Development of the Embryo

Abstract

The current state of artificial incubation practices in the poultry industry should be prefaced with a brief description of the development of the chicken embryo. Nutrients needed for the development of avian embryos are obtained from the food material stored in the egg rather than from nutrients derived from the blood supply of the mother, as in the case of mammals. Furthermore, most of the embryonic growth occurs outside the hen’s body, and development is more rapid and unlike that with most mammalian species.