A Guide to Egg Quality pt. 1

Question 1

How many times do you candle an egg?

Answer 1

At least 4 times a day. In hot climates, as many times as possible

Question 1

What are the 4 key areas of producing good quality chicks?

Answer 1

1. Egg handling and selection
2. Egg disinfection
3. Egg storage
4. Egg quality

Question 2

T/F: Collect nest eggs separately from floor eggs and distinguish clearly.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

T/F: Avoid adjusting conveyor belt.

Answer 3

False, adjust belt to prevent inclines or ledges where eggs can accumulate and cause cracks.

Question 4

Why should you wash and clean equipment daily or more frequently?

Answer 4

To avoid mold spores

Question 5

What type of mold can be transmitted to the egg?

Answer 5

Aspergillus

Question 6

What is the weight of the ideal hatching egg?

Answer 6

Between 50-68 grams

Question 7

What characteristics do a good-quality hatching egg have?

Answer 7

• Clearly defined round & pointed ends
• Good colour
• Clean and undamaged shell
• Oval shape with large end (air cell end)
• A clearly recognizable sharp end

Question 8

How does an egg receives its particular shape?

Answer 8

This is because it is being pushed through the oviduct.

Question 9

T/F: Too round eggs or eggs that are oblong are considered for hatching using large scale incubators.

Answer 9

False, they are not considered for hatching using large scale incubators. In smaller capacity incubator these type of eggs are considered as long as they are not abnormally developed eggs.

Question 10

What are the bad egg conditions?

Answer 10

1. Dirty eggs
2. Cracked eggs
3. Mis-shaped eggs
4. Double-yolk
5. Upside-down eggs

Question 11

What could be the effect of dirty and cracked eggs?

Answer 11

Reduced hatchability and higher risk of contamination. (Ophalitis and Aspergillus)

Question 12

Can a double-yolk egg hatch?

Answer 12

No, it is a reject egg, no hatchability.

Question 13

What is the temperature of the egg after laying?

Answer 13

41 Celsius

Question 14

T/F: The shell is composed of thousands of tiny pores.

Answer 14

True

Question 15

Should you conduct disinfection and treatment as soon laying? and why?

Answer 15

Yes, to prevent bacteria from penetrating the egg

Question 16

What should details should you mark the eggs in incubator trays or in boxes?

Answer 16

1. Flock code
2. Date of lay
3. House number
4. Egg grader initials

Question 17

What are the key points in disinfecting hatching eggs?

Answer 17

1. Minimizing the time between the egg being laid and disinfection.
2. The method of treatment.
3. Disinfecting being used.

Question 18

Identify the disinfection method:
Buffing eggs. Danger is blocking the pores and damaging cuticles.

Answer 18

Dry cleaning

Question 19

Identify the disinfection method:
Manually in solution. Risk of removing the cuticle and contamination from the solution after batches of eggs.

Answer 19

Washing eggs

Question 20

Identify the disinfection method:
Automated machines. Risk of removing the cuticle and contamination from the solution after batches of eggs.

Answer 20

Hot water sanitizing

Question 21

Identify the disinfection method:
Some are lined to the sanitizing unit. Need to make sure the bulbs are routinely changed for effective microbial destruction.

Answer 21

UV light exposure

Question 22

Identify the disinfection method:
Smoke/misting equipment. Need to prevent droplets from the machine which can wet the surface of the egg.

Answer 22

Dry fogging

Question 23

Identify the disinfection method:
Exposure to formaldehyde gas. Banned in some countries.

Answer 23

Fumigation

Question 24

T/F: The hatching potential of an egg can be improved.

Answer 24

False, it can only be maintained and not be improved.

Question 25

How many differentiated cells does a hatching egg contain at the moment of oviposition?

Answer 25

40,000 - 60,000 differentiated cells.

Question 26

T/F: From the time the egg is laid until storage, the temperature should be constant.

Answer 26

False, it should be “V” shaped

Question 27

T/F: The hatchery should have the lowest storage temperature.

Answer 27

True

Question 28

T/F: Eggs need to be kept above 24 C after laying.

Answer 28

False, they should be kept below 24 C (Physical Zero Temperature), it is the temperature at which embryo development does not advance.

Question 29

What temperature in storage does an embryo development not advance.

Answer 29

24 C below