Tag Archives: egg quality

687–693 L.C.S.R. Freitas, I.F.F. Tinôco, F.C. Baêta, M. Barbari, L. Conti, C.G.S. Teles Júnior, M.G.L. Cândido, C.V. Morais and F.C. Sousa
Correlation between egg quality parameters, housing thermal conditions and age of laying hens
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Correlation between egg quality parameters, housing thermal conditions and age of laying hens

L.C.S.R. Freitas¹, I.F.F. Tinôco¹, F.C. Baêta¹, M. Barbari²*, L. Conti², C.G.S. Teles Júnior¹, M.G.L. Cândido¹, C.V. Morais¹ and F.C. Sousa¹

¹ Federal University of Viçosa, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Avenue Peter Henry Rolfs, University Campus, BR36570-900, Viçosa-MG, Brazil
² University of Firenze, Department of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Systems, Via San Bonaventura, 13, IT50145 Firenze, Italy
*Correspondence: matteo.barbari@unifi.it; leticia.ramos@ufv.br

Abstract:

High environmental temperatures cause a decrease in feed consumption by laying hens and, as a consequence, a reduction of productive performance and egg weight. The hens age is a factor influencing the albumen quality that tends to be more liquefied in older hens. Such variable is analysed by the determination of the Haugh Unit.
The correlations between the egg quality variables (egg weight and Haugh Unit), the  thermohygrometric conditions in the facility and the age of laying hens were determined in the study and evaluated based on the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and their significance at the 5% level. The microclimatic data and the eggs were collected in 20 points of poultry facility with birds of 43, 56, 69, 79 and 86 weeks of age, totalling 100 samples.
The results show significant correlations between egg weight and temperature (r = -0.238), egg weight and hens age (r = 0.310), Haugh Unit index and hens age (r = -0.256); a non-significant correlation between the quality parameters with the relative humidity of the air inside the barn. The egg weight had a weak negative correlation with the ambient temperature and a weak positive correlation with the hens age. Concerning the Haugh Unit, a weak negative correlation with the age of the animals was found. The weak or non-existent correlation of temperature with egg quality parameters can be due to the environmental conditions that remained in the range of thermal comfort for the animals during the trials.

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662-667 D. Matt, E. Veromann and A. Luik
Effect of housing systems on biochemical composition of chicken eggs
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Effect of housing systems on biochemical composition of chicken eggs

D. Matt, E. Veromann and A. Luik

Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences,Kreutzwaldi 1, EE51014 Tartu, Estonia; tel: +372 7425 010; e-mail: darja.matt@emu.ee

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of production system (organic, conventional) on the quality of chicken eggs. Energetic value, carbohydrate, cholesterol, protein, fatty acid, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, dry matter and vitamin contents were evaluated. The mean content of cholesterol was 30%, and potassium 7%, greater in the organic eggs compared with the conventional eggs. No significant difference was found in the content of fatty acids, protein, sodium or dry matter. The organic eggs had considerably lower contents of calcium (2.8 times) compared with eggs from conventional farming. Negligible differences were found in the occurrence of vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D3). The residues of 45 pesticides and 6 PCB isomers were analyzed in both types of eggs and no residues compounds were found.

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