Effect of exposure to different light colors on embryonic development and neurophysiological traits in the chick embryo

Abstract

Background and Aim: Many environmental factors exist that influence embryonic development which is missing in the poultry industry, such as light in incubation facilities or hatcheries. Light plays an important role in the growth and development of chick embryos, whereas dark environments can lead to hatching failure or embryo distortion. Therefore, this study aimed to demonstrate the importance of light and its various colors on the growth and development of broiler chick embryos. Materials and Methods: Four treatments were used to study the impact of various light colors on the growth of embryos and their neurophysiological traits: Dark without light (D), red light (RL), blue light (BL), and green light (GL), with three replicates per treatment (25 eggs/replicate) for a total of 300 fertile Ross 308 eggs. Each treatment was assigned to one incubator (75 eggs/incubator), whereas all other conditions were kept the same. Results: The results showed a significant increase (p<0.01) in embryonic development for embryo weight, chick body weight, hatchability, and embryo index for RL, BL, and especially GL. RL, BL, and especially GL significantly increased (p<0.01) neurophysiological traits of the neurons, brain weight, and brain index. Conclusion: The use of light during the embryonic period affects the development of the embryo and its neurophysiological traits.