Vital gas exchange and hatchability of turkey eggs at high altitude

Conductance of turkey eggshells was observed to be significantly (P less than .01) greater at 2000 than at 200 m elevation. It was concluded that the increased conductance may have been due to the Chapman-Enskog relation. Eggshells of nonhatching eggs from the high altitude were examined, and it was determined that despite the increased conductance rate, eggshells with significantly (P less than .05) less functional pore area hatched poorly in both oxygenated and nonoxygenated environments. When oxygen was not supplemented to the incubators at high altitudes, eggshells required significantly (P less than .01) fewer pore concentrations to allow embryos to survive to late stages of embryonic development than eggs in oxygen supplemented environments. However, greater pore concentrations on the air space were required in both environments to complete hatching. Cuticle removal from eggshells incubated in oxygen supplemented incubators at high altitudes significantly (P less than .05) reduced late embryonic mortality. It was concluded that eggshell cuticle removal may be more advantageous to hatchability at high altitude than oxygen supplementation.