The 2011 Incubation and Fertility Research Group {WPSA Working Group 6 (Reproduction)} conference took place on 30-31 August 2011 in Ede, The Netherlands. Speakers from all over the world took part and considered all aspects of incubation and fertility in a variety of avian species. We are delighted to present abstracts from 27 of the presentations given at the meeting. The topics include: improving the fertility of cryopreserved poultry semen; sexing of day zero unincubated chicken eggs; hypoxia effects on embryonic development; the effects of thermal manipulation during early embryogenesis; antimicrobial activity of egg white; egg size variation in double yolked duck eggs; treatments to preserve hatchability during storage; and the question of how to engineer the heart of broiler chickens during incubation.
LindgrenI., and AltimirasJ. (2009) Chronic prenatal hypoxia sensitizes ???-adrenoceptors in the fetal heart but causes postnatal desensitization. Am. J. Physiol.-Regulat. Integ. Comp. Physiol., 297, H258–H264.
2.
PiestunY., ShinderD., RuzalM., HalevyO., BrakeJ., and YahavS. (2008) Thermal manipulations during broiler embryogenesis: effect on the acquisition of thermotolerance. Poultry Sci., 87, 1516–1525.
3.
DasS.C., IsobeN., and YoshimuraY. (2011) Expression of Toll-like receptors and avian β-defensins and their changes in response to bacterial components in chicken sperm. Poultry Sci., 90, 417–425.
4.
MichailidisG., and AvdiM. (2011) Transcriptional profiling of gallinacins antimicrobial peptides in the chicken reproductive tract and embryos. J. Biol. Res. Thessalon., 14, 2011–2018.
5.
GautronJ., HinckeM.T., PanheleuxM., García-RuìzJ.M., BoldickeT., and NysY. (2001) Ovotransferrin is a matrix of the hen eggshell membranes and basal calcified layer. Connect. Tissue Res., 42(4) 255–267.
6.
YudinA.I., TollnerT.L., TreeceC.A., KaysR., CherrG.N., OverstreetJ.W., and BevinsC.L. (2008) β-Defensin 22 is a major component of the mouse sperm glycocalyx. Reproduction, 136, 753–765.
7.
BakstM.R. (2010) Sperm viability 1. Nigrosin/Eosin stain for determining live/dead and abnormal sperm counts, In: BakstM.R., and LongJ.A. (eds), Techniques for semen evaluation, semen storage, and fertility determination, 2nd edn, Chap. 3, pp. 28–34.
8.
LakeP.E., RavieO., and McAdamJ. (1981) Preservation of fowl semen in liquid nitrogen: application to breeding programmes. Brit. Poult. Sci., 22, 71–77.
9.
MarzoniM., CastilloA., and RomboliI. (2009a) In vivo responses of cryopreserved pheasant semen. Avian Biol. Res., 2(4), 250–251.
10.
MarzoniM., CastilloA., and RomboliI. (2009b) Pheasant semen cryopreserved in pellets: effect of drop volume on spermatozoa viability and mobility. Avian Biol. Res., 2(4), 251–252.
11.
FasenkoG.M., RobinsonF.E., WhelanA.I., KremeniukK.M., and AndwalkerJ.A. (2001) Prestorage incubation of long-term stored broiler breeder eggs: 1. Effects on hatchability. Poultry Sci., 80, 1406–1411.
12.
HamiduJ.A., RiegerA., FasenkoG.M., and BarredaD.R. (2010) Dissociation of chicken blastoderm for examination of apoptosis and necrosis by flow cytometry. Poultry Sci., 89, 901–909.
13.
JosephN.S., and MoranE.T. (2005) Effect of flock age and postemergent holding in the hatcher on broiler live performance and further processing yield. J. Appl. Poult. Res., 14, 512–520.
14.
ReisL.H., GamaL.T., and Chaveiro SoaresM. (1997) Effect of short storage conditions and broiler breeder age on hatchability, hatching time, and chick weights. Poult. Sci., 76, 1459–1466.
15.
BakstM.R. (2010) Chapter III. Sperm Viability 1. Nigrosin/Eosin stain for determining live/dead and abnormal sperm counts, In: BakstM.R., and LongJ.A. (eds), Techniques for semen evaluation, semen storage, and fertility determination, 2nd edn, pp. 28–34.
16.
CastilloA., RomboliI., and MarzoniM. (2010) Preliminary investigation on fertility and hatchability by the use of cryo-preserved cock semen. Avian Biol. Res., 3 (3).
17.
LekrisompongN., Romero-SanchezH., PlumsteadP.W., BrannanK.E., and BrakeJ. (2007) Broiler incubation. 1. Effect of elevated temperature during late incubation on body weight and organs of chicks. Poult. Sci., 86, 2685–2691.
18.
PiestunY., HarelM., BarakM., YahavS., and HalevyO. (2009) Thermal manipulation in late-term chick embryos have immediately and longer term effects on myoblast proliferation and skeletal muscle hypertrophy. J. Appl. Physiol., 106, 233–240.
19.
WinelandM.W., ChristensenV.L., YildrumI., FairchildB.D., MannK.M., and OrtD.T. (2006) Incubator temperature and oxygen concentration at the plateau stage in oxygen consumption affects intestinal maturation of broiler chicks. Int. J. Poult. Sci., 5, 229–240.
20.
NechaevaM., VladimirovaI., and AlexeevaT. (2010) Effect of acute hypoxia on the motor activity and heart rate of the 10-and 14-day chick embryo. Open Ornithol. J., 3, 127–133.
21.
Réhault-GodbertS., BaronF., Mignon-GrasteauS., LabasV., GautierM., HinckeM.T., and NysY. (2010) Effect of temperature and time of storage on protein stability and anti-salmonella activity of egg white. J. Food Protection, 73, 1604–1612.
22.
Réhault-GodbertS., Hervé-GrépinetV., GautronJ., CabauC., NysY., and HinckeH. (2011) Molecules involved in chemical defence of the chicken egg. In: NysY., BainM., and Van ImmerseelP. (eds), Improving the safety and quality of eggs and egg products, Vol. 1, Chap. 9, pp. 183–208. Woodhead Publishing.
23.
ReijrinkI.A.M., BerghmansD., MeijerhofR., KempB., and Van Den BrandH. (2010) Influence of egg storage duration and preincubation warming profile on embryonic development, hatchability, and chick quality. Poult. Sci., 89, 1225–1238.
24.
ChristmasR.B., and HarmsR.H. (1982) Incidence of double yolked eggs in the initial stages of lay as affected by strain and season of the year. Poult. Sci., 61, 1290–1292.
25.
CurtisM.R. (1914) Studies on the physiology of reproduction in the domestic fowl, VI. Double- and triple yolked eggs. Biol. Bull., 26, 55–83.
26.
JohnstonS.A., and GousR.M. (2007) A mechanistic, stochastic, population model of egg production. Brit. Poult. Sci., 48, 224–232.
27.
RomanoffA.L., and RomanoffA.J. (1949) The avian egg.John Wiley and Sons Inc., New York.
28.
FasenkoG.M., ChristensenV.L., WinelandM.J., and PetiteJ.N. (2001) Examining the effects of prestorage incubation of turkey breeder eggs on embryonic development and hatchability of eggs stored for four or fourteen days. Poult. Sci., 80, 132–138.
29.
LourensS. (2006): Heating eggs before storage increases hatchability. World Poulty, 22(4), 22–23.
