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Abstract. Some historically unsolved questions in avian biology were addressed: what determines the viability (e.g. conversion ratio and growth) of chick embryos or chicks; what impact does egg yolk content (or yolk ratio) have on embryonic development; and how to detect chick embryos for future precision poultry production which have higher growth potentiality? Since the yolk acts as a vital energy and nutrient reservoir for embryos, we hypothesized that a higher yolk content (i.e. yolk ratio) would play an important role in embryo viability during incubation, as well as post-hatch development. We used a non-invasive spectroscopic absorbance method (600-900 nm) to detect broiler eggs (ROSS 308) with a higher yolk content. The influence of a higher yolk content on embryonic growth and egg to chick conversion ratio were then investigated. The embryonic growth was measured indirectly using a near-infrared sensor during incubation period. A positive influence was found in both cases. Higher yolk content was found to promote higher egg to chick conversion ratios, as well as promote growth performance during and after incubation. This methodology has the potential to be used by poultry farmers to select for more viable chick embryos and better chick growth in the near future.