Hematological indices of turkey embryos incubated at high altitude as affected by oxygen and shell permeability

Turkey eggs (Meleagris gallopavo) were incubated at an altitude of 1,707 m to test the effects of oxygen supplementation and increased eggshell permeability by removal of shell cuticle on embryonic hematology. Turkey embryo hematological indices measured were red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, mean cellular volume, mean cellular hemoglobin, and percentage of reticulocytes. Although hemoglobin concentration measured during pipping increased as expected by increasing RBC, no significant differences were observed between oxygenation, or permeability treatments, or their interaction. Under the high altitude conditions of the present experiment, increased hemoglobin concentrations in all treatments corresponded to increased numbers of erythrocytes with constant mean cellular hemoglobin. None of the remaining hematological indices examined was affected by oxygen or permeability treatments. It was concluded that turkey embryos incubating at 1,707-m elevation make no additional changes in hemoglobin concentrations during the plateau stage in oxygen consumption (25, 26, and 27 days of incubation) when exposed to increased oxygen tension (151 mm Hg versus 135 mm Hg) or increased eggshell permeability (19.9 mg H2O/day per mm Hg versus 23.2 mg H2O/day per mm Hg).