A Review of Key Techniques for in Ovo Sexing of Chicken Eggs

Abstract

The identification of chicken sex before hatching is an important problem in large-scale breeding applications in the poultry industry. This paper systematically reviews the key techniques for in ovo sexing of chicken eggs before hatching and presents recent research on molecular-based, spectral-based, acoustic-based, morphology-based, and volatile organic compound (VOC)-based technologies. Molecular-based methods are standard techniques for accurate sexing but require perforations by skilled technicians in certified laboratories to extract egg contents. Spectral-based techniques show great potential as noninvasive methods but require complex data processing and modeling. Acoustic-based techniques are sensitive to environmental noise. Morphology-based studies on the outer shape of the eggshell and distribution of blood vessels provide novel methods for in ovo sexing of chicken eggs. However, they face challenges such as the color, thickness, and smoothness of the eggshell. VOC profiling of chicken eggs allows sexing in the early stages of incubation; however, the VOC composition may be influenced by species or feed, and more research is required to explore potential applications. In addition, recent breakthroughs on in ovo chicken egg sexing are discussed. Physiological changes in chicken eggs during the whole incubation period have been well studied using metabolism and phenotype tools to enhance mechanism recognition. Furthermore, various sensing techniques, from the X-ray to terahertz range, and deep learning algorithms have been employed for data acquisition, processing, mining, and modeling to capture and analyze key features. Finally, commercialization and practical applications are discussed. This study provides a reference for in ovo sexing of chicken eggs before hatching in the poultry industry.