Shelf life of brown eggs from laying hens of different ages in organic production system / Vida de prateleira de ovos marrons de poedeiras com diferentes idades de postura em sistema orgânico de produção

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the shelf life of brown eggs from laying hens of different ages in an organic production system. A total of 192 brown eggs from laying hens were used, t experimental design was in a factorial scheme, with four laying hens ages (40, 50, 60, 70, weeks) and four storage periods (0, 14, 28 and 42 days) with 12 repetitions each. Chicken age and storage period (p <0.05) interfered with egg weight loss. Eggs from older laying hens showed superior internal quality in the first days of storage, but with high susceptibility to losses when stored for up to 42 days. Young laying hens (up to 40 weeks of age) showed better internal egg quality when compared to chickens with 50 and 60 weeks of age, when stored for up to 42 days. The albumen pH was not affected by the age of the laying hens, but increased significantly with a longer storage period. The shelf life of the eggs was affected by the age of the laying hens and the storage time.