AVIAN EMBRYOGENESIS IN MICROGRAVITY ABOARD SHUTTLE STS-29 - EFFECT ONSHELL MINERAL-CONTENT AND POSTHATCH PERFORMANCE

Half of the fertile eggs which developed during the 9th to the 14th da y of incubation during an Earth-orbital flight of the Shuttle Discover y (STS-29) was assigned randomly to a study on post-hatch performance. All of the eight eggs exposed to microgravity between the 9th and 14t h day of embryogenesis hatched at a time which did not differ signific antly from Earth-based controls. Egg shells retrieved from the chicks which successfully hatched showed no differences in shell mineral cont ent between treatments. Post-hatch performance, which included a secon d generation of chicks, was unaffected by microgravity.