THE INFLUENCE OF AN ARTIFICIAL SOUND STIM ULATION ON CHICKEN HATCHING

In this work the influence of an artificial sound stimulation on chick en embryo - Hampshire breed, with the help of a free-set electronical sound generator was studied. Sound means with an amplitude of power 12 50 mV and time 380 ms (Fig. 1) were put into hatcheries on the 19th da y of incubation. The set eggs of weight 56.0 +/- 0.5 g were incubated there. These set eggs were chosen according to their same weight. In t he first hatchery (control group) there were no sound means used. In t he second hatchery (the first experimental group) the sound means were placed symmetrically in the middle. In the third hatchery (the second experimental group) the sound means were placed asymmetrically by the hatchery side. When using the sound stimulation in chicken embryo, th e hatching time was shortened to 507.50 +/- 0.407 hours, the results w ere significant (sound means placed by the side) and 507.67 +/- 3.321 hours (sound means in the middle). In comparison with the control grou p (without the sound stimulation) the chicken hatching lasted 511.67 /- 2.866 hours (Tab. I). Other factors: the beginning of beakclapping was significant in the second experimental group and all group beakcla pping time was significant in the first experimental group in comparis on with control group. The highest percentage of hatchability was foun d in the control group, without using a sound stimulation and in the f irst experimental group (100.00%). In the second experimental group th e hatchability was 98.75 +/- 2.165%.