TABLE EGG QUALITY AND NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION ASSESSEMENTS OF DIFFERENT BREEDS AND AGES OF LAYING HENS

Abstract

Table eggs collected at random from one-hundred and fifty layers (75-FUNAAB-Alpha and 75- ISA brown) kept at Breeding Unit, Teaching and Research Farm, Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa at 31st, 33rd, and 35th weeks (WK) of age were analyzed for internal and external characteristics within 24 hours of laying. The data collected were subjected to analysis of variance to assess the effect of breed and age of the layers on egg quality. Breed had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on the egg weight (Ewt), egg length (EL), shell weight (SW), shell ratio (SR), albumen weight (AW), albumen ratio (AR), yolk diameter (YD) and yolk height (YH) in all the ages considered. At WK 31 breed effect was observed (p < 0.05) in egg width (EW), shell index (SI), yolk weight (YW), yolk ratio (YR), albumen height (AH) and haugh unit (HU), and higher values were observed in all the traits for ISA brown except yolk weight (YW) and yolk ratio (YR). Significant effect of breed (< 0.05) was observed in HU and AH at WK33. Shell thickness (ST) and yolk index (YI) experienced breed effect at WK 35. Breed and age had no effect on nutritional compositions of eggs. It can be concluded that breed and layer's age do have effects on some egg quality parameters.