Keywords

commercial hatcheries, broiler breeder genetics, eggshell quality

Abstract

In the United States, nearly 240 million commercial broiler breeder eggs are incubated weekly with an average hatchability of 79.1% (Third Party Reporting). Between 160 eggs/hen and 125 chicks/hen the loss is considerable. In 2007, an estimated 1% improvement in hatchability would escalate profits by over $25 million to hatcheries and markedly increase profitability in broiler operations (Schaal and Gherian, 2007). In order to tap into top hatchability performances, egg management in commercial hatcheries such as egg storage time and conditions, incubation temperature and humidity, as well as turning frequency are of utmost importance (Vick et al., 1993; Reis et al., 1997; Lourens et al., 2005; Elibol and Brake, 2006). However, regardless of how well the egg is handled in commercial hatcheries, eggshell quality is critical to improve hatchability (Orellana et al., 2023). The eggshell is not only a physical, but may also serve as a biological barrier, that regulates gas, water vapor diffusion and serves as an obstacle for bacterial colonization which impacts the survival of the developing embryo. Moreover, the eggshell is used as an indicator for hatchability through parameters such as specific gravity, vapor water conductance, color, weight, thickness, porosity, breaking strength, elastic modulus, static and dynamic stiffness, among others (McDaniel et al., 1979; Pebbles and Brake, 1987; King’ori, 2011; Sekeroglu and Duman, 2011; Liao et al., 2013). Understanding the relationship between shell quality parameters and hatchability could generate new opportunities for research on broiler breeder flock management and nutrition (Emery et al., 1984; Wilson, 1997; Ketta and Tumova, 2018). Currently, in North America, few to no commercial hatchery operations perform egg and eggshell quality measurements that are strategically used in daily decision making in business management. The main reason is the unpractical nature of the quality parameters implemented. In the search for a practical and non-destructive eggshell quality assessment that the poultry industry could easily adopt and rely on, eggshell translucency should be considered.

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