@article {10138,
	title = {Bone characteristics of late-term embryonic and hatchling broilers- bone development under extreme growth rate},
	journal = {POULTRY SCIENCE},
	volume = {91},
	number = {10},
	year = {2012},
	pages = {2614-2620},
	abstract = {The development\&nbsp;of\&nbsp;broilers is an extreme example\&nbsp;of\&nbsp;rapid growth, increasing in weight from 40 g at hatch to 2,000 g 5 to 6 wk later. Such rapid growth requires a correspondingly fast development\&nbsp;of\&nbsp;the skeleton.Bone\&nbsp;development is a genetically programmed process that is modified by epigenetic factors, mainly muscle-induced stresses and strains. In this study, we describe the temporal changes in\&nbsp;bone\&nbsp;morphology and material properties during the prehatch period [embryonic day (E) 14, E17, E19, E21] and posthatch d 3 and 7. The bones were examined for their weight, length, ash content, mechanical properties, and cortical structure. We show that the cross-sectional shape\&nbsp;of\&nbsp;the tibia and femur changes during the examination period from circular to elliptical. Additionally, the changes in\&nbsp;bone\&nbsp;properties are time-dependent and nonuniform: from E14 to E17 and from d 3 to 7, fast\&nbsp;bone\&nbsp;growth was noted, with major increases in both mechanical properties (stiffness, ultimate load, and energy to fracture) and geometric properties (cross-sectional area and thickness, medullary area, and moment\&nbsp;of\&nbsp;inertia). On the other hand, during the last days\&nbsp;of\&nbsp;incubation, most mechanical and geometric properties remain unchanged or even decrease. The reasons for this finding may relate to the hatching process but also to mineral shortage during the last daysof\&nbsp;incubation. This study leads to better understanding\&nbsp;of\&nbsp;bone\&nbsp;development in ovo and posthatch in fast-growing broilers.},
	url = {http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/91/10/2614},
	author = {Yair, R. and Uni, Z. and Shahar, R.}
}
