Hydrogen Peroxide as an Alternative Hatching Egg Disinfectant

Abstract

The present study examined the effectiveness of H2 O2 at different concentrations to disinfect broiler hatching eggshell surfaces and to maintain hatching potential. Under pure culture conditions, .50% H2 O2 yielded over a 6 log kill in 30 s of three potential eggshell bacterial contaminants. Under higher H2 O2 demands, such as occurs on eggshell surfaces, H2 O2 concentrations of 5% (vol/vol) were required to disinfect the shell surfaces (~5 log reduction). Hatchability of fertile eggs from a 44-wk-old flock was significantly increased by 2% following spraying 5% H2 O2 in comparison to untreated controls. Level of contaminated eggs and “early-dead” embryos were significantly reduced in the H2 O2-treated eggs. In comparison with formaldehyde fumigation, no significant difference in hatchability due to H2 O2 treatment was detected in eggs from a 30- or 56-wk-old flock. Eggshell permeability, as measured by egg moisture loss in an incubator, was not significantly affected by H2 O2 (5%) or formaldehyde fumigation when compared with untreated or water-sprayed control eggs. These results demonstrated that H2 O2 compared favorably to formaldehyde as a hatching egg disinfectant without adversely affecting hatching potential. Under some conditions, H2 O2 actually improved the hatching potential of fertile broiler eggs compared with hatchability of untreated eggs.