Laying hen biodiversity: a study on the effect of age on the yield performance and quality of eggs produced by two Italian purebred hens

Abstract

Submitted 2020-07-24 | Accepted 2020-08-10 | Available 2020-12-01

https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2020.23.mi-fpap.296-304

Yield performance and external and internal quality traits of eggs laid by two Italian purebreds, Ermellinata di Rovigo (ER) and Pepoi (PP) were studied at 36 and 50 weeks of age. Daily egg production and egg traits were evaluated by a factorial model (2 x 2) with genotype and age as main effects and their interaction. The daily laying rate was similar between the breeds and the hen-day egg mass was higher (p<0.01) for ER than for PP. The ER eggs differed (p<0.01) from PP eggs with higher egg weight, yolk and albumen weight, and a more coloured eggshell with lower L, higher a* and b*, and lower eggshell thickness. PP showed more (p<0.05) inclusion of albumen than yolk in comparison to ER. With increased hen age, egg weight, eggshell lenght, width, lightness and thickness increased (p<0.01), whereas shape index and a* and b* did not change. Throughout the laying period, the eggs were classified as small (PP) and medium size (ER). With increased hen age, PP eggs were more spherical, ER eggs were more ovoid; yolk and albumen weight increased (p<0.01) in ER, whereas yolk and eggshell weight increased (p<0.01) in PP. The yolk:albumen ratio increased (p<0.01) along with hen‘s age and the Haugh Units and egg inclusions decreased (p<0.01). The ER and PP eggs differed for many egg external traits, which allow to distinguish the eggs by weight, shape, and eggshell colour and for the eggshell thickness and the albumen traits.

Keywords: laying hen, local breed, eggshell trait

References

Altuntaș, E. & Șekeroğlu, A. (2008). Effect of egg shape index on mechanical properties of chicken eggs. Journal of Food Engineering, 85, 606-612.

Casiraghi, E. et al. (2005). Influence of weight grade on shell characteristics of marketed hen eggs. In: Proc. European Symposium on the quality of eggs and egg products, WPSA, Doorwerth, The Netherlands, pp. 183-188.

Cassandro, M. et al. (2014). Conservazione e caratterizzazione delle razze avicole venete - Programma Bionet. Rete regionale per la conservazione e caratterizzazione della biodiversità di interesse agrario. Gruppo di lavoro Avicoli. Veneto Agricoltura. Legnaro (PD).

Commission Regulation (EC) (2008). Commission Regulation No 589/2008 of 23 June 2008 laying down detailed rules for implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 as regards marketing standards for eggs. Official Journal of the European Union of 24.6.2008, L 163.

Di Rosa, A. et al. (2020). Egg quality from Siciliana and Livorno Italian autochthnous chicken breeds reared in organic system. Animals, 10, 864.
European Commission (2020). Dashboard Eggs. Methods of production communicated according to Commission implementing. Retrieved July 20, 2020 from http://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/food-farming-fisheries/

Giersberg, M.F. et al. (2020). The dual-purpose hen as a chance: avoiding injurious pecking in modern laying hen husbandry. Animals, 10, 16.

González Ariza, A. et al. (2019a). Sensory preference and professional profile affinity definition of endangered native breed eggs compared to commercial laying lineages’eggs. Animals, 9, 920.

González Ariza, A. et al. (2019b). Non-parametrical canonical analysis of quality-related characteristics of eggs of different varieties of native hens compared to laying lineage. Animals, 9, 153.

Hadinia, S. H. et al. (2020). Post-photostimulation energy intake accelerated pubertal development in broiler breeder pullets. Poultry Science, 99, 2215-2229.

Hidalgo, A. et. al. (2008). A market study on the quality characteristics of eggs from different housing systems. Food Chemistry, 106, 1031-1038.
Hy-Line International (2020). Commercial Layers. Management Guide. Retrieved May 18, 2020 from https://www.hyline.com.

Lordelo, M. et al. (2020). A comparison between the quality of eggs frpom indigenous chicken breeds and that from commercial layers. Poultry Science, 99, 1786-1776.

Nowaczewski, S. et al. (2013). Egg morphometry and eggshell quality in ring-necked pheasant kept in cages. Annals of Animal Science, 13, 531-541.

Odobasi, A.Z., et al. (2007). Changes in brown eggshell color as the hen ages. Poultry Science, 86, 356-363.

Philippe, F.X. et al. (2020). Comparison of egg production, quality and composition in three production systems for laying hens. Livestock Science, 232, 103917.

Rizzi, C. (2020). Yield performance, laying behaviour traits and egg quality of purebred and hybrid hens reared under outdoor conditions. Animals, 10, 584.

Rizzi, C. & Chiericato, G.M. (2005). Organic farming production. Effect of age on the productive yield and egg quality of hens of two commercial hybrid lines and two local breeds. Italian Journal of Animal Science, 4 (suppl.3), 160-162.

Rizzi, C. & Chiericato, G.M. (2010). Chemical composition of meat and egg yolk of hybrid and Italian breed hens reared using an organic production system. Poultry Science, 89(), 1239-1251.

Rizzi, C. & Marangon, A. (2012). Quality of organic eggs of hybrid and Italian breed hens. Poultry Science, 91, 2330-2340.

Zeidler, G. (2002). Shell egg quality and preservation. In Bell, D. & Weaver, W.D. jr. Chicken meat and egg production. (5th ed.). Norwell, Massachusetts, USA: Kluwer Academic Publishers (pp. 1199-1217).