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Factors Affecting Egg Quality |
 
Who saw this article? New!
Author: R. Scott Beyer, Poultry Specialist - EP-127 publication, Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
Publication date: 07/22/2008
Many factors affect egg quality. Sometimes the cause is not a single factor but a combination of factors. A few of these problems can be prevented or reduced by good hen management. Producers should remember that genetics, feed quality and environment play a role in egg quality. The most reliable factor is age. A young pullet produces smaller eggs with strong egg shells and albumen that stands high. As the hen ages, the shells thin, and the albumen begins to weaken and run. Hens can be molted to induce another egg cycle, which will improve egg quality, or they will need to be replaced with young pullets.
The following charts summarize factors that may affect egg quality and suggest corrective measures. As more emphasis is placed on egg quality, it is important that all possible defects be eliminated. When defects are found, consult the chart for possible causes and solutions.
Condition
|
Causes |
Corrective Measures |
Thin, sandy, misshapen,
rough, ridged or
soft |
Age of hens |
Replace after 12 to 14 months of lay |
|
Arasan, Tetrame
Thylthiuram Disulfide); used to control mold and fungus
growth |
Do not include arasan treated grains in the diet of layers. Law requires that treated grain be dyed. |
|
Sulfanilamide (sulfa drugs) |
Use according to accepted recommendations |
|
High constant temperatures |
Control temperature. Provide plenty of water |
|
Respiratory diseases
(Newcastle, infectious
bronchitis and
laryngotracheitis) |
Follow a recommended program for vaccination and disease prevention in poultry |
|
High salt (NaCl) |
Feed less salt |
|
Drugs for rodent control |
Keep rat bait away from poultry |
|
Fright |
Avoid sudden noises. Approach birds cautiously |
|
Reduced calcium intake |
Provide 3 percent calcium during cool weather
Provide 4 percent calcium during warm weather |
|
Heredity |
Select strains that produce eggs of good shell |
| Abnormal color (brown to yellow) |
Nicarbazine; a treatment
for coccidiosis in broilers |
Do not feed to layers |
|
Chlortetracycline (600-800
gm/ton), Aureomycin |
Use according to accepted recommendations |
|
Gas lead in lines or burners |
Maintain tight connections in gas line, keep burners in excellent working condition and provide ventilation in areas where gas is used to heat egg rooms |
| White to brown |
Iron (FeSO4), (7H2O)
0.1 ppm |
Have iron content checked in water used for washing eggs. Keep below 0.1 ppm |
| Faded color |
Low calcium in diets of
turkeys |
Raise calcium levels for increased shell color and improved shell thickness |
Mottling of shell
(bright spots or moist appearance
around pores, observed by
candling) |
Water retained by protein
in spongy layer of the shell |
Do not mistake for a crack or cracks in the shell. Maintain 80 percent humidity in egg room |
| Porosity |
Age and breed of hens, environmental
temperatures, and
season of year |
Keep hen house cooler, hold eggs in cool place, sell hens after 12 to 14 months of lay or molt, and select strain bred for good shell texture |
Tremulous or moving air cell
(observed by candling) |
Rough handling |
Observe and make necessary alterations in egg-handling practices |
| Tainted shells |
Paradichlorbenzene
(moth repellant) |
Do not feed to birds |
Condition |
Causes |
Corrective Measures |
| Pink egg whites |
Cottonseed meal (often
found in cattle rations) |
Avoid using in the diet of layers |
Weak, thin or
watery whites |
Age of hens |
Replace hens after 12 to 14 months of lay |
|
Ammonia from droppings |
Better ventilation, use superphosphate on litter and manure and remove droppings regularly |
|
Increased alkalinity, (pH)-Loss of CO2 |
Use a shell coating such as oil or refrigerated temperatures (40 to 55ºF) |
|
Respiratory diseases (Newcastle,
infectious bronchitis
and laryngotracheitis) |
Follow a recommended program of vaccination and disease prevention in poultry |
|
Heredity |
Select strains of known egg white (albumen) quality |
|
Arasan |
Do not use arasan treated grains in the diet of layers |
|
Vanadium |
Use sources of phosphorus in feeds known to have low amounts or none |
|
High environmental temperatures |
Collect egg often (three to five times a day) and hold in refrigerated temperatures (40 to 55ºF) |
|
Sulfanilamide (sulfa drugs) |
Use according to accepted recommendations |
Flecks or spots in
albumen |
Partially cooked |
Avoid excessive heat when washing eggs |
|
Blood and meat spots |
Select strains known for clear egg whites (albumen) |
Green rot and other type of
microbial
spoilage |
Microorganisms, including bacteria,
molds, and fungi |
Maintain clean nesting material. Gather eggs frequently (three to five times a day). Use clean water for washing eggs. Maintain temperature of egg wash water (100 to 120ºF) above that of the egg at all times. Use recommended amounts of detergents and sanitizers. Keep equipment clean. Use clean packing material. Keep eggs refrigerated. Green rot is easily detected with an ultraviolet lamp candler. Other types of advanced spoilage are easily detected with regular candling techniques. Egg wash water containing 0.4 ppm of iron can promote bacterial spoilage. |
| Cloudy white |
Prompt oiling of newly laid shell eggs |
Delay oiling for one to six hours after eggs are laid. |
|
Prompt refrigeration of newly laid
shell eggs at 32ºF |
Keep eggs refrigerated below 45ºF |
| Off-odors and flavors |
Chemicals for treating parasites.
Odorous flowers, fruits, and
vegetables in egg storage areas |
Use chemicals recommended for lice and mite control. Do not use materials capable of imparting odors or flavors to eggs such as BHC, Lindane or Hexaphene. Do not store flowers, fruits and vegetables in the same area with eggs |
| Blood and meat spots |
Hemorrhaging before and during
ovulation |
Tranquilizers, vitamins A and K, and aureomycin |
|
Breed |
Select strains with low incidence |
|
Continuous intermittent periods of
light |
Use 14 hours of light |
|
Color or pogment caused by porphyrin
as found in the brown shell egg |
Select strains with low incidence |
Condition
|
Causes |
Corrective Measures |
Olive- or salmon-
colored yolks |
5 percent or more
cottonseed meal (found
in some cattle diets) |
Avoid its use in the diet of layers. Do not allow free-range poultry to consume spilled cattle feed |
Platinum yolks
(colorless yolks) |
Possible infection (causative
agent unknown) |
Antibiotics (200 gm aureomycin and 2 lbs NF-180 per ton of feed for seven days) |
| Colorless yolks |
Lack of xanthophyll |
Consideration should be given to the source of xanthophyll such as yellow corn meal, alfalfa leaf meal, etc |
| Green yolks |
100 to 250 mg of sodium
chlorophyllin in feed |
Avoid feeding to hens |
|
Seed pods of Shepperd's
purse and pennycress |
Use clean grains in feeding programs |
Greenish-brown
yolks |
5 gm or more of pimento
peppers daily to each hen |
Use smaller amounts for a desirable color in the egg yolks |
Orange-pink
yolks |
Red pepper |
Avoid feeding to hens |
Yellow to orange
yolks |
Seaweed meal (algae),
dehydrated alfalfa meal, corn
gluten meal, flower petal meal,
dried chili peppers, powdered
African red peppers, dried
sweet potatoes, dried carrots,
corn oil products, food grade
fat soluble dyes, etc |
Feed recommended levels of xanthophyll bearing materials for desired egg yolk color.
Yellow= 13 mg of xanthophyll per lb of feed
Medium orange= 23 mg of xanthophyll per lb of feed
Orange= 34 mg of xanthophyll per lb of feed
Maximum color will be present 10 days after the hens are placed on feeds for yolk color |
Misplaced egg
yolks |
Large end up with yolk in large
end - thin egg white and/or fat
content of yolk. Large end up
with yolk in small end - thin egg
white and/or water content of
yolk |
Use accepted quality control practices while gathering and storing eggs in a cooled atmosphere |
Blood and meat
spots |
Hemorrhages (ovarian, may be
inherited) |
Select strains with low incidence. Older breeds have approximately 30 percent blood spots in eggs |
Mottled or
blemished yolks |
Nicarbazine |
Do not feed to layers |
|
Cottonseed meal |
Avoid feeding to layers |
|
Piperazine citrate |
Do not use frquently or continuously |
|
Movement of water from egg
white across vitelline membrane
into yolk material |
Cool eggs quickly and keep cool. Use other accepted quality control practices |
Thick, pasty, rubbery
or cheese-like |
Crude cottonseed oil (malvalic
acid and sterculic acid) |
Avoid feeding to layers |
|
Yolks laid internally |
Remove offending birds from the flock |
Apparent
misplaced egg
yolk (observed
in the whole
egg by
candling) |
Unknown |
The egg positioned with the small end down may help correct this situation |
| Off-odors and flavors |
Chemicals for treating parasites.
Odorous fruits and vegetables in egg storage area |
Use of chemicals recommended for the lice and mite control. Do not use materials capable of imparting odors or flavors to eggs such as BHC, Lindane or Hexaphene. Do not store flowers, fruits, vegetables or petroleum products with eggs |
|
Chemicals or egg washing compounds |
Do not place egg-washing powders or liquids directly on eggs |
| Flat |
Weak vitelline membrane |
Gather eggs often (three to five times a day). Maintain temperatures of 40 to 55ºF. Market often |
| Stuck yolks |
Necastle disease |
Use recommended vaccine |
|
Storage at high temperature |
Store at 40 to 55ºF |
Author: R. Scott Beyer, Poultry Specialist - EP-127 publication, Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
Publication date: 07/22/2008
Who saw this article? New!
 DISCUSSIONS ON THIS ISSUE.
 
| 07/23/2008 |
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Very useful and informative article.
Dr. Munawar Ali | Answer Checked by Engormix.com  |
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| 07/25/2008 |
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Excellent paper. We need such short cut brief papers that are helpful regarding to parent stocks and layers industry. | | Answer Checked by Engormix.com |
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| 08/04/2008 |
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Avian Influenza is also affecting egg quality. There is not a single word about this disease which is the challenge of the day. | | Answer Checked by Engormix.com |
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| 08/08/2008 |
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Dr.kanagaraj Chinnasamy
Tamil Nadu [Madras] - India |
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The information that I read was really excellent since I am so specific in the broiler breeder management. Thanks a lot. | | Answer Checked by Engormix.com |
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ENGOREART AVG 20080829
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