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Neto FLK, Barbosa BB, Novaes GA, Blank MH, Fireman AKAT, Junior ÁB, Pereira RJG. Eggshell translucency: its relationship with specific gravity and eggshell color and its influence on broiler egg weight loss, hatchability, and embryonic mortalities. Poult Sci 2024; 103:103528. [PMID: 38417303 PMCID: PMC10909899 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Eggshell quality is among the most important factors affecting hatchability in broiler breeders, and therefore several methods for its assessment are available in the poultry industry. Among them, eggshell translucency has received special attention in recent years due to its connection with ultrastructural disorganization of the shell layers. However, there is very limited data on the impact of translucency on hatching eggs and on the possible links between this trait and specific gravity (SG) or shell color. Thus, our study investigated associations and interactions between eggshell translucency, SG, and color on incubation parameters of eggs from the same breeding flock (Ross 308AP, 51 wk of age). To this end, light and dark eggs within 5 different SG categories (≥1.065, 1.070, 1.075, 1.080, and ≤1.085) were selected from 15,976 eggs, graded into 3 translucency scores, and later incubated to evaluate egg weight loss, hatchability and embryonic mortalities. In general, translucency scores were evenly distributed within SG categories (χ2 [8, N = 1,138] = 13.67, P = 0.090) and color (χ2 [2, N = 1,138] = 4.93, P = 0.084). No interactions between eggshell translucency and SG or between translucency and color were found for the analyzed variables. An interaction was observed between SG and eggshell color for the variable egg weight loss, where the light-shelled eggs, in most SG categories lost more weight throughout incubation than dark eggs. Eggshell translucency affected egg weight loss, hatchability, and embryonic mortality on 11 to 18 d of incubation, with highly translucent eggs showing the worst results. At the same time, eggs with SG lower than 1.070 displayed the greatest weight loss, lowest hatchability, and highest contamination. We found no influence of eggshell color on weight loss or hatchability, but light-shelled eggs exhibited higher late embryonic mortality. Together, these data suggest that despite its effects on certain hatching parameters, shell translucency bears no relationship to SG or color.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Lino Kroetz Neto
- Grupo de Estudos para Multiplicação de Aves (GEMA), Departmento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 13635-900, Brazil; Aviagen America Latina Ltda, Campinas, SP, 13100-055, Brazil
| | - Bianca Barreto Barbosa
- Grupo de Estudos para Multiplicação de Aves (GEMA), Departmento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 13635-900, Brazil; Aviagen America Latina Ltda, Campinas, SP, 13100-055, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Augusto Novaes
- Grupo de Estudos para Multiplicação de Aves (GEMA), Departmento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 13635-900, Brazil; Cobb-Vantress Brasil Ltda, Guapiaçu, SP, 15110-000, Brazil
| | - Marcel Henrique Blank
- Grupo de Estudos para Multiplicação de Aves (GEMA), Departmento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 13635-900, Brazil
| | | | - Álvaro Burin Junior
- Zinpro Animal Nutrition (Brasil) Comercial Ltda, Piracicaba, SP, 13400-765, Brazil
| | - Ricardo José Garcia Pereira
- Grupo de Estudos para Multiplicação de Aves (GEMA), Departmento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 13635-900, Brazil.
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Kucharska-Gaca J, Adamski M, Biesek J. The age of the geese from the parent flock and the laying period affect the features of the eggs. Poult Sci 2022; 101:102094. [PMID: 36055027 PMCID: PMC9449861 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.102094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The study aimed to assess the goose hatching egg features in four reproductive seasons from 3 stages of laying. Three hundred sixty eggs were used in the study from geese in the first, second, third, and fourth laying season. From each group, 90 eggs were analyzed (30 eggs from the beginning, the peak, and the end of the laying cycle). The structure of the egg and morphological and physical features of the yolk, albumen, and eggshell were analyzed. It was shown that the weight and structure of eggs increased, but the shape index was lower in 2-yr-old geese, as well Haugh's units decreased. The yolk share was lower in the first year, but albumen and eggshell were higher than in other groups. The eggshell whiteness was higher in the first year than in the second, and third. The pores’ quantity was higher in the first year in the blunt and equatorial parts, but the total number in the egg was the highest in the fourth year. The yolk, albumen, and eggshell' density increased with the age. Changes in laying periods were inversely proportional to the changes shown depending on the layers’ age. Geese's age and laying period impact the eggs’ features. Based on the egg quality features, the incubation conditions could be adapted, as well as it can be treated as an indicator of the effectiveness of hatching and goslings quality. Research has shown that the biological value of hatching eggs changes with the age of the geese and the laying period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kucharska-Gaca
- Department of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Biology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Marek Adamski
- Department of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Biology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Jakub Biesek
- Department of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Biology, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-084 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
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