Meta-analysis: Can PHFWD harm poultry development?

Delayed access to food and water after hatching causes weight loss in chicks during holding, mainly due to dehydration and utilisation of the yolk. A ‘meta-analysis’ was performed to determine effects of post-hatch food and water deprivation (PHFWD) on chicken development, performance and welfare. In commercial hatcheries, chickens and poults usually hatch over a period of 24-48 hours. Newly-hatched chickens remain in the incubator until almost all have hatched, after which all chickens are