Thick Albumen Height Research Articles

Effects of dietary rosemary ultrafine powder supplementation on aged hen health and productivity: a randomized controlled trial

Recently, poultry industry has been seeking antibiotic residue-free poultry products and safe nutritious feed additives. Whether rosemary ultrafine powder (RUP) affects productive performance by regulating the intestinal microbiome of aged layers remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of dietary RUP supplementation on the production performance, egg quality, antioxidant capacity, intestinal microbial structure, and metabolome of aged hens. The results indicate that RUP had no significant effect on production performance but significantly enhanced Thick albumen height, Haugh unit, yolk color (P < 0.05), daily feed intake, and qualified egg rate. Serum content of non-esterified fatty acids, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase increased significantly (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the liver total protein content was significantly increased (P < 0.05). 16S rRNA sequence analysis revealed that RUP significantly impacted both α- and β-diversity of the caecum microbiota. Linear discriminant analysis of effect size and random forest identified Bacteroides, Muribaculum, Butyricimonas, Odoribacter, and Prevotella as biomarkers in groups A and B. In comparing groups A and C, Barnesiella, Turicibacter, and Acholeplasma were critical bacteria, while comparing groups A and D highlighted Barnesiella and Candidatus Saccharimonas as differential bacteria. FAPROTAX analysis of the caecum microbiota revealed that the functional genes associated with harmful substance biodegradation were significantly increased in the RUP-fed group. Based on Spearman correlation analysis, alterations in microbial genera were associated with divergent metabolites. In summary, dietary RUP can improve egg quality and antioxidant capacity and regulate the intestinal microbiome and metabolome in aged breeders. Therefore, RUP can potentially be used as a feed additive to extend breeder service life at an appropriate level of 1.0 g/kg.

Dietary 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol Supplementation as a Vitamin D3 Substitute Improves Performance, Egg Quality, Blood Indexes, Jejunal Morphology, and Tibia Quality in Late-Phase Laying Hens.

This study aimed to investigate whether a dietary 25-OHD3 addition improved the performance, egg quality, blood indexes, antioxidant status, jejunal morphology, and tibia quality of aged laying hens compared to a dietary VD3 addition. A total of 270 Hy-Line Brown laying hens at 55 wk of age were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments with six replicates (15 birds per replicate with 3 birds per cage). Chickens were fed a corn-soybean meal diet supplementation of 4000 IU/kg VD3 (control group), 50 μg/kg 25-OHD3 and 2000 IU/kg VD3 (experimental group 1), or 50 μg/kg 25-OHD3 and 4000 IU/kg VD3 (experimental group 2) for 12 weeks. The results demonstrated that 25-OHD3 caused a significant increase in the laying rate, especially in the 50 μg/kg 25-OHD3 + 2000 IU/kg VD3 group; the laying rate reached the maximum compared with other groups after 12 weeks (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant effects on the average egg weight, average daily feed intake, or feed-to-egg ratio (p > 0.05). A dietary supplementation of 50 μg/kg 25-OHD3 and 2000 IU/kg VD3 provided an improved eggshell strength, thick albumen height, and Haugh unit after 12 weeks (p < 0.05). Further analysis of the blood indexes showed that alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, calcium, and phosphorus were enhanced significantly in the 50 μg/kg 25-OHD3 + 2000 IU/kg VD3 group, while the content of total bilirubin decreased significantly (p < 0.05). In addition, the 25-OHD3 addition in diets improved the calcium and phosphorus contents in the serum (p < 0.05). The concentrations of 25-OHD3, parathyroid hormones, follicle-stimulating hormone, and progesterone were increased in the 50 μg/kg 25-OHD3 + 2000 IU/kg VD3 group, and the levels of cortisol, calcitonin, bone gla protein, and endotoxin in the serum reached a minimum in the 50 μg/kg 25-OHD3 + 4000 IU/kg VD3 group (p < 0.05), which constitutes an advantage for the aged laying hens. The antioxidant enzyme activities and free radical scavenging abilities in the 50 μg/kg 25-OHD3 + 2000 IU/kg VD3 group increased markedly, and the MDA level decreased significantly in the 50 μg/kg 25-OHD3 + 4000 IU/kg VD3 group (p < 0.05). Improvements in jejunal morphology and intestinal integrity resulted in an increased villi-length-to-crypt-depth ratio in the 50 μg/kg 25-OHD3 + 2000 IU/kg VD3 group (p < 0.05). Dietary 50 μg/kg 25-OHD3 and 2000 IU/kg VD3 additions improved the tibia quality, including fresh tibia weight, strength, mineral content (Ca), and trabeculae area (p < 0.05). Taken together, compared with the dietary VD3 addition, dietary supplementation of 25-OHD3 supported a stable physiological status for sustained egg production, egg quality, and bone quality in late-phase laying hens, and the addition levels of 50 μg/kg 25-OHD3 and 2000 IU/kg VD3 had the best effect. Therefore, this could provide a theoretical basis for the use of 25-OHD3 as a substitute forVD3.

Quality characteristics, lysozyme activity, and albumen viscosity of fresh hatching duck eggs after a week's storage at various temperatures

The study aimed to analyze the qualitative features of Cherry Valley duck’ hatching eggs during storage at different temperatures. Eggs were divided into 3 equal groups with 30 eggs each: fresh egg and stored at 7 °C and 17 °C within one week. Qualitative analyses of duck eggs were carried out, considering the morphological composition, physicochemical characteristics, lysozyme activity, and albumen viscosity. The highest weight of yolk and its percentage was found in the 17 °C group. The weight and percentage of albumen were significantly the highest in the group of fresh eggs. Higher egg weight loss was observed in the group stored at higher temperatures. Higher thick albumen height and Haugh units were found in fresh eggs and eggs stored at 7 °C. Different temperatures of egg storage did not affect lysozyme activity in thick and thin albumen. Stored eggs were characterized by lower albumen viscosity only at a shear rate of 10 rpm. The higher viscosity of thick albumen compared to thin ones was demonstrated at 10 and 20 rpm shear rates. The presented research results indicate a large diversity of selected qualitative indicators of hatching duck eggs, which may affect their storage and suitability for incubation.

Egg Quality Index: A more accurate alternative to the Haugh unit to describe the internal quality of goose eggs

Enhancing goose production for human consumption requires evaluating the quality of goose eggs based on their physical characteristics. Grounded on the theoretical and experimental studies, we developed two calculation formulae that enabled the computation of Egg Quality Index (EQI) as an alternative to the widely used Haugh unit (HU) score in assessing goose egg quality. In addition to the egg weight (W) and the height of thick albumen (H), this computation takes into account the indicators for the yolk, i.e., its diameter (d) and height (h). Depending on the research preferences when measuring d or h, one of the two proposed calculation equations can be employed. Using simulation methods that considered all possible combinations of W, H and d values, we created and analyzed a database of virtual goose eggs. As a result, we found that the use of EQI as compared to HU seems preferable due to the possibility to evaluate a greater number of options and nuances of variation in quality characteristics in goose eggs. The proposed novel index for defining the goose egg quality can be a promising and useful tool for linking structure and functionality in goose eggs and for further application in food and poultry industries.

Potential Implications of Natural Antioxidants of Plant Origin on Oxidative Stability of Chicken Albumen during Storage: A Review.

Enhanced albumen quality is reflected in increased thick albumen height, albumen weight, and Haugh unit value, while the antimicrobial, antioxidant, foaming, gelling, viscosity, and elasticity attributes are retained. Improved albumen quality is of benefit to consumers and to the food and health industries. Egg quality often declines during storage because eggs are highly perishable products and are most often not consumed immediately after oviposition. This review provides insights into albumen quality in terms of changes in albumen structure during storage, the influence of storage time and temperature, and the mitigation effects of natural dietary antioxidants of plant origin. During storage, albumen undergoes various physiochemical changes: loss of moisture and gaseous products through the shell pores and breakdown of carbonic acid, which induces albumen pH increases. High albumen pH acts as a catalyst for structural changes in albumen, including degradation of the β-ovomucin subunit and O-glycosidic bonds, collapse of the ovomucin-lysozyme complex, and decline in albumen protein–protein interactions. These culminate in declined albumen quality, characterized by the loss of albumen proteins, such as ovomucin, destabilized foaming and gelling capacity, decreased antimicrobial activity, albumen liquefaction, and reduced viscosity and elasticity. These changes and rates of albumen decline are more conspicuous at ambient temperature compared to low temperatures. Thus, albumen of poor quality due to the loss of functional and biological properties cannot be harnessed as a functional food, as an ingredient in food processing industries, and for its active compounds for drug creation in the health industry. The use of refrigerators, coatings, and thermal and non-thermal treatments to preserve albumen quality during storage are limited by huge financial costs, the skilled operations required, environmental pollution, and residue and toxicity effects. Nutritional interventions, including supplementation with natural antioxidants of plant origin in the diets of laying hens, have a promising potential as natural shelf-life extenders. Since they are safe, without residue effects, the bioactive compounds could be transferred to the egg. Natural antioxidants of plant origin have been found to increase albumen radical scavenging activity, increase the total antioxidant capacity of albumen, reduce the protein carbonyl and malondialdehyde (MDA) content of albumen, and prevent oxidative damage to the magnum, thereby eliminating the transfer of toxins to the egg. These products are targeted towards attenuating oxidative species and inhibiting or slowing down the rates of lipid and protein peroxidation, thereby enhancing egg quality and extending the shelf life of albumen.

Bıldırcınlarda Yumurta Ağırlığı ile Ak Yüksekliği Arasındaki İlişkiler ve Yaygın Kullanılan Kalite Özelliklerindeki Ön Kabullerin Çeşitli Koşullar Altındaki Geçerliliklerinin Araştırılması

Bu çalışmada kuluçkalık Japon bıldırcını yumurtalarında sürü yaşı, depolama süresi ve erken kuluçka döneminde geçen sürenin yumurta ağırlığı ile koyu ak yüksekliği arasındaki ilişkiler üzerine etkileri incelenmiştir. Sürü yaşının 5 farklı seviyesi (8, 12, 18, 25 ve 30. haftalar), depolama süresinin 4 farklı seviyesi (0, 1, 4 ve 7 gün) ve erken kuluçka döneminde geçen sürenin 5 farklı seviyesi (0, 6, 24, 30 ve 48. saatler) incelenmiştir. Bütün yaş dönemlerinde yumurta ağırlığı ile ak yüksekliği arasındaki korelasyonlar önemli bulunmuştur. Koyu ak yüksekliği ile yumurta ağırlığı arasındaki regresyon katsayıları ilgili yaş dönemlerinde sırasıyla 0,115; 0,082; 0,054; 0,085 ve 0,061 mm/g olarak; R2 değerleri ise yine sırasıyla %4,43; 2,1; 1,85; 2,76 ve 2,42 olarak bulunmuştur. Yumurta ağırlığı ile ak yüksekliği arasındaki korelasyon sadece 4 gün süreyle depolanan yumurtalarda önemli bulunmuştur. Regresyon katsayısı 0,061 mm/g, R2 değeri ise %1,77 olarak belirlenmiştir. Kuluçkanın sadece 0 ve 6. saatlerinde ölçülen ak yüksekliği değeri ile yumurta ağırlığı arasındaki korelasyonlar önemli bulunmuştur. Bu saatlerde ak yüksekliği ile yumurta ağırlığı arasındaki regresyon katsayıları sırasıyla 0,0808 ve 0,0809 mm/g olarak, R2 değerleri ise yine sırasıyla %2,44 ve %3,03 olarak belirlenmiştir. Ak yüksekliği ile yumurta ağırlığı arasında, farklı sürü yaşları ve depolama süreleri için geçerli olan sabit bir ilişki bulunamamıştır.

Microwave spectroscopy based on the waveguide technique for the nondestructive freshness evaluation of egg.

A rectangular waveguide equipped with a network analyzer was used to assess the quality indices of shell egg. The scattering parameters of the eggs were acquired in the range of 0.9-1.7 GHz and they were then used to calculate microwave spectra of the samples. PLS and ANN regression methods were implemented to predict the egg quality indices and SIMCA and ANN classification methods were applied to classify the eggs based on their storage time. The best predictive models, however, obtained from ANN analysis where the yolk coefficient, air cell height, thick albumen height, Haugh unit, and albumen pH could be predicted with the residual predictive deviation (RPD) values of 3.500, 3.000, 2.411, 2.033, and 1.829, respectively. To classify the eggs according to their storage time, both SIMCA and ANN analyses resulted in the total accuracy of 100% when return loss spectra were used as the input.

Upgrade of egg quality through different heat-combating systems during high environmental temperature.

The aim of the study was to find out the effect of various heat-combating systems (HCS) on the egg quality characteristics of commercial laying hens during high environmental temperature of the year. Three hundred pullets were wing banded and randomly divided into 15 experimental units comprising of 20 pullets each. These units were randomly allotted to five treatment groups, replicated thrice according to four heat-combating systems (desert cooling, water sprinkling, time limit feeding, ascorbic acid supplementation), and the control was maintained under the same housing system. The mean values of egg weight, eggshell thickness, Haugh unit, thick albumen height, yolk height, and yolk diameter were calculated. The layers kept under the influence of desert cooling produced eggs with more weight and thicker shells than those under other systems. Results of the present study did not show any difference in the shell thickness between water sprinkling and ascorbic acid supplementation as compared to the control group. Haugh unit and yolk index values obtained from the layers kept under various HCS did not significantly differ from those of the control group. All HCS significantly reduced the occurrence of blood spots in the eggs as compared to the control. All the treatments in general markedly reduced the incidence of meat spots in the eggs especially with the supplementation of ascorbic acid being the most effective. Among all of the treatments, the desert cooling system proved to be the best for producing better-quality eggs during hot periods of the year with less humidity.

Effect of extruded amaranth grains on performance, egg traits, fatty acids composition, and selected blood characteristics of laying hens

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of extruded amaranth grains (AMG) in laying hen diets on performance, egg traits, egg yolk fatty acids composition, as well as selected blood characteristics. A total of 60 Lohmann Brown laying hens, 24wk of age, were randomly distributed into 3 dietary treatments and fed for 10wk. The AMG was used at the levels of 0%, 5%, and 10% in the diets of the control and 2 treatment groups, respectively. Each dietary treatment was divided into 4 replicates, comprising of 5 hens each. Hens were housed in a 3-tier battery system. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. Blood samples and eggs were collected after 5wk and at the end of the experiment. Amaranth grain supplementation increased body weight (1.64, 1.66, and 1.72kg for diets containing 0%, 5%, and 10% AMG, respectively; linear, P<0.01). Although hens responded to AMG supplementation linear and quadratically (P<0.01), the greatest egg production and the lowest feed conversion ratio were observed with 5% AMG. No differences in the mean egg weight, eggshell weight, yolk and albumen weight, thick albumen height, Haugh units and breaking strength of eggshells were observed in hens fed AMG-supplemented diets. Also, sensory analysis of eggs did not reveal any differences among hens fed different diets. Fatty acids content of egg yolk was similar in all treatments, although in hens fed 5% AMG, the polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-6), especially linoleic acid, level was slightly greater and the n-6/n-3 acid ratio was decreased. The concentrations of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and glucose level were reduced linearly after 5wk (P=0.01–0.03) by increasing AMG supplementation. The quadratic effect on alanine aminotransferase at wk 5 (P=0.02) and 10 (P<0.01) was also observed. The results showed that dietary inclusion of AMG at the level of 5% increased hen performance and did not negatively influence the hens' health conditions and also quality and sensory traits of eggs.

WIEK NIOSEK A JAKOŚĆ JAJ PRZEPIÓREK FARAON

The quality of Pharaoh quail eggs obtained at 8, 13, 18 and 23 weeks of age was evaluated. Eggs laid by the oldest quail were characterized by the greatest weight (12.2 g), length (32.6 mm), width (25.8 mm) and shell surface area (25.3 cm2). The lowest shell weight was found in eggs from the youngest quail (0.9 g), and the lowest shell proportion (8.2%) was characteristic of eggs from the oldest layers. The oldest quail (23 weeks old) produced eggs with the highest weight and albumen index, and the lowest yolk content. In addition, eggs from 23-week-old layers had the highest height of thick albumen (5.0 mm) and yolk (11.1 mm) after breaking open the egg. Layer age had a significant effect on pH of egg albumen and yolk.

Prediction of Egg's Freshness Using Backward Propagation Neural Network

Chemical, biological, and physical changes occur in eggs with the increase in the number of storage days and the storage condition. One hundred twenty eggs laid on the same day ranging in color from light brown to dark brown and of different size were bought from the local market. The samples were stored in the lab room ambient temperature and relative humidity. The spectral data from 300 to 1100 nm of 20 sample eggs on each alternative days were obtained until the 12th day of storage. Predictive model for Haugh Unit (HU) and thick albumen height was developed using backward propagation neural network (BPN) with Savitzky Golay (SG) third pass filter and Multiplicative Scatter Correction (MSC) pre-processing method. BPN predicted HU with correlation coefficient (R) and Root Mean Square Error of Calibration (RMSEC) of 0.82 and 8.11, respectively. Similarly the BPN predicted the thick albumen height with R and RMSEC of 0.83 and 0.88 mm. The device used in the research for spectral collection is simple and portable and the results obtained are satisfactory, this method can be used to evaluate the freshness of eggs in terms of HU and thick albumen height in the local market.

A waveguide technique for non-destructive determination of egg quality parameters

The input of a waveguide probe for shell eggs was connected to a sinewave sweeper oscillator and the signal at the output was captured by a spectrum analyser. A first analysis was carried out in the range from 3 to 20 GHz with a span of 1 GHz to investigate which 1 GHz frequency range contains most information for predicting the main quality indices of eggs during 15 days of storage. Simple linear regression models were therefore set up and the coefficient of determination was calculated. The absorbance spectra in the range thus identified (from 10.5 to 11.5 GHz) were used to predict the quality indices by means of an artificial neural network (ANN). The R 2 values of the obtained ANN in validation mode were 0.918, 0.854 and 0.912 for the air cell, the thick albumen height and the yolk index, respectively. The correlations between the quality parameters and tests carried out on albumen, yolk and plastic eggs for simulating the air cell showed how one index can be indirectly predicted through another one.

Physical-Mechanical Modifications of Eggs for Food-Processing During Storage

Physical-mechanical properties of egg constituents and their modifications during storage and poststorage greatly influence the efficiency of food processing, such as the separation of white and yolk by mechanical shelling. Thick albumen height, Haugh unit, yolk index and vitelline membrane-yolk system strength of eggs from Hy-Line White and Lohmann Brown hens were analyzed during 7 mo of storage at 0°C performing 3 poststorage treatments: i) immediately after refrigeration, T1; ii) after a further 6 h at 18°C after refrigeration, T2; and iii) after a week at 18°C after refrigeration, T3. For all qualitative parameters considered, this last poststorage treatment appeared to be the factor that produced the highest decrements; with respect to the first poststorage treatment, a further week at 18°C after refrigeration can involve mean decreases of about 19, 14, 14, and 16% in thick albumen height, Haugh unit, yolk index, and vitelline membrane-yolk system strength (in terms of maximum force), respectively. During about 7 mo of storage at 0°C, the latter parameter decreases, on average, by 10%. Increasing the storage time, physical-mechanical behavior was sometimes divergent from the observed trends.

A dielectric technique based on a one-chip network analyser to predict the quality indices of shell eggs

The present study investigates the possibility of predicting the main quality indices of shell eggs by means of a dielectric technique based on a capacitor probe and a fully integrated RF circuit for measuring the amplitude and phase differences between two independent input signals. Samples of eggs were submitted to dielectric measurements in the range 50–500 MHz after 1, 2, 4, 8, and 15 days of storage at room temperature (20 °C). Immediately after testing, the air cell and the thick albumen heights, the Haugh unit and the yolk index of eggs were destructively measured. Statistical models obtained by processing dielectric spectra and quality indices determined by means of partial least square (PLS) analysis showed coefficients of determination (R2) values up to 0.996 for the time of storage, 0.876 for the air cell height, and 0.678 for the thick albumen height. Accurate predictions were also obtained for models based on selected narrow spectral regions.

Quality Evaluation of Shell Eggs During Storage Using a Dielectric Technique

This article reports on investigating the possibility of non-destructively predicting basic quality parameters of shell eggs using an open-ended coaxial probe dielectric measurement technique. The studied parameters include yolk index, thick albumen height, and Haugh unit as well as air cell size as a function of storage duration at room temperature. The probe was connected to an impedance analyzer from which the dielectric spectra (dielectric constant and loss factor) were collected using a data logger and analyzed by means of partial least squares (PLS) analysis. The tests were carried out in the 10 to 1800 MHz frequency band on shell eggs stored for 1, 2, 4, 8 and 15 days at 22°C, positioning the probe in three different points on the shell eggs. For storage duration, the results showed R2 values up to 0.985 and 0.980 in cross-validation and test-set validation, respectively, while the R2 for the air cell height was up to 0.927 and 0.921, respectively. Yolk index, thick albumen height, and Haugh unit were also predicted with R2 values ranging from 0.526 to 0.728 (test-set validation). No substantial differences in prediction power emerged by using the dielectric constant, loss factor spectra, or position of the probe on the shell egg. The best frequency band for prediction was from 10 to 700 MHz.

Changes in the Biological Value of Duck Eggs Defined by Egg Quality

The aim of the present paper was to evaluate the biological value of duck eggs based on the morphological composition and physical traits during lay. Eggs were tested, with 3-week intervals, up to the 22 nd lay week. It was demonstrated that over lay, the egg weight and surface area, shell thickness and density as well as the number of pores throughout the shell surface increased. The egg contents analysis showed that during lay the weight and percentage share of yolk and thin albumen increased, while a decrease was found in the weight and share of thick albumen and the density of yolk and both fractions of albumen as well as the height of thick albumen and Haugh unit score, which can deteriorate the biological value of eggs.

SHELL EGG ALBUMEN HEIGHT ASSESSMENT BY FT-NIR SPECTROSCOPY

Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy was used for quantitative measurements of thick albumenheight. By means of a fiber optic probe in direct contact with the shell, non-destructive acquisitions by diffuse reflectancewere carried out to establish a model to predict this egg quality index. After breaking the egg and measuring the referenceparameter albumen height, transmission acquisitions of the thick portion of the albumen were also performed. The predictivemodels obtained from the two experiments showed a good correlation in terms of coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.819for non-destructive analysis, and R2 = 0.764 for transmission measurements) between the spectral data and the thick albumenheight. In both cases, about 80% of the eggs that were not used for model development were predicted with a maximum errorof 1 mm.

Appraisal of the York Electronics egg quality testing equipment when used by several operators

This equipment records egg weight (g) shell colour (% reflectance) shell weight (g) and thick albumen height (measured on an egg broken out onto a flat plane), and through the connection with a dedicated microprocessor derives the Haugh units (a logarithmically transformed measure of albumen height) and shell weight per unit surface area (mg/cm2). Means, standard deviations and coefficients of variation for a batch are transferred to a printer and/or microprocessor.Experiment 1Three operators each made three sequential measurements of egg weight and shell colour on 31 eggs, each record being automatically captured by the microprocessor.Experiment 2Using the same procedure four operators made two sequential measurements of egg weight, shell colour and albumen height on 30 eggs.

The correlation between height of thick albumen, yolk diameter, shape index and the position of the yolk after storage

Synopsis From about 100 White Leghorn hens the following characteristics were determined on samples of four eggs per hen: The shift of the yolk during a storage period of 7 d at a temperature of 20 °G The height of the thick albumen directly after lay, and at the end of the storage period The diameter of the yolk The shape index of the egg. The correlation, on a hen basis, between the shift of the yolk and the other above‐mentioned traits was only of very minor importance. This means that one of the arguments on the basis of which the height of the thick albumen was used as a criterion for the internal quality of eggs—the influence of the thick white on the central position of the yolk—has lost much of its significance. In addition the same measurements were made on eggs from 12 entries at the Random Sample Testing Station at Putten. Here samples of 20 eggs per entry were taken. Contrary to expectation the combination of a large amount of thick albumen and a large shift of the yolk proved to be the rule rather than the exception.

A Digital Egg Albumen Height Measurement Gauge

INTRODUCTIONTHE height of thick albumen in broken-out eggs is combined with egg weight to express albumen height in Haugh units, one of a number of parameters commonly used to assess egg quality (Haugh, 1937; Brant et al., 1951; Wells, 1968). The gauge generally employed for measuring albumen height is a direct reading, tripod micrometer (Fig. 1) which was introduced by Brant (1951) and is available commercially (B. C. Ames Co., Waltham, Mass.). When using the micrometer to measure albumen height, the operator must carefully observe the measuring tip to detect the critical point at which the tip just touches the albumen. This necessary care of measurement increases the time required to complete the measurement and can introduce errors due to operator fatigue. The instrument herein described displays the measuring tip height on an easy-to-read, digital meter. Electronic circuitry detects the point of contact of the measuring tip with the…