Effect of Hatching Egg Sanitizers on Embryonic Survival and Hatchability of Turkey Eggs from Different Lines and on Egg Shell Bacterial Populations

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted to examine the effect of hatching egg sanitizers on embryonic survival, hatchability, and microbiological populations of turkey eggs. Each experiment consisted of two trials. Experiments 1 and 2 were designed to examine embryonic survival and hatchability following sanitization. Experiment 3 examined postsanitization levels of bacteria on the shell surface and inside the egg at Day 7 of incubation.In Experiment 1, formaldehyde fumigation (FF) was compared to quaternary ammonium (QA). In Trial 1, eggs of 359 hens representing 10 lines were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments. In Trial 2, 3,890 eggs produced from a cross of randombred control line (RBC2) females with commercial sire line (C) males were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments. Differences due to sanitizing treatment were nonsignificant in both trials. Line was significant for 7-day embryonic survival and hatch of surviving embryos in Trial 1. In Experiment 2, QA was compared with QA plus U.S.P. Formalin (QAF). In Trial 1, eggs of 288 hens representing 10 lines were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments. In Trial 2, 1, 058 eggs produced from the cross of RBC2 females with C males were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments. Differences due to sanitizing treatment were significant only for 7-day embryonic survival in Trial 2; embryonic survival was highest for QA. Line differences in Trial 1 were significant (P<.01) for 7-day embryonic survival and hatch of surviving embryos. In Experiment 3, shell, yolk, and albumen bacterial populations of eggs assigned to one of the previously described sanitization treatments were examined. Trial 1 compared total numbers of microbes of eggs (n=131) assigned to FF or QA. Trial 2 compared total numbers of microbes of eggs (n=126) assigned to QA or QAF. There were no significant differences between sanitizing agents in either trial in total numbers of bacteria.