Indian Journal of Poultry Science

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of in ovo threonine (Thr) injection on early post hatch growth performance. Standard size fertile eggs (n=360) were distributed into nine groups, four groups were injected with threonine solution and four groups were injected as sham control (sterile water) and another un-injected control was maintained. Better hatchability was recorded when Thr was injected in to the yolk sac of egg. The chick weight to egg weight ratio was comparatively higher in yolk sac groups than in albumen groups. The chicks received in ovo threonine injection irrespective of deposition site showed consistently higher body weight gain than un-injected control during 0–21 d post hatch growth. The chicks received in ovo Thr injection into yolk sac had 2.4 percent higher body weight gain than those injected into albumen. Similarly, feed intake was higher in threonine injected group than un-injected control. The weights of digestive organs were significantly higher (P<0.05) at 21^st day of age than threonine injected birds. It may be concluded from the above study that in ovo injection of threonine on 14^th d of incubation would increase the chick weight, early body weight, and digestive tract development.