Effects of maternal energy and protein intakes on the incidence of malformations and malpositions of the embryo and time of death during incubation

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Abstract
Broiler parent stock were fed daily allowances of 1.88, 1.73 or 1.52 MJ apparent metabolizable energy (AME) per bird at 2 different daily protein intakes (27.0 and 21.3 g crude protein (CP) per bird from 21-64 wk of age). The decrease in hatchability that occurred on the high protein (27.0 g CP), low energy (1.52 MJ AME) allowance from 26-36 wk of age was due to an increase in the percentage of dead embryos in the 2nd wk of incubation and an increase in the number of pipped eggs at the end of incubation. The low hatchability of eggs from birds on the 1.88 MJ AME allowance from 37-64 wk could be related to the incidence of deaths in the first 5 days of the incubation period. Malformations and malpositions of the embryo were not affected by maternal energy or protein allowance.