Interior Egg Quality Research Articles

Effects of the Northern Fowl Mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini and Fanzago), on Egg Quality of White Leghorn Hens

Interior egg quality and shell thickness of eggs from hens infested with the northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini and Fanzago), were compared with eggs from mite free hens. Egg shells of mite infested hens were significantly thicker (P≤.05) but within the normal biological range. There were no differences in either Haugh units or yolk color between the two groups of hens.

Studies with Clinoptilolite in Poultry: I. Effect of Feeding Varying Levels of Clinoptilolite (Zeolite) to Dwarf Single Comb White Leghorn Pullets and Ammonia Production

An experiment involving 240 10-month-old dwarf Single Comb White Leghorn layers was carried out to study the effect of feeding clinoptilolite on layer performance and to exploit the ion exchange ability of clinoptilolite for ammonium ion. The layers were housed in individual cages in a naturally-ventilated cage house and fed rations containing 0, 2.5, 5, and 10% clinoptilolite for six 28-day periods. No significant differences in mortality, egg weight, body weight gains, shell quality, or interior egg quality were noticed between the treatments. Significant treatment effects were found in percent egg production, daily feed consumed per layer, feed conversion, and fecal moisture level. Layers fed the 10% clinoptilolite ration produced more daily wet manure per layer than layers fed no clinoptilolite. There were also more tota l dried feces and nonvolatile solids from layers fed rations containing 10% clinoptilolite than layers fed rations without clinoptilolite. However, volatile solids in the dried feces from 10% clinoptilolite-fed layers were less than in dried feces from feeding no clinoptilolite. Fecal pH unit changes after 7 days storage of fecal samples were slightly more in feces from the 10% clinoptilolite-fed layers than in feces from layers fed no clinoptilolite. No consistent lowering trend of fecal ammonia evolution rate was noticed between the fecal samples from layers fed 0 and 10% clinoptilolite. A fishy odor from fecal samples from the 10% clinoptilolite-fed layers was detected.

Studies on the Keeping Interior Quality of Chicken Eggs

Studies on the Keeping Interior Quality of Chicken Eggs

Dietary Chromium and Interior Egg Quality

Effects of supplementing a corn-soy diet with chromium, vanadium and other ingredients on interior egg quality of caged layer hens were investigated. Although including 10 ppm chromium or 10% distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) significantly increased Haugh units in one experiment, no significant improvement was obtained by adding chromium to the basal diet in four subsequent experiments nor did DDGS show an improvement when included as a treatment in one of the latter experiments. In the first experiment, a combination of chromium and DDGS gave no further improvement in interior egg quality. No significant difference in glucose utilization was observed between hens fed diets with and without chromium.Vanadium significantly reduced Haugh unit values, but the marked deterioration of albumen quality caused by adding 10 or 20 ppm vanadium was significantly counteracted by adding chromium to the diet in all experiments. The effect of dietary zinc on Haugh units was not consistent.The results of these studies demonstrate that chromium is effective in counteracting the deleterious effect of vanadium on interior egg quality and indicate that chromium may be essential for maintenance of the normal physical state of egg albumen.

Examination of Corn Dried Steep Liquor Concentrate and Various Feed Additives as Potential Sources of a Haugh Unit Improvement Factor for Laying Hens

Dried steep liquor concentrate (DSLC), a blend of fractions from the wet milling of corn, resulted in significant improvements in interior egg quality expressed as Haugh units in three experiments. The addition of ascorbic acid at .25% resulted in significant Haugh unit improvement in two of three experiments, but ascorbic acid analysis of diets containing DSLC suggest that this vitamin is not a component of the factor in DSLC responsible for improved Haugh units. Other factors in which DSLC is nutritionally potent such as lactic acid, inositol, biotin, and glutamic acid do not appear to have any influence on interior egg quality.

Survey of the Methods for Long Term Storage of Poultry Eggs

The effects of washing and coating materials on interior quality of chicken eggs were studied. Eggs were divided into 8 treatment groups: (1) Unwashed and uncoated. (2) Washed and uncoated. (3) Unwashed and corn oil coated. (4) Washed and corn oil coated. (5) Unwashed and liquid paraffin coated. (6) Washed and liquid paraffin coated. (7) Unwashed and 2.0% sucrose-fatty acid ester emulsion coated. (8) Washed and 2.0% sucrose-fatty acid ester emulsion coated. All were kept in a 25°C box for 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 weeks, and broken for the measurement of interior quality of eggs.Regressed equations between storage time and the egg quality (Haugh units, yolk height and weight loss) were obtained. Similar equations were obtained with washed and unwashed eggs coated with the same material, except for the equations between storage time and weight loss in sucrose-fatty acid ester emulsion-coated groups. Coating with corn oil or liquid paraffin was much more effective than that with sucrose-fatty acid ester emulsion to keep interior quality of eggs for 13 weeks.

Studies on the Keeping Interior Quality of Chicken Eggs

From the food hygienic point of view, we have investigated on the problems of lipid peroxidation and migration into edible part (albumen and yolk) of edible vegetable oils coated to egg shell.The peroxide values were measured colorimetrically for lipids from shell with shell membrane and the edible part of eggs coated with five kinds of edible vegetable oils, which were prepared from a palm oil and a safflower oil which were subjected to fractional distillation, and from a coconut oil, as three kinds of a palm oil and safflower oil mixtures supplemented with 0, 150, and 300ppm of α-tocopherol, a coconut oil, and a palm oil, coconut oil and safflower oil mixture. The coated and uncoated eggs were held in a box at a room (temperature: 25-31°C; relative humidity: 60-93%) for 5 weeks in summer, and the peroxide values were determined weekly. The peroxide values of lipids from shell with shell membrane of the coated eggs ranged from 1.3 to 6.7meq/kg among the five kinds of oils used through storage period for 5 weeks. The corresponding figures for the edible parts gave less than 0.4meq/kg, while the edible part from the coated eggs tended to have peroxide value a slightly higher than that from the uncoated eggs from 2nd week through 5th week, with the latter remaining at about 0.1meq/kg.The migration amount of the palm oil and safflower oil mixture, which has a radioactivity of 2, 890cpm of carboxyl-14C-tripalmitin per mg, into the edible part have been investigated next. The coated eggs were held in a room (temperature: 14-28°C) for 60 days in early summer, and the respective radioactivities for the portions of egg shell, shell membrane and edible part (albumen and yolk) were measured. The migration amount of carboxyl-14C-tripalmitin into the edible part ranged from 0.07 to 0.39% of the amount (about 52mg) used for coating egg shell, but most of the radioactivity remained in egg shell and shell membrane. The obtained migration amounts of carboxyl-14C-tripalmitin in this experimnent were found to be about one-twentieth to one-tenth of the migration amount for mineral oil (liquid paraffin) reported in the literatures.

Studies on the Keeping Interior Quality of Chicken Eggs

Studies on the Keeping Interior Quality of Chicken Eggs

Interior Egg Quality: Improvement by Distillers Feeds and Trace Elements

The effect of including distillers dried grains with solubles (DDG/S), additional trace minerals, and other supplements in a corn-soy ration for laying hens on changes in interior egg quality as measured by Haugh units was investigated. In the first experiment, both 10% DDG/S and 10% brewers dried grains significantly increased Haugh units. In the second experiment Haugh units were again significantly increased by 10% DDG/S but this supplement did not counteract a marked depression in Haugh units caused by adding 20 mg/kg vanadium to the diet. Feeding different levels of DDG/S in a third experiment showed that a level of 2.5% significantly increased Haugh units but a level of 10% was needed for a maximum response. Adding extra trace elements, but not doubling the vitamin premix, significandy increased Haugh units. In a fourth experiment, adding extra Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Se significantly increased Haugh units, but V, Sn, Ni, and Mo did not. Neither DDG/S nor distillers dried solubles significantly affected Haugh units in a fifth experiment. The results of these experiments show that feed ingredients such as DDG/S and brewers dried grains contain a factor that generally improves interior egg quality and suggest that the factor may be a trace element(s).

Improvement in Interior Egg Quality and Reduction in Liver Fat in Hens Fed Brewers Dried Grains

Two experiments were conducted with cage layer hens to determine the effect of various levels of dietary brewers dried grains on liver fat accumulation and performance. The first experiment was conducted from September to February and the second from May to August. Liver fat per unit of body weight was significantly reduced by including 20% brewers dried grains in both pelleted and unpelleted diets below that observed with the corresponding basal diets in the summer experiment, but not in the winter experiment. An intermediate response was obtained with 10% brewers dried grains in the summer experiment.Adding 20% brewers dried grains significantly improved interior egg quality as measured by Haugh units in both experiments. Smaller increases in Haugh units were observed with lower levels of brewers dried grains.Egg production was not significantly different among the dietary treatments in the summer experiment, but was significantly lower with 20% brewers dried grains in the winter experiment. Adding lysine to the diet with the 20% brewers dried grains slightly improved rate of production, but not significantly (P > 0.05). Differences in egg weight, body weight change, fertility, hatchability of fertile eggs, egg shell quality, and feed consumption per hen per day were not significantly different among the dietary treatments in either experiment. Daily intake of calculated metabolizable energy calories per hen was reduced with 10% or more brewers dried grains in both experiments. The results indicate that economic evaluation of brewers dried grains for layer diets based solely on metabolizable energy content (1760 kcal./kg.) underestimates its value.

An Improvement in Interior Egg Quality by the Feeding of Brewers Dried Grains

Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of feeding brewers dried grains (BDG) upon interior quality of eggs. Four basal diets containing 11.84, 13.07, 14.30, or 16.00% protein were fed for a ten-month experimental period. In addition, in Experiment 1 diets containing 13.07 and 14.30% protein were fed with the inclusion of either 5 or 10% BDG or a BDG-yeast mixture (95%-5%). In Experiment 2, all four levels of protein were fed with and without the addition of BDG.Increasing the level of dietary protein did not influence interior quality of eggs. However, the addition of BDG or the BDG-yeast mixture resulted in a significant improvement of interior egg quality (Experiment 1) and the inclusion of BDG resulted in numerically increased interior quality in Experiment 2. In all cases, egg production was equal or numerically better with BDG in the diet.

Interior Quality Decline in Eggs Cartoned and Sealed in Plastic Bags

Two trials were conducted to determine the effects of warm cartoning and subsequent sealing on the interior quality of shell eggs. In one trial, eggs from young layers (high initial egg quality) were used. In a second trial, eggs from older layers (low initial egg quality) were used. Both trials were conducted during hot weather. Eggs were (1) cooled for 24 hours prior to cartoning; (2) cartoned on day of lay and placed in the cooler, cartoned on day of lay, held at 23°C. and placed in the cooler either (3) one day later; or (4) two days later. In addition, one-half of the eggs in each treatment were sealed in plastic bags immediately after cartoning. Eggs cartoned warm and placed in the cooler, eggs cartoned, sealed and placed in the cooler up to two days later, and eggs cooled prior to cartoning did not differ in interior egg quality after a two-week storage period. Generally eggs which were not cooled on day of lay and were not sealed had a lower interior egg quality after two weeks of storage at 12°C. than those eggs cooled prior to cartoning or cartoned warm and sealed.

Effect of Type of Package and Storage Temperature on Interior Quality of Shell Treated Shell Eggs

The effectiveness of four egg carton types as measured by the preservation of interior quality of eggs stored at two temperatures for two weeks was evaluated. Eggs stored in a cooler (12°C.) were superior in practically all aspects of quality to those stored at room temperature (22°C) . The type of carton seemed to have little influence on eggs stored in the cooler. However, for eggs maintained at room temperature, the carton was very important. Eggs packed in the individual cell carton exhibited higher quality attributes (Haugh units and albumen pH) than eggs packed in other types of cartons. Both the individually sealed egg carton and the paper carton sealed in plastic overwrap maintained the interior quality of the eggs at either temperature, but eggs from these treatments had shells that were more difficult to remove after hard cooking.

An Evaluation of Interior Quality of Shell Eggs Packed in the Carton While Still Warm

The interior quality of warm shell eggs packed in cartons was compared with that of eggs pre-cooled prior to cartoning. Five carton types were used for a two-week refrigerated storage period. After two weeks, there was no difference in weight loss between the two methods of packing. Eggs packed in molded pulp cartons lost more weight than those packed in plastic foam cartons. There was no difference in interior quality between pre-cooled and warm cartoned eggs after two weeks of refrigerated storage.

Yolk Position in Hard Cooked Eggs as Related to Heredity, Age and Cooking Position

Eggs from 24 strains were stored at 12° C. for 4 and 11 days. An equal number of eggs from each strain and storage time were divided into 3 groups: 1) raw, 2) cooked-on-side, and 3) cooked-on-end. Yolk position of the raw and hard cooked eggs was studied with respect to heredity, age of egg, and for the cooked eggs, egg position during heating. In addition, Haugh units and U.S.D.A. scores were observed for a possible relationship with yolk position. Yolk position in the hard cooked eggs was significantly influenced by heredity, age of egg, and position during heating. No significant relationships were found between interior quality and yolk position of raw and hard cooked eggs.

Survey of the Methods for Long Term Storage of Poultry Eggs

Effect of liquid n-paraffin (Crystol-70, Esso) coating shell on the egg quality during the storage was studied. Eggs within 12 hours after lay were oiled (0.3ml/egg) with an electric sprayer. Oiled (2310) and untreated (2310) eggs were placed in an unairconditioned room for the periods of December 5-April 4, February 3-June 3, April 14-August 12, June 6-October 4, August 6-December 4, and October 2-January 30, and in a refrigerator (4-5°C) for the period of April 22-August 20. Thirty untreated eggs and 30 oiled eggs were weighed and broken for the measuremenets of albumen height and yolk height on the 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 th day of the storage.Average Haugh units, albumen height, yolk height and decrease in egg weight are given in Table 1, Table 2, Table 3 and Table 4, respectively. The relationship of oiling treatment, storage temperature and storage time to Haugh unit, albumen height, yolk height and decrease in egg weight are illustrated in Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, and Figure 4, respectively.Although oiling eggs resulted in a significantly higher interior quality of eggs either in winter seasons or in refrigerator, the effect of oiling was more pronounced for the maintenance of interior quality of eggs in the storage experiment during the warm (April-October) months.Oiling treatment significantly reduced the incidence of rotten eggs or eggs with a collapsed yolk when stored during the summer season (Table 5).Agarose gel-electropherogram of albumen of eggs stored for 120 days revealed a significant difference in protein zones between oiled and untreated eggs. Electrophoretic protein zones of oiled eggs which were stored for 120 days were similar to those of the fresh eggs (Fig. 5).

Fly Control and Chronic Toxicity from Feeding Dursban® (0,0-Diethyl 0–3, 5, 6-Trichloro-2-Pyridyl Phosphorothioate) to Laying Hens ,

The effects of administering technical Dursban at concentrations of 25, 50, and 200 p.p.m. in the feed of laying hens were studied over a 52 week period. The estimated mean daily intake of Dursban was 2.48, 5.12, and 20.44 mg. per hen for those receiving 25, 50, and 200 p.p.m., respectively. Dursban at 50 p.p.m. resulted in excellent control of larvae of Musca domestica L., Fannia pusio (Wiedemann), Chrysomya megacephala (F.), and Boettcherisca peregrina (Robineau-Desvoidy) but only moderate control of Parasarcophaga argyrostoma (Robineau-Desvoidy). No hen mortality occurred that could be attributed to the insecticidal treatment. There was a direct relationship between Dursban concentration and blood plasma cholinesterase inhibition. However, overall feed consumption, body weight, egg production, feed efficiency, egg weight, interior egg quality, and shell thickness were normal. Eggs from treated hens had no detectable off-flavors or off-odors.

Fly control and chronic toxicity from feeding two chlorinated organophosphorus insecticides to laying hens.

The effects of administering technical SD-8211 (2-chloro-1-(2,5-dichlorophenyl) vinyl dimethlyl phosphate) and SD-8280 (2-chloro-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl) vinyl dimethyl phosphate) at concentrations of 50, 200, and 800 ppm in the feed of laying hens for 1 year were studied. The mean daily intake of actual insecticide per hen was estimated as 5.2, 20.4, and 84.2 mg for those receiving 50, 200, and 800 ppm of SD-821, respectively, and 5.3, 20.8, and 80.3 mg for those receiving 50, 200, and 800 ppm SD 8280, repectively. More effective fly control was obtained in droppings from SD-8280-treated hens than from SD8211-treated hens. Levels as low as 50 ppm resulted in moderate control of the house fly. Musca domestica L, and a flesh fly, Boettcherisca peregrina (Robineau-Desvoidy), but at least 200 ppm were required for good control of these species and moderate control of an anthomyid, Fannia pusio (Wiedemann); a blow fly, Chrysomya megacephala (F.); and a flesh fly, Parasarcophaga argyrostoma (Robineau-Desvoidy). No hen mortality occurred that could be attributed to insecticidal treatment, but there was an inhibiting effect on blood plasma cholinesterase activity related to insecticidal concentration. Egg production was slightly lower in hens fed 800 ppm SD-8280 than in the control hens. However, overall feed consumption, body weight, feed efficiency, egg weight, interior egg quality, shell thickness, egg flavor, and egg odor were normal in all treated hens.

Tolerance Levels of Free Gossypol in Layer Diets as Influenced by Iron: Gossypol Ratios

Studies were conducted with commercial egg production-type hens to attempt to more closely define the levels of gossypol which could be acceptable and to determine the effectiveness of iron salts in reducing or eliminating the gossypol-induced olive yolk discoloration over a wide range of gossypol levels.Rate of egg production, egg weight, interior egg quality and feed intake were not significantly depressed at dietary free gossypol levels up to 200 p.p.m. However, dietary levels greater than 50 p.p.m. produced an increasing number of objectionable olive colored yolks. The addition of ferrous sulfate at 4:1 and 8:1 iron: gossypol ratios were fairly effective in eliminating the number of objectionable eggs up to 100 p.p.m. free gossypol but less effective at higher gossypol levels.

The Use of Extremely Low Dietary Calcium to Alter the Production Pattern of Laying Hens

The effect of reducing the calcium level of a cage layer diet to 0.09 percent was studied. The commercial egg production-type hens used in these studies had been in production for six or ten months and had received diets containing 3.0 percent calcium. After receiving the low calcium diet for three days, many hens exhibited a paralysis; however, after a pause in production for one day, they were able to stand and function normally. After 14 days on the low calcium diet, production had dropped to 12 percent (experiment 1) and three percent (experiment 2). Upon return to the basal diet containing 3.0 percent calcium, production increased to a level either equal to or higher than the control group within 21 to 28 days. Another group was returned to the basal diet after 42 days on the low calcium diet with resumption in production similar to the 14-day low calcium group.Measurements taken after the low calcium fed birds had returned to control level of production showed interior egg quality and egg shell thickness to be equal to or better than the controls for those birds fed the low calcium feed. No significant differences were found in body weight. Although mortality was higher for birds fed the low calcium dietary treatments in experiment 1, no differences were found in mortality among treatments in experiment 2.One group of hens in experiment 2 was kept on low calcium for 140 days. These birds did not molt and appeared to be in production from outward appearances as did all birds on low calcium diets. Necropsy showed birds on the low calcium diet to have apparently functional ovaries and oviducts; however, the majority were found to be internal layers.