Relationship of Specific Gravity and Shell Appearance to the Hatchability of Fertile Turkey Eggs

Abstract

PRELIMINARY studies during the latter part of the 1942 hatching season indicated that specific gravity and shell appearance might be considered as measurements of hatchability of fertile turkey eggs. Since only a small number (150) eggs were involved, it was decided to repeat the study throughout the 1943 hatching season.A search of the literature revealed that apparently no previous work had been done to determine the relationship between specific gravity and the potential hatching power of turkey eggs. Mussehl and Halbersleben (1923) found a small but significant correlation between the specific gravity of the whole chicken egg and hatchability. The specific gravity of the shell was found to be twice that of the egg contents, from which it was assumed that variations in specific gravity were due principally to the differences in shell thickness. Munro (1940) found a distinct curvilinear relationship between specific gravity and egg hatching power for .