In Ovo Nutritional Interventions in Poultry Development
Summary
In ovo nutritional interventions involve the targeted delivery of nutrients into the egg during embryonic life to enhance hatchability, organ maturation and post-hatch performance in poultry. By supplementing vitamins, amino acids, minerals or carbohydrate solutions directly into the amniotic or allantoic cavities at specific stages of incubation, the embryo’s metabolic needs can be supported at critical phases of differentiation and growth. Such interventions aim to mitigate the limitations of yolk and albumen reserves, bolster antioxidant status and immune function, and prime muscle and gut development. Recent advances in administration techniques, nutrient formulations and timing strategies have refined the efficacy of in ovo feeding, demonstrating improvements in hatch weight, feed conversion efficiency and disease resistance under both standard and stress-challenged conditions. This approach holds global significance for sustainable poultry production, offering practical applications in intensive systems to optimise early nutrition, enhance robustness and reduce reliance on post-hatch interventions.
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In Ovo Nutritional Interventions in Poultry Development publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in in ovo nutritional interventions in poultry development across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
In ovo feeding: Administration of nutrients directly into the egg during incubation to support embryonic development.
Amniotic cavity: The fluid-filled compartment surrounding the embryo where nutrients can be injected.
Allantoic cavity: The extra-embryonic space involved in gas exchange and waste storage, used for in ovo injections.
Humoral immunity: The component of immune defence mediated by circulating antibodies produced by B lymphocytes.
Lymphoid organs: Organs such as the spleen and bursa of Fabricius that are central to immune cell maturation and function.
References
- Exploring the effectiveness of in ovo feeding of vitamin C based on the embryonic vitamin C synthesis and absorption in broiler chickens. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology (2021).
- Effect of In Ovo Injection of L-Arginine in Different Chicken Embryonic Development Stages on Post-Hatchability, Immune Response, and Myo-D and Myogenin Proteins. Animals (2019).
- Effect of arginine and threonine in ovo supplementation on immune responses and some serum biochemical attributes in broiler chickens. Italian Journal of Animal Science (2018).
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