Dataset: Green light during incubation: effects on hatching characteristics in brown and white laying hens

Dataset used for the paper "Green light during incubation: effects on hatching characteristics in brown and white laying hens".<br> <br> Abstract: Providing light during incubation is being investigated as a method to improve welfare in later life in poultry. This incubation method would more closely approximate chicken natural environment compared to the current incubation in darkness. Previous studies showed promising results of light during incubation on broiler welfare, but little is known about effects of light during incubation on laying hens. Especially, information about its effects on hatching characteristics (hatch time, hatchability, chick quality, body weight and embryonic age of death) is scarce and requires investigation in both white and brown egg layers. In the current study, Dekalb White (DW) and ISA Brown (ISA) eggs were incubated in complete darkness (dark) or in a light:dark cycle of 12L:12D throughout incubation (light), resulting in four treatment groups: DW-dark, DW-light, ISA-dark, and ISA-light. In the light treatments, green LEDs of 520nm wavelength were used, at an intensity of 400 lux. First, light transmission through the eggshell was measured through 27 eggs. Then, an analysis of the effects of light during incubation on hatching characteristics was performed on 711 chicks in two consecutive experimental rounds. Light transmission was higher through white eggshells than through brown eggshells (N = 27, p &lt; 0.001). Light during incubation had no effects on hatching characteristics (N = 711, p ≥ 0.1). Despite the difference of light transmission through eggshell between hybrids, there was no interaction between incubation treatment and hybrid on hatching characteristics (N = 471, p ≥ 0.06). Hatch time was longer and navel quality was better in DW than in ISA, while body weight and embryonic age of death were lower in DW than in ISA (all p &lt; 0.001). Males and females had similar chick quality scores except for the beak quality, which was better for males (N = 486, p = 0.003). To conclude, green light during incubation did not negatively affect hatching characteristics in either DW nor ISA laying hen hybrids. Future research should therefore focus on its potential benefits for laying hen welfare.本数据集对应论文《孵化期绿光照射：褐壳与白壳产蛋鸡的孵化性能影响》。 摘要：孵化期光照作为改善家禽后期福利的潜在手段正被广泛研究。相较于当前全程黑暗的孵化模式，该孵化方式更贴近鸡类的自然生存环境。既往研究已证实孵化期光照对肉鸡福利具有积极效果，但针对产蛋鸡的相关影响却鲜有报道，尤其是关于其对孵化性能（包括出壳时间、孵化率、雏鸡质量、体重及胚胎死亡日龄）的研究资料尤为匮乏，且需同时针对白壳与褐壳蛋鸡品种开展探究。 本研究中，研究人员将迪卡白（Dekalb White, DW）与ISA褐壳（ISA Brown, ISA）两种蛋鸡的种蛋分为两组进行孵化：一组全程置于完全黑暗环境，另一组全程采用12小时光照/12小时黑暗的循环光照模式，最终形成四个处理组：DW黑暗组（DW-dark）、DW光照组（DW-light）、ISA褐壳黑暗组（ISA-dark）与ISA褐壳光照组（ISA-light）。光照处理组采用波长520nm的绿色发光二极管（Light Emitting Diode, LED），光照强度为400勒克斯（lux）。 研究首先对27枚种蛋的蛋壳透光率进行了检测；随后通过两轮连续实验，对711只雏鸡开展分析以探究孵化期光照对孵化性能的影响。 检测结果显示，白壳蛋的蛋壳透光率显著高于褐壳蛋（N=27，p<0.001）。孵化期光照对孵化性能无显著影响（N=711，p≥0.1）。尽管不同蛋鸡品种的蛋壳透光率存在差异，但孵化处理与品种之间对孵化性能不存在交互效应（N=471，p≥0.06）。相较于ISA褐壳蛋鸡，迪卡白蛋鸡的出壳时间更长、脐部质量更佳，但体重与胚胎死亡日龄更低（所有指标p<0.001）。公雏与母雏的雏鸡质量评分整体相近，仅喙部质量存在显著差异：公雏的喙部质量更佳（N=486，p=0.003）。 综上，孵化期绿光照射不会对白壳或褐壳产蛋鸡的孵化性能产生负面影响。因此，未来的研究可聚焦于该光照方式对产蛋鸡福利的潜在益处。