308 Efficiency of Lime and Water Glass for Egg Preservation
for all practical purposes as infertile eggs during
the latter part of the experiment.
In the summer test, however, the average
temperatures in the egg storage room during
the first and second weeks were 96.4ºF. and
98.4ºF. respectively. Since these temperatures
were not far below the optimum incubation
temperature, the embryos in the fertile eggs
among the control group started developing,
prominent blood rings being visible on candling
after one week's storage. At the end of each of
the two succeeding weeks, embryo development
was much, more advanced. All fertile eggs among
the controls were spoilt and had become unfit
for table purposes, even at the end of the first
week. Among the preserved eggs, the fertile
ones showed prominent signs of embryo develop-
ment (without blood), at each of the periodical
candling tests. When these preserved fertile
eggs were opened out for quality measurements,
the yolks were found either already broken or
they broke just after opening, generally at the germ
spot region. Hence, these preservatives seemed
unable materially to reduce the rate of embryo
development under these particular experimental
conditions. It was also noted that
practically
all fertile eggs used in this test showed embryo
development (without blood) when stored for
one day at ordinary room temperature. Since day-
old eggs are about the best obtainable under
normal conditions, the initial quality of the eggs
used could only have been improved by placing
new-laid eggs in cold storage. However, as cold
storage is not practical under village conditions,
the initial quality of the eggs at the commence-
ment of the experiment is probably the very
best obtainable in the field.
In the summer test the figures recorded re-
late only to infertile eggs, for all the fertile ones
had to be rejected at the first test owing to
embryo development.
QUALITY FACTORS
(a) Albumen index
The progressive changes in the albumen index of
the various groups of preserved and control
eggs recorded at different stages in the winter
and summer tests are given in Table II. The
average albumen index at the commencement
of the winter test was 0.078. After 14 days'
storage, the figures dropped to 0.046, 0.062 and
0.065 in the control, lime and salt and lime water
groups respectively. Among the controls there
was a further rapid decline to 0.039 and 0.025
after four and six weeks storage. The latter
figure only refers to three eggs, as the others
were unfit for examination. At subsequent exami-
nations, measurement of the albumen index
could not be recorded on account of the rupture
of the thick whites. The albumen index of
both sets of preserved eggs had declined, after
four weeks of' storage, to 0.052. Except for
a slight rise in quality at six weeks, due probably
to experimental error, the figures at each exami-
nation progressively declined until the end of
the 16th week. The recorded figures, 0.033
and 0.036, obtained at 14 weeks for eggs pre-
served in lime and salt and lime water, respective-
ly, showed a marked decrease from those
of the corresponding groups at the end of 12
weeks. The albumen index figures at 16 weeks
were very similar to those obtained at 14 weeks.
No figures have been recorded for 18 weeks, as
only two of the eggs in the lime preservative
and one in the lime and salt preservative had
their firm albumen layer intact. The thick
white layer was broken in all eggs at 20 weeks
TABLE II
Albumen index figures for stored eggs
Period of storage
Initial quality . .
2 weeks . . .
4 „ . . .
6 „ . . .
8 „ . . .
10 „ . . .
12 „ . . .
14 „ . . .
16
„
.
.
.
Winter test
Albumen index
Kept as
controls
0.078
0.046
0.039
0.025
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
Preserved
in lime
and salt
0.078
0.062
0.052
0.056
0.052
0.044
0.047
0.033
0.034
Preserved
in lime
water
0.078
0.065
0.052
0.059
0.052
0.044
0.049
0.036
0.038
Period of storage
Initial quality. .
1 week ..
2 weeks . . .
3 „ . . .
4 „ . . .
5 „ . . .
6 „ . . .
7 „ . . .
8 „ . . .
Summer test
Albumen index
Kept as
controls
0.064
0.033
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
Preserved
in water
glass
0.064
0.047
0.042
0.046
0.043
0.040
. .
. .
. .
Preserved
in lime
water
0.064
0.051
0.046
0.045
0.042
0.043
0.035
0.045
0.042