Effect of storage duration on egg quality, embryo mortality and hatchability in FUNAAB-ɑ chickens

Effect of extended storage on egg quality, embryo mortality and hatchability in FUNAAB-ɑ chickens was determined. Hatchable eggs (n = 288; weighing 53.2 ± 4.67 g) collected from a flock of FUNAAB-ɑ layer breeder hens aged 32 weeks were stored in egg tray with broad end up under 16 ± 1.5°C for either 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 or 20 d. Before incubation, eight eggs from each group were evaluated for internal and external quality traits. Remaining eggs were set in an incubator and transferred into hatcher on embryonic day 18. Data collected were subjected to one-way analysis of variance. Egg weight loss (EWL; p < .001), surface area (p < .001), yolk diameter (p < .001), inner and outer blastoderm diameters (p < .05) and dead in germ (DIG; p < .001) increased with storage duration while yolk height (p < .001), yolk index (p < .001), albumen weight (p < .05), albumen height (p < .05), albumen index (p < .01), Haugh's unit (HU; p < .05), fertility (p < .001), hatchability of set (HATCHS; p < .001) and fertile eggs (p < .05) decreased. Weight losses of 0, 1.2, 2.2, 3.4, 4.6 and 6.1% were recorded in egg stored for 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 days respectively. Eggs stored beyond 8 days exhibited higher DIG and lower HATCHS. Shell percentage in 4 days storage (11.4%) was lower (p < .05) than in 16 days storage (13.4%). Shell thickness was similar in eggs stored for 0 to 12 days, but 8 days storage (0.60 mm) had thinner (p < .01) shell than day 16 (0.71 mm) and day 20 (0.73 mm) storage. Internal quality unit (IQU) was higher (p < .05) in fresh eggs (180.4) than in 12 days (167.8) and 20 days (167.8) stored eggs. Extended storage of FUNAAB-ɑ eggs caused EWL, surface area shrinkage, lowered HU and IQU, loss of yolk and albumen quality, increased blastoderm diameters and DIG, and decreased egg fertility and HATCHS from day 8 forward. Storing FUNAAB-ɑ eggs beyond 8 days reduced quality parameters; therefore, other mitigating factors are recommended when storing beyond 8 days.