A STUDY ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF YOLK RETENTION IN BROILER CHICKS
Kashif Aziz Khan, Shakeel Akhtar Khan, Shahnaz Hamid2, Asim Aslam
and Masood Rabbani'
Department
of Pathology, I Department of Microbiology,
University
of
Veterinary and Animal Sciences,
Lahore. 2 PCSIR
Laboratories Complex
Lahore
Abstract
The present project was designed to identify the factors responsible for yolk
retention in broiler chicks. Four different experiments were conducted to find
out the effect of four factors (experimental yolk sac infection with
Echerichia
coli, off-feed period between hatching and housing. first feeding
time in the poultry house and type of initial feed) on yolk absorption. Results
of these experiments showed that yolk sac infection with
E. coli led to decrease in rate
of yolk absorption. Moisture and protein percentage was increased in infected
yolk but fat percentage was not affected by yolk sac infection. On the other
hand, post hatch starvation due to delay in housing and delay in first feeding
did not affect rate of yolk absorption. Moisture percentage was not affected
while fat absorption increased and protein absorption decreased due to fasting.
It was also observed that feeding ground corn in early life of chick led to slow
absorption of yolk contents as compared to feeding commercial starter ration and
2% sugar solution. Yolk composition was not affected by feeding commercial
starter ration, ground corn and 2% sugar solution in early life of chick. It is
concluded that experimental infection with
E. coli and ground corn as initial feed leads to slow absorption of
yolk sac in young broiler chicks.