Albumen Quality Of Eggs Research Articles

Effect of inorganic versus organic selenium on hen production and egg selenium concentration

A 28-d experiment using 288 Hy-Line W-36 laying hens was conducted to compare sodium selenite (SS) with Se-enriched yeast (SY). The Se from SS or SY was supplemented into a corn-soybean meal basal diet at 0, 0.15, 0.30, 0.60, or 3.00 ppm, and the basal diet was formulated to provide 0.82% lysine and 2,950 kcal/kg of ME. Each treatment was replicated 4 times with 2 cages of 4 hens per cage in each replicate. Hen production was assessed daily, and 2 eggs per replicate were collected every 4 d for whole-egg Se analysis. Albumen quality was assessed at 2 egg storage temperatures (7.2 vs. 22.2 degrees C) with the eggs collected on d 24 and 28, respectively. The percentage of dirty and cracked eggs was greater (P < 0.04) in hens fed SY than in those fed SS. Percentage hen-day production was not affected (P > 0.05) by diet. Albumen quality of eggs stored at 22.2 degrees C was improved (P < 0.04) in eggs from hens fed SS, but there was no difference (P > 0.05) in albumen quality of eggs stored at 7.2 degrees C. Egg weight was linearly increased (P < 0.01) by SY. Whole-egg Se levels were linearly increased (P < 0.01) as dietary Se level increased for both sources of Se, but eggs from hens fed SY had higher (P < 0.01) Se concentrations than those fed SS. The results from this experiment indicate that percentage hen-day production is not affected by Se source, and that SY increases egg Se concentrations more than SS.

Effect of Time and Storage Conditions on Albumen Quality of Eggs from Hens Fed Vanadium

This experiment was conducted to study the albumen quality of eggs from 60-wk-old hens fed 0 or 10 ppm supplemental vanadium (V) as influenced by storage conditions and length of storage time as well as the effect of V feeding and withdrawal on albumen quality over time. After hens were fed V for 23 d, eggs were collected and stored in the laying house at ambient temperature or in a cooler (15.5°C, 60% relative humidity) for 1, 3, 5, or 7 d. Eggs were then broken, and Haugh units (HU) were calculated. Hens fed V had poorer albumen quality than eggs from birds fed the control diet (62.5 vs. 72.1 HU, respectively). Eggs stored in the layer house had poorer albumen quality than those stored in the cooler (63.9 vs. 70.7 HU, respectively). Increasing storage time also had a detrimental effect on albumen quality. Quality declined more rapidly in eggs stored at ambient temperature than in the cooler, but it was not influenced by dietary V. Thus, there was no 3-way interaction as hypothesized.After 7 d of feeding hens 10 ppm V, their eggs had poorer albumen quality than eggs from hens fed the control diet. Time analysis indicated that the significant negative effect to albumen quality occurred in V-fed hens on d 1, 2, 5, and 12 of supplementation. When these hens were then switched to the control diet after 30 d of V supplementation, albumen quality continued to decline for 2 d but did not differ by d 6 from that of eggs from hens given the control diet.

Some factors affecting albumen quality with particular reference to Haugh unit score

Excluding disease, the single most important factor affecting the albumen quality of the freshly laid egg is the age of the bird that laid it. With advancing flock age, Haugh unit scores decrease and the variability of the scores increases. An induced pause in egg production is beneficial in largely restoring albumen quality in aging hens. Both strain differences and strain/age interaction effects in Haugh unit scores of fresh eggs have often been observed, but these are normally small and have little practical significance. Albumen quality of the egg is not greatly influenced by bird nutrition. Environment and housing, even heat stress, appear to have almost no direct effect on the albumen quality of the egg at oviposition.When ambient temperatures are high, delays in egg collection and/or cooling increase the rate of Haugh unit score decline. The maintenance of albumen quality during egg storage is dependent on the eggs being cooled quickly following lay and subsequently being held at low temperatures, preferably down to, but not below, 0°C. Oiling of eggs within 24 h of lay is very effective in retarding deterioration of the albumen but does not replace the need for cool storage. Information on genetic effects on the albumen quality of stored eggs is equivocal, although there is general agreement that any effects are small and of little commercial significance. Of greater importance is the finding that within strains there can be great variation in Haugh unit scores and that strains laying white-shelled eggs are much less variable than those producing brown-shelled eggs.

Egg Quality. 2. Albumen Quality of Eggs from Five Commercial Strains of White Leghorn Hens During One Year of Lay

Egg weight and albumen height of a sample of 160 eggs from each of five commercial strains of White Leghorn hens were measured at each of 18 sampling times between 197 and 484 days of age for a total of 14,400 eggs. Age (P<.01) and strain (P<.05) were the main factors affecting interior egg quality. Both albumen height and Haugh units decreased at an approximately constant rate over time. An electronic albumen meter was used to measure albumen height. The tip of the measuring rod had to be kept free of dried albumen to prevent measurement errors.

TI 59 Calculator Program for Haugh Unit Calculation

A TI 59 calculator program was written for Haugh unit determination of the albumen quality of eggs. The original equation developed by Haugh (1937) was incorporated into the program. Use of the calculator program gives an accurate and direct reading of the Haugh unit. The program was written so that the data could be recorded by means of an optional printer.

Albumen Quality of Eggs Laid During Molt Induction

Two experiments were conducted on 63-week-old Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens to determine the albumen quality of eggs laid during molt induction and those laid immediately upon resumption of lay following the molt.The first experiment utilized 1165 laying hens in group cages with 5 to 6 hens per cage. Light was restricted from 16L:8D to 8L:16D beginning 16 days prior to feed withdrawal. Feed was withheld for 7 days, with water available ad libitum, followed by feeding grain or a 12% protein mash for 21 days. Then, all hens were fed their normal laying ration and light was increased to 16L:8D. The second experiment utilized 588 laying hens in individual cages. Light was restricted from 16L:8D to 8L:16D for 6 days, beginning on the first day of molt induction. A molt was induced cither by feed withdrawal for 6 days or by feeding laying mash containing 20,000 ppm Zn (from ZnO) for 6 days. Water was available ad libitum. All hens then were fed their normal laying ration.In both experiments, albumen quality (Haugh units) increased dramatically in the eggs laid during molt induction, appearing as early as the second day after feed withdrawal. In eggs laid immediately following the molt, albumen quality was better than that observed just prior to molt induction but was not as good as that seen in eggs laid during molt induction.

Effect of Certain Physical Factors on Yolk Mottling and Albumen Quality of Eggs

MOTTLED yolks, often observed in stored eggs and less frequently in fresh eggs, were reported more than 30 years ago (Almquist, 1933). Yet, knowledge of determinants of yolk mottling are limited primarily to the effects of “Nicarbazine” as reported by many workers including Polin and Porter (1956), Weiss (1957) and Baker et al. (1957), and of free gossypol found in many cotton seed products (Heywang et al., 1955; and many others). More recently, piperazine compounds have been shown to influence yolk discoloration (Beane et al., 1965).In other work in this laboratory it was noted that eggs transported for long distances tended to have more mottling than those moved for short distances. It was hypothesized that physical movement, time and temperature during transport might be causative factors.This study was initiated to determine the effect of physical movement of two types, short time holding and temperature on mottling of egg …

Estimates of genetic parameters relevant in selection for certain aspects of egg quality

Thick albumen quality of eggs laid by pullets at the approximate ages of 34 and 64 weeks was measured both for fresh eggs and for eggs stored under reasonably uniform conditions for a period of 14 days. Subsequent analyses provided estimates of heritability of these various traits as well as genetic correlations between them. Heritability was high in all cases except for the 64-weeks measurements on stored eggs. Theoretically, selection based on 34-weeks measurements of albumen quality of fresh eggs should be equally as effective, per generation, as direct selection in improving 64weeks fresh quality. Furthermore, this indirect selection is more effective than direct selection in improving the quality of stored eggs, at both 34 and 64 weeks of age. The heritability of egg specific gravity (used as an indicator of shell thickness) is of intermediate to high value for estimates made both early and late in the pullet year. The genetic correlation between the early and late measurements is high, and selection based on the early measurement should be almost as effective (when assessed per generation) as on the late measurement in causing genetic improvement in late shell quality. All quality traits examined showed positive genetic relationship with each other, although many of the correlations are of low value. The only serious genetic antagonism disclosed was between each of the two assessments of shell thickness and total egg production. There was no evidence of genetic antagonism between albumen quality and total egg production.

Effects of Management, Strain and Truck Shipment on Albumen Quality of Eggs

VERY little has been reported on changes in quality of eggs during shipment. Gwin (1952) reported a study involving more than a billion eggs purchased by the Armed Forces of the United States. U. S. Grades were determined by candling and inspection by trained inspectors from the Army Veterinary Corps and the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Quality loss was shown to be related to time in transit, distance or miles in transit and seasonal influences. No data were reported as to the relation of varying physical conditions during transit or position effects within the rail cars. Adams and Milam (1960) studied the effects of international shipping of eggs from Lincoln, Nebraska to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using the Haugh unit score as a measure of internal quality. In this study eggs were transported from Lincoln, Nebraska to New Orleans by auto truck and thence to Rio de Janeiro by…

The Effect of Selected Polymers upon the Albumen Quality of Eggs after Storage for Short Periods

Abstract IT WOULD be of considerable advantage if a substance could be found which would minimize the deterioration of the interior quality of eggs yet add sufficient strength to the shells to reduce the probability of cracking. The most effective method of maintaining albumen quality of eggs is by coating the shell with a film of some mineral oil such as liquid paraffin, Romanoff and Yushok (1948). The oil film adds nothing to the strength of the shell, Tyler (1961) personal communication, and it takes a considerable time to dry. Yushok and Romanoff (1949), Grotts et al. (1957), have coated egg shells with various plastics attempting to obtain continuous films which would be highly impermeable to carbon dioxide and water vapour and so preserve albumen quality. This approach has been extended in the present work by using several different polymers and examining a number of those already tested in more detail.…

Relationship of Rate of Egg Production as Affected by Feed to Haugh Units of Eggs

LITTLE or no effect on the albumen quality of eggs has been observed when an antibiotic is included in the diet, or when various levels of protein, minerals, grains or fat are fed to laying hens (Thompson et al., 1932; Card and Sloan, 1935; Chin and Brant, 1953; Griminger and Scott, 1954; Mueller, 1956; and Orr et al, 1958).In view of recent emphasis on interior quality of eggs it seemed desirable to gather additional information concerning the effect of the composition of the hen's diet upon albumen quality of eggs.PROCEDUREAlbumen quality (Haugh units) of eggs from 2,713 hens was determined. These hens were used in five nutritional experiments and received experimental diets which included three levels of protein, two different antibiotics fed at three levels and three sources of phosphorus fed at three levels.The percentage composition of the basal diet used was as follows: ground yellow…