The effect of in ovo injection of L-carnitine on hatchability of White Leghorns

Two experiments were conducted to determine if L-carnitine injected in ovo affected hatchability. Eggs of experiment 1 were injected with sterilized saline (0.85%) or L-carnitine (0.25, 0.50, 1.00, or 2.00 mu mol dissolved in saline). An additional group of eggs served as noninjected controls. Hatchabilities were unaffected by treatment (94% for noninjected controls; 94% for saline injected eggs; and 87, 87, 88, and 88% for eggs injected with 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, or 2.00 mu mol of L-carnitine, respectively; SEM = 1). Yolk sac weights retrieved from hatchings that were subjected to 0, 0.25, or 0.50 mu mol of L-carnitine as embryos through in ovo injection were 3.9, 3.8, and 3.6 g, respectively (SEM = 0.1, P = 0.71). Eggs used in experiment 2 were injected with a wider dosimetry of L-carnitine. Fertile eggs were injected with sterilized saline (0.85%) or L-carnitine (0.05, 0.5, 5, or 10 mu mol dissolved in saline). An additional group of eggs served as noninjected controls. Chick BW and % hatch were unaffected by treatment (76% for noninjected controls; 74% for saline injected eggs; and 77, 77, 68, and 76% for eggs injected with 0.05, 0.5, 5, or 10 mu mol of L-carnitine, respectively; SEM = 3). In ovo injection of L-carnitine into fertile chicken eggs at 17 or 18 d of incubation did not affect hatchability, yolk sac weight, or BW.