Egg quality assessment of three different commercial layer farms located in the different areas of Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Abstract

The study was undertaken to assess the comparative egg quality performance of three different commercial layer farms such as Farm1 (F1), Farm2 (F2), and Farm 3(F3), located in the different areas of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Layer farms were selected randomly depending on the number of criteria from the same selected locality during the study period which from 2nd March to 28th May The age of the flocks of F1 (57 weeks), F2 (32 Weeks) and F3 (102 weeks) also differs, respectively. A total of 30 egg samples were collected randomly from 3 different commercial layer farms during the study period to assess the egg quality parameters. Farms were regarded as treatment (e.g F1, F2, F3), each treatment replicated ten times and one egg per replicate. All the birds were reared in battery cages with ready-made feeds under standard management condition. Data on egg weight, shell weight, shell weight %, Haugh unit (HU) score, shape index, albumen weight, albumen weight %, albumen index, yolk weight, yolk% and yolk index were also measured to evaluate the egg quality performance of layer chicken during 32 to 102 weeks of aged. Data revealed that the egg quality parameters such as egg weight, shell weight, shell %, albumen weight, albumen weight % and yolk weight %) were significantly (P<0.05; P<0.01) influenced by treatment except for yolk weight. The H.U score and albumen index were significantly (P<0.05; P<0.01) influenced by treatment without showing any differences in shape index and yolk index. Only albumen height differed significantly except for other parameters (e.g egg width, egg length, albumen length, yolk height and yolk length), were measured in this study. It is clear from the result that the significantly highest egg weight, shell weight, albumen weight, yolk weight%, albumen height (6.05 mm), albumen index, and H.U score were found in the F3 compared to other farms (F2 and F1) in this study. So it can be inferred that F3 egg quality appears to be comparatively better than that of other farms, as most of the egg quality characters go in favour of this farm (F3) on the basis of the quality evaluation measured in this study under commercial farming condition. .