ANALYSIS OF CHICKEN EMBRYONIC-DEVELOPMENT AFTER REMOVAL OF BLASTODERMAL CELLS FOR SEXING

1. The present study evaluated developmental characteristics in the ch ick embryo throughout incubation following cell removal from the fresh ly laid egg. 2. Between 10 and a few hundred cells of the blastoderm w ere removed for sex diagnosis. Incubation of the treated embryos was t hen continued in an open egg shell culture system. 3. Cell recovery fr om different regions within the blastoderm was performed. 4. The exper iments presented here demonstrate the persistence of the developmental potential of chicken embryos in an ill ovo culture system after remov al of different numbers of cells from the germinal disc prior to incub ation. 5. No deviations in developmental characteristics were recorded when compared to untreated control cultures. 6. No detrimental effect s of double cell biopsies could be observed. 7. A similar number of ch icks developed to hatch regardless of the location of manipulation wit hin the blastoderm.