The Effects of the Egg Shell Strength Puncture Test on the Subsequent Hatchability of Eggs from White Leghorn and Broiler Hens ,

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Two experiments were done to determine the effects of puncturing eggs from Leghorn or broiler hens, one, two, or four times before they were set in the incubator on hatchability, egg weight loss during the first 18 days of incubation, and the growth of chicks 21 days posthatching. For some eggs, a drop of bees’ wax was put over each puncture site; the shells of other eggs were not punctured but received either one or four drops of wax. The eggs in the control treatment for both experiments were neither punched nor waxed.Except for the hatchability of eggs from Leghorn hens in Experiment 1, puncturing the eggs did not affect (P>.05) the hatchability of either fertile eggs or those set. Placing a drop of bees’ wax over the puncture site(s), or on the shell, produced a nonsignificant decrease (P>.05) in hatchability of eggs from both genotypes. The incidence of late embryonic death and pips were higher (P>.05) for the eggs punctured four times than those punched once or twice in either experiment. Puncture and wax, or puncture treatment only, had little effect on the loss of weight during early incubation, chick weight at hatching, and body weight gains between hatching and 21 days of age. The weight decreased an average of 12.5% for the Leghorn and 11.9% for the broiler eggs, while the chick weight at hatching was 66. 9 and 67.9%, respectively, of the egg weight at setting. Shell puncture strength or egg weight loss during early incubation had little influence (P>.05) on subsequent hatchability. The results from these experiments indicate that, if researchers or poultry breeders wish, the puncture strength can be measured at one or two sites on the shell of hatching eggs from Leghorn or broiler hens without influencing the subsequent hatchability of punctured eggs.