Ekine and Innovations

Ajuogu / Innovations
in Scienceinand
Science and Engineering
Engineering 1 (2011) 192-96
(2011) 92-96

Available at woaj

Innovations in Science and Engineering

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The Impact of Pre-incubation Storage Temperatures on Hatchable

Chicken Eggs

*O. A. Ekine and P.K. Ajuogu

Department of Animal Science & Fisheries, University of Port Harcourt, P.M.B. 5323, Choba, East West Road, Port Harcourt,
Nigeria.

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Article history: The experiment was conducted to determine the effects of storing hatchable
Received: eggs at varying pre-incubation temperature environments.Four types of stor-
Available online: 3 December 2011 age environments, Refrigerator (8oc) Air conditioner (19oc) Fan (27oc) and
Room temperature C (30oc) were investigated. The Completely Randomized
Experimental Design [CRD] using three replicates of 10 eggs per group was
used. Results showed that egg weights, fertility, late embryonic deaths, dead-
in-shells, hatch of fertile eggs and weight of chicks were not significantly
affected by the varying temperature levels (P> 0.05). But early embryonic
Keywords: deaths and percentage saleable chicks were significantly affected (P<0.05). It
was concluded that storing hatchable eggs at temperatures of 8oC and 19OC
Pre-incubation, have some advantage over eggs stored at 27oC and 30oC for short term stor-
Storage, age duration
Temperature,
Hatchable chicken eggs. © 2011 woaj Ltd. All rights reserved

1. Introduction Such eggs may be stored for various time periods to

Hatchable eggs for experimental or commercial
purposes are usually obtained from breeding stock.
 Corresponding author.
email address: ajuogukelechi@yahoo.com
2011 woaj Ltd. All rights reserved
allow for either the accumulation of an adequate settable
consignment or ample time to complete all presetting
procedures to meet the egg setting schedule of the estab-
lishment. Good hatchability of fertile eggs depends to a
large extent on the maintenance of suitable egg storage
environment, and preventing embryonic death is the
leading objective [12]
Reports from published sources show that poor

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 Ekine and Ajuogu / Innovations in Science and Engineering 1 (2011) 92-96
pre-incubation storage conditions impair germ-cell vi-
ability, development and hatchability. The impairment
may be manifested as prolongation of hatch time [3]
germ cell mortality [1] embryonic malformation and
growth retardation [8;9] Some of these effects have
been attributed to deteriorative changes associated with
loss of water and carbon dioxide which occur more rap-
idly at higher storage temperatures [4]
Development of the embryo within the egg
under normal conditions is a continuous process culmi-
nating in hatching at the end of the incubation period.
Increase in temperatures above 21oc accelerates devel-
opment while a decrease retards development. Hatching
eggs are held by storing them at temperatures low
enough to retard development, but not so low as to be
harmful to the embryo.
Earlier works by [11, 5, 13] had shown that the
optimum egg holding temperature lies within the range
of 10-21oc. Results from investigations have shown that
decrease in hatchability resulting from storage higher
than the optimum range was greater in the eggs stored
for more than one week.[2] indicated that variations in
on-farm egg storage temperatures of as little as 2oC can
reduce hatchability by as much as 3.5%.
The most widely used method of egg storage is
by placing the individual eggs on plastic or fiber filler-
flats with the broad ends upper-most in a storage room
at a temperature of 10-12.7oc and relative humidity of 75
-85%. Other methods include storing the eggs in open-
sided boxes or trays in an air-conditioned room or in a
refrigerator.
Effective methods of preserving germ cell vi-
ability in hatchable eggs are desirable to improve day-
old chick production. The current scarcity of suitable
hatchery facilities, coupled with high environmental
temperature in Nigeria, being amplified by the global
warming syndrome in recent times, tend to limit the
efficient preservation of hatchable eggs. In recognition
of this problem, this study was designed to investigate
the effects of different pre-incubation storage tempera-
tures on the germ cell viability and hatchability of
chicken eggs.
2. Material and Methods
The experiment was conducted at Rivers State
University of Science and Technology Research and
demonstration farm (Poultry section) with a total of 120
hatchable eggs, obtained from a flock of 40 weeks old
Harco breeders. The eggs weighing between 52 and
57gm each were collected within a 5 day laying period
and stored in an air-conditioned room with a mean tem-
perature of 18oc. These eggs were randomly divided
into 12 groups of 10 eggs per group and weighed in a
Completely Randomized Experimental Design [CRD].
Three replicate groups were randomly assigned to each
of four storage temperature treatments namely refrigera-
tor (8oc), Air-condition (19oc) Fan (27oc) and uncon-
trolled room temperature (30oc). The air-condition treat-
ment served as control.
The storage treatments were applied over a
period of seven days. Temperature readings of each of
the storage environments were monitored carefully. At
the end of the pre-incubation period, the eggs were
weighed and pre-warmed at a room temperature of 30oc
for 24 hours and later cleaned with malachite green so-
lution (0.05%) before setting in a “Western type table
top incubator. The incubator was fumigated with for-
maldehyde gas prior to the setting of the eggs. The
Temperature and relative humidity of the incubator were
maintained at 37.8oc and 65% respectively. The eggs
were turned manually 2-3 times daily; and candled twice
at the 10th and 18th day. All suspected infertile at first
candling (10th day) were broken and grossly examined
for signs of embryonic development. Suspected cases of
abnormal development at the second candling (18th day)
were also broken and grossly examined. The hatch was
removed on the 2nd day of hatching to allow for proper
dry-off. The chicks were then weighed and graded.
Data obtained were analyzed by Analysis of
Variance (ANOVA) according to the procedure of [15].
Differences between treatment means were examined
using the modified Least Significant Difference (L.S.D)
of means according to the procedure of [14]
The design model is as thus; Xij = µ +Ti + Eij
Where Xij = Observed data
µ = population mean
Ti = treatment effect
Eij = error term.
3. Results and Discus.ion
The results of the effects of storage temperature
on the hatchability of chicken eggs are presented in ta-
bles 1,2 and 3. The results showed no significant weight
differences (P>0.05) in the eggs of the various treatment
groups, before and after storage. The data however indi-
cates a non-significant reduction in weight in all the
groups.
Differences between treatment in respect of
percent for fertility, hatchability, late embryonic deaths
and dead-in-shells were not statistically significant
(P>0.05). However, early embryonic deaths and Per-
centage saleable chicks differed significantly (P<0.05)
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 Ekine and Ajuogu / Innovations in Science and Engineering 1 (2011) 92-96

between the various treatments.
In the present study a short term (7 days) pre-
incubation storage temperature was used to examine the
effects of temperature on the viability of germ cell and
hatchability of chicken eggs. The temperature levels that
were used varied between 7.6 – 30oc.
[11] and [7] reported that the optimum tem-
perature conditions for normal industrial egg storage
depended on the duration of storage. These workers
consequently recommended that for better hatchability
eggs held for short period should be stored at tempera-
tures higher than 11-13oc, but not exceeding 28oc. How-
ever, for longer storage periods (more than one week),
the temperature levels should be 11-13oc or lower 10 -
12oc depending on the length of storage.
Results in the present study showed that lack of
statistical difference in egg weight during storage indi-
cates that dehydration was relatively uniform in all treat-
ments and that this factor was not necessarily related to
the differences observed in germ cell viability or hatcha-
bility of the eggs. The findings of [6] and [12] supports
this suggestion, as they concluded that dehydration of an
egg during storage was not the main cause of decreased
hatchability.
viability when eggs are held for short periods. This
finding is supported by the observations of [7], [11] and
[10], that pre-incubation temperatures and duration can
influence hatchability.
There were no statistical difference (P> 0.05)
between treatments in respect of late embryonic deaths,
dead-in-shells, hatchability and the initial body weights
of the chicks. This finding seems to suggest that pre-
incubation storage temperature does not have adverse
consequences on the embryo at the later stages of devel-
opment. All the chicks hatched from the eggs stored at
temperatures of between 27oc and 30oc were graded as
unsatisfactory, and therefore not saleable.
The unsalable chicks were characterized by
unhealed navel, deformed limbs and general weakness.
Although, this study did not identify the cause of such
defects, it may be associated with storage at the higher
temperatures regime (27-30oc). It is therefore concluded
that storing hatchable eggs at temperatures between 8-
19oc is superior to storage at 27-30oc over the duration
of seven days used in this study.

The differences between treatment in respect of

early embryonic mortality suggests that a storage tem-
perature of 27-30oc is unsuitable to sustain germ cell

Table 1: Daily Temperatures of the Egg Storage Environments

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 DAY 6 DAY 7 MEAN

Refrigerator 8.70 8.00 7.75 7.30 7.25 7.20 7.10 7.61

Air-Condition 19.25 18.50 18.75 19.50 19.00 18.50 19.50 19.00

Fan 27.0 26.75 27.75 26.50 27.00 27.50 26.50 27.00
Room Temp. 30.50 29.25 30.25 30.0 29.75 29.50 30.75 30.00

Table 2: Egg Weights of Pre and Post Storage

TREATMENT BEFORE STORAGE (gm) AFTER STORAGE (gm) WEIGHT LOSS (gm)
Refrigerator 54.8 54.6 0.2
Air-condition 55.1 54.7 0.4
Fan 54.5 53.8 0.7
Room temp. 53.9 53.2 0.7

94
 Table 3: The Performance Characteristics of Each Treatment Group in Relation to Fertility, Embryonic Deaths, Hatchability and Chick Quality.

TREAT- NUMBER FERTILITY EARLY EM- LATE EM- DEAD-IN- HATCH OF HATCH OF MEAN SALE-
MENTS OF EGGS BRYONIC BRYONIC SHELLS ALL EGGS FERTILE BODY ABLE
SET DEATHS DEATHS (FULLY DE- SET EGGS WTS (qm) CHICKS
VELOPED)
No % No % No % No % No % No % No No %
b a b b
Refrigerator 30 22 73.3 4 18.2 1 5.6 5 29.4 12 40.0 12 54.6 30.9 10 83.3a
(8oc)

Air- 30 26 86.6 1 3.8c 1 4.0 2 8.3b 22 73.3a 22 84.6a 29.9 20 90.9a

conditioner
(19oc)

Fan (27oc) 30 23 76.7 13 56.5a 1 10.0 2 22.2a 7 23.3c 7 30.4c 29.5 0 0b

Ekine and Ajuogu / Innovations in Science and Engineering 1 (2011) 92-96

Room Temp.
(30oc) 30 25 83.3 14 56.0a 2 18.2 2 22.2a 7 23.3c 7 28.0c 29.0 0 0b

a, b,c, :Percentages bearing the same superscript within each column are not statistically different (P>0.05).

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 Ekine and Ajuogu / Innovations in Science and Engineering 1 (2011) 92-96
4. Conclusion
This present study has demonstrated that varia-
tion in pre-incubation storage temperature may influ-
ence the performance characteristics of the hatchable
eggs to various extents. The study revealed that the
weight losses after the storage period did not vary sig-
nificantly between the various treatment conditions.
The study also showed that higher storage tem-
peratures (27-30cc) favored early embryonic deaths as
compared to lower pre-incubation storage temperatures
(8-19oc). Fertility and hatchability did not appear to be
affected by storage temperatures under the conditions of
this study. Percentage saleable chicks were affected by
storage temperature. Lower egg storage temperature
was a more favorable environment for the production of
saleable chicks as compared to higher storage tempera-
ture.
It is therefore recommended that, hatchable
eggs should be stored at temperature levels between 8oc
and 19oc for short term storage. This is particularly im-
portant for operators in the humid tropics with recorded
mean environment temperature of about 29oc, which is
higher than the above recommendation. Further investi-
gations are however, required with larger egg consign-
ments and better storage and incubation conditions to
confirm the above findings under similar conditions.
5. References
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