Influence of modified incubation factors on meat characteristics of broiler chickens

Monochromatic green light and thermal conditioning during embryonic development of broiler chickens may stimulate muscle growth and affect characteristics of the meat. Green light can penetrate the eggshell and act on muscle tissue. Thermal conditioning, at an early age, leads to a temporary inhibition of growth followed by rapid, presumably compensatory growth. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the influence of these incubation factors and their combination on the level of growth factor, secondary cellular messenger systems, body and breast muscle weight, chemical composition of meat and progressive moisture loss (drip loss). Four hundred broiler chicken eggs (Ross 308) were divided into four groups of 100 eggs each and set in separate incubators that allowed selective and simultaneous application of monochromatic green light and thermal conditioning at precise stages of embryonic development. The level of growth factor and secondary cellular messenger systems were monitored during the prenatal and postnatal development and the meat characteristics were determined at the end of the production cycle. In conclusion, monochromatic green light, thermal conditioning, and their combination significantly affected meat characteristics by increasing the body and breast muscle weight, the percentage of dry matter, total protein content, and reducing progressive moisture loss.