Reference Type

Journal Article

Record Number

75

Author

Deeming, D.C.

Year

2000

Title

Storage of hatching eggs

Journal

Poultry International

Volume

39

Pages

44-50

Label

Journal

Keywords

Egg, Incubation

Notes

Most birds, including chickens, lay eggs in clutches so that embryos in eggs produced early in the clutch have to survive a period of storage before natural incubation commences. The author explores the techniques used to optimise storage conditions for commercial fertile eggs. Although we are not able to influence the storage conditions of eggs incubated naturally in villages, it is sometimes necessary to hatch village eggs artificially.
Diagnostic laboratories and vaccine production facilities also need to store fertile eggs for subsequent incubation.
The author recognises standard practices of storage at 15o-18oC and relative humidity of about 75% for short periods, with reduction of the temperature to about 12oC for longer periods of storage. Even so, there will be significant losses of embryos after 14 days.

Problems recognised by the author during storage are mechanical damage, dehydration, changes in pH and exposure to oxygen. At laying the embryo consists of some 60,000 cells, and these are susceptible to mechanical and chemical damage. Storage at low temperature is intended to keep these cells dormant, but chemical changes will be occurring. Dehydration leads to changes in the composition and structure of the albumen, and loss of CO2 results in changes in pH.

Some of the techniques suggested by the author to improve storage conditions for commercial eggs could be useful for small hatcheries. These include storing the eggs with the sharp end up, turning the eggs several times a day and storage in closed containers to minimise loss of water and CO2. Other procedures such as storage in special gas mixtures might not be appropriate for small hatcheries. Another technique, described as "radical" involved short-term exposure to incubation temperature before or during cold storage.