Impact of egg storage duration and storage temperature on egg quality, fertility, hatchability and chick quality, of naked neck chickens’ egg

It is a well known fact that when hatching eggs are stored for a number of days the quality of the eggs, fertility and hatchability are affected. A study was therefore conducted to evaluate the impact of different egg storage duration (1day, 3days, 7days, 10days and 14days) under two temperature conditions (coldroom;18oC and ambient; 25-30oC) on egg quality, fertility, hatchability of eggs from naked neck chickens and subsequent chick quality. Four hundred and fifty (450) eggs were collected from 45-week old heterozygote naked neck chickens. Two experiments were conducted in this research. Experiment one looked at the impact of different storage duration and different storage temperature on egg quality. Experiment two also looked at the effect of storage duration and storage temperature on egg quality, fertility, hatchability and chick quality parameters. Initially and subsequently for every level of duration of storage, eggs (n=90) were collected, divided into 2 groups weighed and stored at the 2 different temperature conditions to set up different levels of pre-incubation duration treatments prior to incubation. After the period of storage eggs were weighed, 15 eggs from each group were selected for egg break out to measure egg quality and blastoderm quality. The rest of the eggs were incubated for 21 days at 37.5oC and 30-40% relative humidity. After 18 days of incubation, eggs were candled for live embryos. Data was analysed using the Proc. Mixed Model procedure of SAS at P < 0.05. However, fertility and hatchability data was expressed as a percentage and compared. Among the external egg quality characteristics measured, initial egg weight before storage, egg weight after storage and shell thickness were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by storage duration and storage temperature. Interaction between storage duration and storage temperature on egg weight before storage, egg weight after storage and shell thickness was also not significantly (P>0.05) different. However, egg weight loss, wet shell weight and dry shell weight were significantly (P< 0.05) affected by different storage durations but were not significantly affected by storage temperature, except wet shell weight. All the Internal egg qualities (blastoderm diameter, albumin weight, and dry yolk weight) were significantly(P<0.05) affected by length of storage except wet yolk weight. Blastoderm diameter and dry yolk weight increased as storage duration increased whereas albumen weight decreased as storage duration increase. Storage temperature did not affect(P>0.05) internal egg quality characteristics measured except blastoderm diameter. Blastoderm diameter for the eggs stored under ambient temperature was higher (P<005) (6.96cm) compared to eggs stored under coldroom temperature (5.41cm). The interaction between storage duration and storage temperature on internal egg quality characteristics was significant(P<0.05) on blastoderm diameter and albumen weight but was not significant(P>0.05) on yolk weight. Duration of storage did not influence(P> 0.05) chick weight and chick length but influenced shank length significantly. Chick weight and chick shank length was higher in eggs stored under coldroom temperature than eggs stored under ambient temperature. Interaction between temperature and storage duration was significantly(P<0.05) different on chick weight and shank length but was not significantly(P>0.05) different on chick length. Percent fertility and hatchability decline after 7days of storage when eggs are stored under ambient temperature.

Source: KNUST