. There was no main effect of TOT or interactive effect of INT and TOT on BW and other performance variables from 0 to 35 d posthatch. There was a significant main effect of INT on relative intestine weight at 28 d posthatch. In conclusion, the injection of EM1 vaccine at a 10 × dose may affect hatching chick quality variables and growth performance up to 35 d posthatch.