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An investigation of various egg‐opening techniques for use in avian behavioral embryology
Author(s) -
Oppenheim Ronald W.,
Levin Hinda L.,
Harth Marshall S.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.420060108
Subject(s) - vaseline , hatching , incubation , embryo , biology , anatomy , andrology , zoology , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , biochemistry , wound healing , immunology
The effects of various egg‐opening techniques, including the Kuo Vaseline technique, upon survival, hatchability, and embryonic behavior have been experimentally evaluated in the present study. The major aim was to develop a technique that could be used for long term behavioral studies throughout most of incubation. The Kuo Vaseline technique was found to provide the poorest results in terms of survival and hatchability: none of the embryos in eggs opened by this technique hatched. Two techniques, however, did provide adequate survival and hatchability such that they could easily be used for behavioral observation of the chick embryo from the 2nd day of incubation until hatching. These latter techniques involved partial removal of the inner shell membrane in the air‐space; or the placement of a lateral window over the embryo along the side of the egg. Of all the techniques evaluated only the Vaseline technique resulted in a significant modification of the embryos' movements.