Physical Characteristics of Chicken Eggs in Relation to Their Hatchability and Chick Weight

Abstract

Egg weight, egg volume, shell surface area, egg specific gravity, maximum breadth tolength ratio, and the ratio of egg weight to shell surface area were chosen for investigating of theirinfluence on egg hatchability. To estimate the relationship between the hatchability and quantitativefactors of each investigated parameter, a ranking system was performed. All measured andcalculated egg parameters were divided into three groups: (1) the values were within the averagevalue standard deviation; (2) the values less than the 1st group; (3) the values more than the 1stgroup. The small eggs were more successful at hatching. The hatchability of the round-shaped eggswas higher than for the others. The analysis showed that approximately 30 % of non-hatched eggshad the following combination of physical characters: egg density considers to the 2nd group, whileegg weight and/or volume belongs to the 1st or the 3rd one. Only 5.8 % of the fit eggs had suchcombination of physical parameters. The non-hatched eggs, which values of the egg weight tosurface area ratio belong to the 2nd group, and the weight and/or volume to the 1st one, constitute 17 %, whilst the analogical combination for the fit eggs was equal to 3 %. The probability of the successof hatching can be estimated by the defined multiparametric logit function.<br><br>For the best prediction of chick weight by the data of egg physical characters the quadratic type ofthe equation with three basic egg parameters (weight, volume and surface area) should be used.The coefficient of determination varied from R2 = 0.26 to 0.63, depending on the hens strain data.