Haugh Unit Values Research Articles

Characteristics of Egg Production of Kampung Chickens, Red Kedu Chickens and Their Crossbred (Unsoed Chickens)

Abstract Chickens are a species that has very high genetic diversity and were the first species used to study the inheritance of traits, to have a genome sequence and to be used for genetic research. Indonesia has a high genetic diversity of local chickens, including kampung and Kedu chickens. This research aims to characterize egg production of kampung chickens, Red Kedu chickens, and their crossbreed (Unsoed chickens). This research was carried out experimentally using 120 female kampung chickens, 120 Red Kedu chickens, and 160 kampung-Kedu crossbred chickens. Measurement of egg production characteristics was carried out at 24-36 weeks of age. Egg production characteristics consist of hen day production and quality of eggs. Data analysis used Systat version 13 software, comparison of egg production characteristics was analyzed descriptively. The results of the study showed that the average egg production characteristics included hen day production, egg weight, shell weight, yolk weight, albumen weight, yolk color, specific gravity value, shell color, haugh unit (HU) value, egg index and shell thickness, in kampung chickens consecutive amounting to 36.79% eggs; 42.98 g; 5.98 g; 15.38 g; 24.99 g; 8.31; 1.11; 7.67; 87.31; 76.37% and 0.36 mm, in Red Kedu chickens 32.54%; 46.43 g; 6.40 g; 16.50 g; 25.43; 8.32; 1.09; 7.32; 83.56; 74.66% and 0.339 mm, and Unsoed chickens have a characteristic of 37.38%; 45.16 g; 6.03 g; 15.64 g; 24.85 g; 8.49; 1,11; 2.49; 85.59; 75.62% and 0.355 mm. The research concluded that Unsoed chickens (a crossing Red Kedu and kampung chickens) have higher egg production characteristics compared to their parents’ stock, with a heterosis effect on egg production. The egg quality of all chicken lines is relatively the same and is included in the AA category with a HU value of >72.

Research Note: Effects of the intermittent feeding of microencapsulation essential oil on laying performance, egg quality, immune response, intestinal morphology, and oxidation status of laying hens

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of microencapsulated essential oils (MEO) on the laying performance, egg quality, immunity, intestinal morphology, and oxidative status of laying hens. A total of 640 Hy-line Brown laying hens, 41 weeks of age, were randomly divided into four groups, each with 8 replicates containing 20 birds per replicate. The dietary conditions tested included a basal diet (Control) or the basal diet supplemented with various levels of MEO at 100 mg/kg (MEO100), 300 mg/kg (MEO300), and 500 mg/kg (MEO500). The three treatment groups were intermittently fed MEO, following an alternating schedule of 1 week on and 1 week off for a total of 56 days. Results showed that feeding MEO at levels of 300 and 500 mg/kg improved both egg production and feed conversion ratios compared to the control group. Hens consumed MEO-supplemented diets exhibited a significant decrease in the breaking egg ratio (P<0.05) compared to those fed the control diet. Shell thickness and Haugh unit values significantly increased in the groups receiving 300 and 500 mg/kg of MEO (P<0.05). Both the MEO300 and MEO500 treatments led to improvements in immunoglobulin (IgA, IgM, and IgG) and cytokine (IL-2 and IFN-γ) levels in serum. Hens in the MEO300 and MEO500 groups exhibited higher values for parameters related to intestinal morphometry compared to the control group. Furthermore, supplementation with 300 and 500 mg/kg of MEO enhanced the antioxidant capacity of plasma, as evidenced by increased activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and catalase (CAT) (P<0.05). In summary, the intermittent feeding of MEO improved egg production, enhanced antioxidative processes, immune functions, and intestinal morphology, leading to an amelioration in the egg quality of laying hens. Our data demonstrate that supplementation of 300 mg/kg of MEO in feed can significantly improve animal health and egg quality. Implementation of these feeding practices could have a positive economic impact on poultry and egg industry.

A Comparative Study of the Internal and External Quality Characteristics of Table Eggs and the Effect of Storage Periods and Layer Strain on them under Summer Conditions

Background: Eggs are a rich source of protein and a portion of food that satisfies human demands and supplies the body with amino acids, metal elements and vitamins that are beneficial for general health. This research aimed to determine the influence of storage duration and hen breed on the internal and external quality characteristics of brown- and white-shelled eggs under different domestic storage circumstances. Methods: A total of 240 eggs from the two species were randomly selected. They were stored at a humidity of 65% and temperatures of ±1°C for 0, 15 and 30 days. All eggs were cracked to determine the egg coefficient, egg weight, egg weight loss and air chamber depth. Egg-specific density, Haugh unit values, yolk color, the presence of flesh and blood spots, white weight, yolk weight, shell integrity, white weight percentage, percentage of shell weight, yolk weight ratio and yolk weight ratio. Shell thickness, density, cleanliness, surface area and weight relative to shell area. Result: The Haugh unit, specific density, air chamber depth and shell thickness were all significantly (P£0.05) affected by the length of time eggs were stored. It had a favorable influence on shell density and weight for brown and white-shell eggs, but the Huff unit values of the eggs were negatively affected the longer they were stored. This effect was more pronounced the longer the eggs were stored. Due to the difference in shell color and the extended period of storage, there was a major change in all of the components of the egg. This was caused by the storage duration.

Influence of organic and cage housing system on egg quality in laying hens

Abstract Most of the eggs for consumption are produced in a conventional housing system although the demand for organic eggs is increasing because consumers assume better nutritional characteristics. This study was conducted to compare the quality of organic eggs and enriched cage eggs. A total of 409 organic eggs and 385 eggs from hens housed in enriched cages were directly collected from 15 different farms, located in Spain and were analyzed within 4 days after laying. The differences in quality by removing the time bias that can be caused by marketing time were thus determined. All the hens were of three different lines, 47–50 weeks old and consumed commercial feed with the same nutritional composition. The quality traits evaluated were egg weight (EW g), egg shape index (SI), shell thickness (ST), shell percentage (SP), Haugh units (HU), dense albumen percentage (DAP), total albumen percentage (TAP), yolk color (YC), yolk percentage (YP), Roche scale (RS), moisture (M), ash content (AC), total protein (TP), total yolk carotenoids (TYC), total fat (TF), saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MFA), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PFA). Estimates of differences were obtained by generalized least squares using housing system, genetic line and their interaction as factors. Significant differences were observed for EW (65.3 vs 62.9), SI (77.60 vs 76.10), HU (83.60 vs 81.80), TAP (66.5 vs 64.17), YC (3.11 vs 1.89), RS (11.79 vs 9.48), TP (9.99 vs 8.55), TYC (4.188 vs 2.650), SFA (32.20 vs 30.00) and MFA (53.40 vs 44.20) in favor of the enriched cage system. In the organic system, the quality parameters that had higher and significant values were ST (0.34 vs 0.32), SP (10.52 vs 9.41), YP (25.20 vs 24.30), AC (1.12 vs 0.93) and PFA (26.00 vs 14.00). Significant interactions between the housing system and the hen line followed the same pattern observed for fixed effects. Organic eggs were lighter, less rounded with better shell quality and therefore showed lower Haugh unit values and a lower albumen percentage. Total protein, total fat, and lipid profile were within the usual average values for commercial eggs, although the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial for consumers, was higher in organic eggs.

Serbest Sistemde Yetiştirilen Lohmann Sandy Tavuklarında Yumurta Kalite Özelliklerinin Belirlenmesi

Objective: In this study, it was aimed to determine the egg quality traits of hens belonging to Lohmann Sandy genotype raised in the free-range system.&#x0D; Materials and methods: In the research, eggs obtained from hens belonging to Lohmann Sandy genotype raised in a private enterprise in Ordu province were used. In each period for egg quality determination, 30 daily eggs were used. After keeping the eggs at room temperature for 24 hours, the internal and external quality traits of eggs were determined.&#x0D; Results: The albumen index and the Haugh unit values showed a significant change depending on time and were determined as 11.31 and 92.90 on average, respectively. On the other hand, the yolk index value did not show a significant change depending on the time and the average value was found to be 51.21. Egg weight showed a significant change depending on the time and was determined as 58.84 g on average. Shell surface area and egg volume also showed a significant change depending on time and were calculated as 74.58 cm2 and 54.41 cm3 on average, respectively. Shell thickness, shape index and specific gravity values did not show a significant change depending on time.&#x0D; Conclusion: It is of great importance that eggs produced with alternative systems are introduced to the market. In order to increase the consumption level of eggs, the place and importance of eggs in adequate and balanced nutrition should be explained, especially targeting children in developmental age and the elderly.

Physicochemical Index Analyses of the Egg White in Blue-Shelled Eggs and Commercial Brown-Shelled Eggs during Storage.

To compare the physical and chemical changes in egg whites during storage, assisting in the evaluation of differences in egg freshness between various chicken breeds, we chose 240 blue-shelled eggs (Blue group) and 240 commercial brown-shelled eggs (Brown group) that 28-week-old hens had laid. In this study, all eggs were stored at 25 °C. The egg weight, egg components' weight and proportion, Haugh Unit value and the contents of S-ovalbumin, ovomucin and lysozyme in the thick albumen (KA) and thin albumen (NA) were measured at eight time points every 3 days until the 21st day of storage. The eggshell, yolk and KA proportions in the Brown group were significantly lower, whereas the NA proportion was significantly higher than that in the Blue group (p < 0.001). The Haugh Unit value and S-ovalbumin in the Brown group were significantly higher, whereas KA ovomucin and NA lysozyme were significantly lower than those in the Blue group (p < 0.001). There existed significant negative correlations between the KA and NA, irrespective of weight or proportion. The Haugh Unit value was significantly positively correlated with lysozyme and ovomucin, but significantly negatively correlated with S-ovalbumin. During storage, the KA weight (proportion), Haugh Unit value, lysozyme and ovomucin decreased, whereas the NA weight (proportion) and S-ovalbumin increased. At each time point, the NA lysozyme in the Brown group was lower than that in the Blue group (p < 0.05). After storage for 6 days, the KA ovomucin in the Brown group began to be lower than that in the Blue group (p < 0.05). The study showed that the weight (proportion) differences in egg components between blue-shelled eggs and commercial brown-shelled eggs are mainly due to the NA. The Haugh Unit value and albumin protein indexes of blue-shelled eggs were better than those of brown-shelled eggs, and showed mild changes during storage, indicating the better storage performance of blue-shelled eggs.

Moringa oleifera Flour Fermentation as Feed Additive on Egg Quality in Mojosari Ducks with Different Storage Period

Eggs are widely consumed by Indonesian people. High market demand will cause breeders to increase egg productivity and quality. Moringa oleifera leaves addition to the feed could increase egg production. Moringa leaf flour has high crude fiber, so it needs to be fermented. Fermentation aims to reduce crude fiber and increase crude protein. This study aims to determine the effect of using fermented Moringa leaf flour on the egg yolk index of the Haugh Unit and the color of the Mojosari's duck egg yolk with different shelf life. 60 ducks divided into four treatment groups, namely P0 without fermented Moringa leaf flour addition, P1 with 0.5% Moringa leaf flour fermentation, P2 with 1% Moringa leaf flour fermentation, and P3 with 1.5%. Moringa leaf flour fermentation. The results showed that the addition of 1.5% fermented Moringa leaf flour (P3) gave the highest average value for the egg yolk index, Haugh Unit, and egg yolk color with different storage period. Providing fermented Moringa oleifera leaf flour at 1.5% as a feed additive had the highest influence on increasing the egg yolk index, haugh unit value, and egg yolk color of mojosari ducks with different storage period.

Impact of broiler breeder hens’ age and egg storage on egg quality, embryonic development, and hatching traits of FUNAAB-alpha chickens

This study aimed to determine the impact of the age of breeder hens and egg storage on egg quality, embryonic development, hatching events and chick quality in FUNAAB-alpha chickens. The study involved the use of 500 hatching eggs each collected from 32-wk and 60-wk-old of FUNAAB-alpha broiler breeder hens at the Animal Breeding and Genetic Unit of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria and subjected to 5 storage periods (0, 3, 7, 11, and 15 d). The quality traits of the eggs were recorded and incubated using the conventional protocol. Data were collected on the internal and external egg characteristics, embryonic development, hatching events, and chick quality. The data collected were laid out in 2 by 5 factorial design. The results showed that eggs from 32-wk-old breeder hens had higher albumen height and Haugh unit (HU) value than those from 60-wk-old breeders. The albumen height and HU decreased progressively with storage length in the 2 age groups. Extended storage duration linearly increased (P < 0.01) egg weight loss and decreased (P < 0.01) yolk height. The eggs from both breeder ages had increasing blastodermal diameters at oviposition up until d 11 of storage but decreased on d 15 of storage in eggs from 32 wk breeders. Eggs of 32-wk-old FUNAAB-alpha breeder hens had larger diameters at oviposition compared with 60-wk-old breeders. The chicks from 60-wk breeder had late internal pipping (469.06 h), early external pipping (474.46 h) and a shorter time lag between both pips (9.00 h) compared to chicks from 32 wk breeder. The highest fertility was recorded in eggs stored for 3 d (80.7% and 79.6%), while the lowest fertility was in eggs stored for 15 d (53.4% and 47.7%) in both 32-wk and 60-wk-old breeders, respectively. Chicks from young breeder hens stored for 3 d had better quality scores (100%) compared to 0, 7, 11, and 15-d storage duration and in 60-wk-old breeders across all storage duration. It was concluded that both egg storage duration and age of breeder affected egg quality, hatching events and hatchling quality of FUNAAB-alpha chickens and the interaction effects of both factors was recorded for some of these traits. However, extended storage beyond 7 d had a larger negative impact on egg quality and hatchability of eggs from an old breeder (60 wk) than on eggs of a young breeder (32 wk).

CORRELATION BETWEEN EGG QUALITY PARAMETERS OF WILD GUINEA FOWL NUMIDA MELEAGRIS SOURCED FROM THREE MARKETS IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

The potential of Wild Guinea fowl for domestication is still not totally exploited as there are needs for improved variability. This study was done in order to analyze egg features of wild Guinea fowl, Numida meleagris. A total of 27 eggs were obtained from three different markets in Ogun state and they were assessed for both external and internal features. Highest values of Haugh unit, albumen width, albumen height and egg shape index of 89.28%, 41.36mm, 6.34mm and 81.56% were recorded in eggs collected at Sabo market respectively. Highest egg width-37.57mm, egg weight- 34.38g and yolk diameter- 34.94mm were reported from eggs sourced from Itoku market while highest egg length-46.99mm, yolk height-16.29mm, yolk index-48.24% and albumen index- 24% were recorded in eggs obtained at Oke-Aje markets. Eggs internal and external parameters were not significantly different between the three markets (p &gt; 0.05) but correlation between the parameters varied from positive to negative. Considerable association were found between egg shape index and egg’s weight, albumen index and albumen width, weight of eggs and egg length, using Pearson's correlation coefficients with p-value of significance at 0.05 and 0.01. It is concluded that the wild eggs of guinea fowls sourced from the three markets had good quality traits in terms of the Haugh unit.

The effects of different choice feeding methods on laying hen performance, egg quality, and profitability

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of using whole wheat in choice feeding on performance, egg quality, and income of laying hens. In the study, a total of 160-Hyline W-80 white commercial laying hens aged 28 weeks were divided into four treatment groups and fed for 84 days. The treatment groups were as follows: 1) Control (C, standard commercial laying hen feed), 2) C feed+choice feeding continuously with whole wheat in a separate cup (CW), 3) C feed+weekly intermittent choice feeding with whole wheat in a separate cup (WW), 4) C feed+choice feeding with continuous whole wheat+limestone together in a separate cup (WL). Choice feeding by using whole wheat methods (continuous, weekly intermittent, and with limestone) caused a significant decrease in the live weight change of laying hens (P&amp;lt;0.01), increased feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio compared to the control group (P&amp;lt;0.05). Total egg yield and egg weight were not affected by choice feeding with whole wheat methods (P&amp;gt;0.05). Choice feeding by using whole wheat caused a decrease in total eggshell weight, thickness, shell weight per unit area, and egg yolk color (P&amp;lt;0.01). However, it did not significantly affect the egg shell ratio, surface area, albumen height, and Haugh unit values of eggs (P&amp;gt;0.05). Also, total production costs, egg sales income, and net profit values were similar in all groups (P&amp;gt;0.05). In conclusion, the choice feeding by using whole wheat in laying hens did not affect the performance and economic parameters negatively; however, it caused reductions in some egg quality values.

PENAMBAHAN PROBIOTIK Bacillus subtilis DALAM PAKAN TERHADAP BERAT TELUR, TINGGI ALBUMEN, DAN HAUGH UNIT PADA AYAM PETELUR

The increasing need for protein, both meat and eggs, still continues to increase. Antibiotics addition can increase egg growth and production. Based on Law No.18 of 2009 along with Law No.41 of 2014 concerning existing livestock, there is a prohibition on the use of antibiotics mixed with feed. The use of probiotics mixed with feed, is used to increase livestock productivity. This study aims is to determine the effect of Bacillus subtilis probiotics addition on egg weight, albumen height and haugh unit values. 18 Laying hens aged 39 weeks were randomized into 3 treatments with 8 reiterations. The treatment consisted of P0 without the addition of probiotics, P1 with the addition of Bacillus subtilis 0.1 gram / kg of feed probiotics and P2 with the addition of Bacillus subtilis 0.2 gram / kg of feed probiotics. The results of the analysis using the test (ANOVA) showed a significant difference (p &lt;0.05) to the egg weight value, the albumen height values were significant (p &lt;0.05) and (p &lt;0.05) in the haugh unit value . In conclusion the addition of probiotics in concentrations of 0.1 and 0.2 grams can increase the value of egg weight, albumen height and haugh unit.

Egg shelf life can be extended using varied proportions of polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan composite coatings.

Using biopolymers in the form of edible coating as egg eco-friendly packaging is a progressive approach. The blending of biopolymers is one of the procedures for overcoming mechanical weakness and benefiting from their maximum synergistic effect. Aiming to determine the relative ratios of chitosan (CH 4 w/v%) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA 5 w/v%) in the composition of blended coatings, an experiment was conducted with six treatments (r = 3) including different ratios of CH/PVA (0:0; control, 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100) wt% in a period of 4 weeks of egg storage at ambient temperature, emphasizing eggshell barrier properties. Based on the eggshell analysis result, SEM images and FTIR spectra demonstrated that the components were firmly integrated into the blended coatings as well as had more intertwined than their pure ones, which was also reflected in the evaluation results of their internal quality parameters. In addition, the results showed that by enhancing the ratio of polyvinyl alcohol from 25 to 75 wt%, the blended coating barrier efficiency was relatively improved (p < .05). Meanwhile, the lowest percentage of weight loss (0.57 ± 0.08%), pH value of albumin (8.30 ± 0.04), the highest values of Haugh unit (61.00 ± 0.07), yolk index (0.37 ± 0.02) were observed in eggs coated with CH/PVA 25:75 wt%. But there was no difference in 50 or 70 wt% PVA significantly. Therefore, the CH/PVA blended coatings containing around 50-75 wt% PVA, as egg biodegradable packaging, can be used to extend the shelf life for 2-3 weeks at ambient temperature.

Meta-analysis of the influence of dietary cassava on productive indices and egg quality of laying hens

There are an increasing number of studies on the effect of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) on performance of laying hens with inconsistent outcomes. This study, therefore, used a meta-analytic approach to examine the effect of cassava-based diets on feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) end production data such as hen day egg production (HDEP), egg weight (EW), egg mass (EM), Haugh unit (HU), shell weight (SW) and shell thickness (ST) in laying hens. Two hundred and three studies were identified in a search performed in PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases of which thirteen studies were suitable for the meta-analysis. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were performed to explore the responses of laying hens to dietary cassava and sources of heterogeneity, respectively using the following moderators: study continent, cassava type, cassava processing methods, inclusion level, layer strain, feeding durations, number of layers and hen's age. Data were pooled using a random-effects model and statistical analyses were performed in OpenMEE software. Results show that cassava increased FI (mean difference MD = 0.97 g/d; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.05, 1.90) and reduced egg weight (MD = −0.72 g; 95% CI -1.26, −0.19) and SW (MD = −0.11 g; 95% CI -0.18, −0.04) when compared to control. Laying hens fed cassava diets had HDEP, FCR, EM, ST and HU values that compared favourably with the controls. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that inclusion of cassava at ≤ 25% in layer diets had no deleterious effects on measured outcomes taking cognizance of significant heterogeneity. However, meta-regression results showed that most of the sources of heterogeneity were explained by the studied moderators. In conclusion, ≤25% of cassava (CRM and CPM) can be included in layer diets without adverse effects on feed intake, feed conversion ratio and egg production characteristics, indicating that cassava has a very bright future as an energy source in the diets of laying hens.

The Effect of Storage Periods on the Internal and External Quality Characteristics of White and Brown-Shell Table Eggs in Saudi Arabia

Background: The eggs of hens are an essential source of protein, a food that meets human needs and provides the body with amino acids, metallic elements and vitamins that promote its health. The research aims to study the influence of storage period and strain and the interaction between them on components and internal and external quality traits of commercially produced brown and white-shell eggs. Methods: A total of 180 eggs were randomly collected from both types. It was kept for 0, 15 and 30 days at temperatures ranging from 5±2°C to a humidity level of 60%. All eggs were broken to measure the egg coefficient, egg weight, egg weight loss and depth of the air chamber. shell thickness, shell density, shell cleanliness, shell surface area, shell weight relative to shell area unit, egg specific density, Haugh unit values, yolk color, presence of flesh and blood spots, white weight, shell weight, yolk weight, shell integrity, white weight percentage, percentage of shell weight, yolk weight ratio and yolk weight ratio. Result: White eggs weighed more than brown eggs and storage periods had a significant (P less than 0.05) effect on the Haugh unit, specific density, air chamber depth and shell thickness. It has a positive effect on shell density and shell weight for both brown and white-shelled eggs. The storage period also led to a significant increase in weight loss, a significant decrease in white, yolk and shell and significant changes in all parts of the egg because the shell color changed.

Effects of the breeder age on the egg yield and egg quality traits of Landes geese (Anser anser).

This study aimed to determine the effects of the breeder age on the egg yield and egg quality traits of Landes geese in the first egg production cycle. One hundred ninety-four Landes geese aged 48weeks were kept in the yard area throughout the egg production period. Egg number, egg weight, egg mass production, and goose-day egg production were significantly affected by the breeder age (p < 0.001). Breeder age affected the albumen index, yolk index, Haugh unit, albumen pH, yolk pH, and yolk color values. The albumen index, yolk index, and yolk color values were significantly higher at 55weeks of age compared to the other breeder ages (62 and 64weeks of age) (p < 0.05; p < 0.001). The shape index, albumen ratio, and yolk ratio were not significantly affected by the breeder age. There was a decrease in the shell thickness, albumen index, and yolk index as the egg production period progressed. Since the shell thickness, albumen index, and yolk index decreased with age, it is concluded that the egg quality of Landes geese may deteriorate with age.

The Impact of Eggshell Thickness on the Qualitative Characteristics of Stored Eggs Produced by Three Breeds of Laying Hens of the Cage and Cage-Free Housed Systems

The study aimed to compare the physical-chemical attributes of table eggs from three laying hen breeds housed in the cage and cage-free conditions and to characterize the morphological characteristics of the eggshell interior. A morphological and elemental analysis performed by scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed no abnormalities in the structural integrity of eggshells. The thickness of the eggshell varied in the range from 356.2 to 366.4 µm, with no statistically significant differences between the values. Eggshell membrane thickness was between 20.0 and 59.9 µm, with eggs derived from cage-housed hens, i.e., H/LS/CCE and H/HN/CCE having thinner membrane layers. The results revealed no direct relationships between eggshell and membrane thickness and physical-chemical parameters’ change. However, the presence of thick and long spider-like microcracks on the eggshell surface of eggs from cage-free housed hens H/D/BWE was the main factor that presumably contributed to substantial weight loss during 36 days of egg storage. A noticeable decline in eggshell-breaking strength along with the enlargement of air cells was observed in eggs produced under an enriched cage system H/LS/CCE after 28 days. In contrast, the minor changes in air cell size occurred in eggs from cage-free housed laying hens H/D/BWE. Protein quality indicators such as albumen height and Haugh units were well correlated with each other, and the intensity of their changes during egg storage, to a greater extent, was found to be storage time-dependent. No significant depletion of egg albumen was revealed during the first 15 days of egg storage. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the quality corresponded to grade A (reasonably firm). However, after 18 days of storage, Haugh unit values were lower than 60, corresponding to grade B (weak and watery). The most apparent reduction in the Haugh unit was observed in eggs produced by enriched cage H/HN/CCE and cage-free H/D/BWE hens. The egg quality was storage time-dependent, and their deterioration rate was primarily associated with the genetic background of laying hens and housing conditions.

The impacts of fermented feed on laying performance, egg quality, immune function, intestinal morphology and microbiota of laying hens in the late laying cycle

Fermented feed has the potential to improve poultry gastrointestinal microecological environment, health condition and production performance. Thus, the present study was undertaken to explore the effects of fermented feed on the laying performance, egg quality, immune function, intestinal morphology and microbiota of laying hens in the late laying cycle. A total of 360 healthy Hy-Line Brown laying hens aged 80 weeks were used to conduct a 56-day study. All hens were randomly separated into two treatment groups, with five replicates of 36 hens each as follows: basal diet containing 0.0% fermented feed (CON) and 20% fermented feed (FF). Subsequent analyses revealed that fermented feed supplementation was associated with significant increases in laying rates together with reduced broken egg rates and feed conversion ratio for hens in FF group (P < 0.05). There were additionally significant increases in both albumen height and Haugh unit values in hens following fermented feed supplementation (P < 0.05). Fermented feed was also associated with increases in duodenal, jejunal and ileac villus height (P < 0.05). Laying hens fed fermented feed had higher immune globulin (Ig)A, IgG, IgM levels (P < 0.01,) and higher interleukin 2, interleukin 6, tumour necrosis factor α and interferon γ (P < 0.05) concentrations than CON. Analysis of the microbiota in these laying hens revealed the alpha diversity was not significantly affected by fermented feed supplementation. Firmicutes abundance was reduced in caecal samples from FF hens relative to those from CON hens (30.61 vs 35.12%, P < 0.05). At the genus level, fermented feed was associated with improvements in relative Lactobacillus, Megasphaera and Peptococcus abundance and decreased Campylobacter abundance in laying hens. These results suggest that fermented feed supplementation may be beneficial to the laying performance, egg quality, immunological function, intestinal villus growth and caecal microecological environment of laying hens at the end of the laying cycle.

Assessment of Egg Quality of the Nigerian Local Pigeon (Columba Livia Domestica) in Gombe, Nigeria

The research was conducted to assess the egg quality of the Nigerian indigenous pigeons in three agro- ecological zone of Gombe state, namely; Gombe Central, South and North. 90 fresh eggs were randomly collected from these zones comprising of 30 eggs per zone to assess the external and internal egg quality of the domestic pigeon. Data were collected on egg weight, Egg length Egg width, Egg shell weight, Shell thickness and the Internal egg characteristics were albumen height, yolk height, albumen weight, yolk weight and Haugh unit. Results indicated that egg weight value were 14.052 ± 0.173, 14.385 ± 0.229 and 13.758 ± 0.99g in Gombe Central, South and Gombe North. The mean average of egg weight in the study area was 14.273 ± 0.1045g. However, egg weight was significantly (P&lt;0.05) affected by location. Gombe South seems to have a heavier egg weight compared to Central and Gombe North. Albumen height value was 5.6100 ± 0.0044, 5.6933 ± 0.032, and 5.4333 ± 0.063mm in Gombe Central, South and Gombe North. The mean average of the albumen height in the study area was 5.6401 ± 0.03082mm. There was a significant difference (P&lt;0.001) in albumen height across location. Yolk height value were 12.880 ± 0.12048, 13.206 ± 0.0475, 12.753 ± 0.12127g in Gombe Central, South and North, respectively. Overall yolk height was 13.0696 ± 0.06187mm, which was highly significant at (P&lt;0.001) for location. Haugh unit values were 93.897 ± 0.02318, 94.120 ± 0.2493 and 93.158 ± 0.3237 in Gombe Central, South and North, respectively. However, there was a significant difference (P &lt;0.01) in Haugh unit for location effect. Most correlation values were significant at 1%. However, a few were correlated at 5%. Egg weight is correlated with egg length (0.499; P&lt;0.01), shell weight (0.28; P&lt;0.01) and Haugh unit (-0.278; P&lt;0.05). Albumen height was correlated with yolk length (0.23; P&lt;0.05) and Haugh unit (0.0928; P&lt;0.01). Conclusively, the high egg qualities are indication of good reproductive performance in the pigeons. Since most correlated responses were positive, selection for a particular egg characteristic could lead to positive responses in others and such correlated responses could be used to hasten selection processes to improve the pigeons.

Egg Freshness Prediction Model Using Real-Time Cold Chain Storage Condition Based on Transfer Learning.

Maintaining and monitoring the quality of eggs is a major concern during cold chain storage and transportation due to the variation of external environments, such as temperature or humidity. In this study, we proposed a deep learning-based Haugh unit (HU) prediction model which is a universal parameter to determine egg freshness using a non-destructively measured weight loss by transfer learning technique. The temperature and weight loss of eggs from a laboratory and real-time cold chain environment conditions are collected from ten different types of room temperature conditions. The data augmentation technique is applied to increase the number of the collected dataset. The convolutional neural network (CNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithm are stacked to make one deep learning model with hyperparameter optimization to increase HU value prediction performance. In addition, the general machine learning algorithms are applied to compare HU prediction results with the CNN-LSTM model. The source and target model for stacked CNN-LSTM used temperature and weight loss data, respectively. Predicting HU using only weight loss data, the target transfer learning CNN-LSTM showed RMSE value decreased from 6.62 to 2.02 compared to a random forest regressor, respectively. In addition, the MAE of HU prediction results for the target model decreased when the data augmentation technique was applied from 3.16 to 1.39. It is believed that monitoring egg freshness by predicting HU in a real-time cold chain environment can be implemented in real-life by using non-destructive weight loss parameters along with deep learning.

Combination of cassava starch biopolymer and essential oils for coating table eggs

This work aimed to evaluate the eggshell microbiota and the internal egg quality after coatings with cassava starch biopolymer enriched with different essential oils during 35 days of storage at 20°C. A total of 369 brown table eggs were used and distributed in the following treatments: uncoated eggs, coated with cassava starch + Ginger essential oil (CS+GIN), cassava starch + Lemongrass essential oil (CS+LEM), and cassava starch + Tahiti lemon essential oil (CS+TAH). The count of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria on coated eggshells at 0 and 35 days of storage were similar to each other (mean 0.70 ± 0.37 and 0.91 ± 0.22 log10 CFU/mL) and significantly lower compared to uncoated eggs (2.21 ± 0.17 and 3.17 ± 0.22 log10 CFU/mL), in that order. On the 35th day, coated eggs showed similar Haugh unit (HU) values between them (mean 70.61 ± 5.35; classified as A - high quality) and significantly higher than uncoated eggs (51.60 ± 4.28; classified as B - average quality). Cassava starch coatings added with essential oils preserved the internal quality of the eggs during storage for 5 weeks at 20°C, reducing the eggshell microbiota and effectively keeping it at low levels during storage.