Will A Temperature Spike Kill The Embryos in the eggs
HEAT, AND THE FATAL HIGH TEMPERATURE? DOES A SPIKE IN TEMPERATURE NECESSARILY SPELL DISASTER?
There are two answers.
The first answer, which I think is in the mind of those who ask, is about that high temperature which kills embryos outright. That temperature is surprisingly high - 46.5C. The second answer is less intuitive.
In the DEVELOPMENT stage past about Day14, the `growing' embryo can tolerate heat spikes. In addition, it is standard practice in commercial hatcheries to expose Day14 and onward eggs to increasingly longer periods of hot temps equal to those which they will experience in their destination growing sheds.
It is in the first week or so (up to as late as Day10), while the embryo in the FORMATIVE stage, that even a short-duration spike above 38.8C may disrupt key chemical processes and cause damage which will not become evident until time for primary pip.
We see evidence of this early heat-damage if it is moderate, as feet, leg and beak abnormalities. In more severe cases we see skull damage. What we do not see, what are not evident, are the more serious fatal damage to organs caused by even mild and short heat spikes.
We see evidence of this early heat-damage if it is moderate, as feet, leg and beak abnormalities. In more severe cases we see skull damage. What we do not see, what are not evident, are the more serious fatal damage to organs caused by even mild and short heat spikes.