In ovo Peptide YY Administration Improves Body Weight at Hatch and Day 3 in Turkey Poults

Abstract

Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that in ovo administration of peptide YY (PYY) at Day 18 of incubation enhanced adjusted feed conversion ratio (AFCR) and BW gains of broilers during the first week post-hatch. Preliminary studies have also shown that in ovo PYY administration at Day 25 of incubation also increases jejunal glucose absorption in 1-d-old Nicholas turkey poults. The objective of this study was to further elucidate the effects of in ovo PYY administration on growth and feed conversion in two turkey lines: a commercial growth line (BUT; British United Turkey, UK) and the Egg Line. Eggs from both turkey lines were randomly placed in the same incubator. On Day 25 of incubation, 380 BUT and 440 Egg Line eggs were injected with 100 μL 1.025% saline (control) or 600 μg PYY/kg egg weight. At hatch, 168 poults from each treatment group were wing-banded, weighed, and randomly distributed across pens in four Petersime batteries. A standard turkey starter crumble feed and water were available ad libitum. Feed and birds were weighed on Days 3, 10, and 17 to determine BW gains and AFCR. Poults of both lines from PYY-treated eggs were heavier (P < 0.01) than controls at Day 3. This effect was not apparent at Days 10 and 17. A subset of birds from each treatment group was randomly chosen at Day 17 and sexed by dissection. At hatch and again at Day 3, there were noBWdifferences (P = 0.94 and P = 0.15, respectively) noted between sexes. Males were heavier at 10 and 17 d (P = 0.0001). These results suggest that PYY enhances poult weight and may attenuate differences in BW caused by gender during early post-hatch life.