Electrical anaesthesia of male chicken embryos in the second third of the incubation period in compliance with animal welfare
2020 | journal article; research paper. A publication with affiliation to the University of Göttingen.
Jump to: Cite & Linked | Documents & Media | Details | Version history
Cite this publication
Electrical anaesthesia of male chicken embryos in the second third of the incubation period in compliance with animal welfare
Zumbrink, L.; Brenig, B. ; Foerster, A.; Hurlin, J. & von Wenzlawowicz, M. (2020)
Archiv für Geflügelkunde, 84. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1399/eps.2020.315
Documents & Media
Details
- Authors
- Zumbrink, L.; Brenig, B. ; Foerster, A.; Hurlin, J.; von Wenzlawowicz, M.
- Abstract
- The aim of in ovo sex determination in chicken hatching eggs is to detect male embryos and terminate their development at an early stage of incubation to avoid killing day-old-chicks after hatch. Since there is no secure scientific knowledge on presence or absence of pain perception between day 7 and 15 of incubation, it is necessary to develop animal welfare friendly and consumer acceptable procedures to end the incubation process. In this study, electrical current flow was investigated as a method for anaesthesia of chicken embryos. In two test series a current flow at 110 V AC was applied for 2 seconds to 304 and 56 embryonated eggs, respectively. Under these experimental conditions embryonic reactions associated with possible awareness of pain were absent in 99.3% of the examined embryos after exposure (results of trial series 1). The results suggest that application of an electric current is a practical and animal welfare-compliant procedure for chicken embryos in the second third of the incubation period.
- Issue Date
- 2020
- Journal
- Archiv für Geflügelkunde
- ISSN
- 1612-9199