The hen's egg: Shell cracking at oviposition in battery cages and its inheritance

It is known that there is much variation between individual hens and between strains of hen in (a) the incidence of egg‐shell cracking and (b) the height through which the egg is dropped at oviposition. Pilot experiments are described from which it is concluded that:

1. most cracks that occur in a battery cage are produced when the egg drops on to the floor at oviposition;

2. they are located predominantly in the two polar thirds of the shell;

3. their incidence is determined mainly by the effective mass of the cage floor, the mean drop height and the mean attitude of the eggs at emergence from the cloaca (broad or narrowpole first) ;it is affected only slightly by the mean shell thickness and the overall mean shell curvature (egg size);

4. if a hen is kept on a floor with a high effective mass, an indirect estimate of her mean drop height can be obtained quickly, easily and with high precision from observations made on her eggs after they have been laid; the observations required are the incidence of eggs with poorly formed shells, the type, location and incidence of cracks in eggs with well‐formed shells and the mean weight of the eggs;

5. the incidence of cracking on a heavy cage floor can be used to predict the incidence on a normal floor;

6. the incidence of cracking is heritable and responds rapidly to downward selection.

It is suggested that breeders should test the technique described, with a view to adopting it as a method of selecting for low crack incidence.     

The hen's egg: Shell cracking in eggs dropped on cage floors coated with plastic or zinc

A sequential method of estimating the mean and variance or the drop height (h ₅₀) at which the shells of 50% of eggs crack when dropped on a cage floor was used at each of four locations on each of five cage floors, made of 2.05 mm diameter (14 SWG) steel wire, that were similar save in respect of the coating on the wire. The coatings were: none, zinc at 2.7 g/m and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) at 2.0, 3.0 or 6.6 g/m. Relative to the uncoated floor the zinc‐coated one was markedly worse in respect of shell cracking and the PVC‐coated floors were marginally better. The relationship of h ₅₀ to the weight of PVG coating was curvilinear, with an optimum at about 4 g/m. The method of estimation proved very efficient.     

The hen's egg: Shell shape and size parameters and their interrelations

The occurrence of a crack in an egg shell depends in part on the local strength of the shell, which in turn depends on its curvatures as well as its thickness, and therefore on its shape. Selection for shell shape is therefore needed; but before the breeder can do this he must have a rapid and accurate method of quantifying shell shape, and knowledge of the factors that affect its variation.

A procedure is described whereby nine measurements of an egg shell—length, maximum breadth, distance from the plane of maximum breadth to the broad pole and the distances by which each pole projects into annuli of diameters 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 cm—are used to obtain an equation describing the profile of the egg in polar coordinates. It has five parameters that measure, independently, five shell characteristics: scale, aspect (breadth‐to‐length ratio), skewness, marilynia (concordant bulging between the poles and the plane of maximum breadth) and platycephaly (discordant bulging). Egg volume and superficial area can be obtained by integration, shell curvatures by differentiation. An experiment in which the computed volumes of 61 eggs from 19 hens of four strains were compared with the volumes measured by water displacement failed to detect, in single‐yolked eggs, any discrepancy not attributable to random measurement error, which was 0–2 per cent of mean egg volume.

Aspect, marilynia and platycephaly are shown to be correlated inter se and with egg size; differences between hens and strains in respect of them are shown to exist. Making the shell measurements could be automated and use of the method could lead to improved efficiency of selection for egg size as well as shape.     

The hen's egg: Density of egg shell and egg contents

One hundred eggs were used, from hens of seven widely differing strains: two commercial brown‐egg hybrids (one British, one American), two commercial white‐egg hybrids (one British, one Canadian), one broiler strain, one highly inbred strain of laboratory White Leghorns and one laboratory strain of Brown Leghorns. The volume occupied by the shell of each egg was estimated from its surface area—itself estimated by means of a three‐parameter model (Carter, 1968)— and its mean thickness, measured with an anvil micrometer. The volume occupied by the egg contents was estimated by subtracting the shell volume from the egg volume, which was also estimated by means of the three‐parameter model. Mean overall shell density (counting as “shell” all mineral matter and spaces between the outer surface of the mineral shell and a surface through the tips of the mammillae) was estimated, by regressing shell weight on shell volume, to be 2.241 ±0.004 g./cm.³; covariance analysis showed that the strains were homogeneous in this respect. Mean incremental shell density (i.e. the density of shell distal to the mammillary region) was estimated, by regressing shell weight per unit surface area on shell thickness, to be 2.386±0.004 g./cm.³; the strains were homogeneous in this respect too. The mean depth of the intermammillary spaces was estimated to be 19.9 μ. All the residual deviation from the common regression line can be attributed to measurement error. The estimated density of incremental shell is lower than that of calcite; the packing fraction of the crystals in the shell aggregate and/or the atoms in the crystals was estimated to be 92.8 per cent. The density of the egg contents (at the temperature of the bird) was estimated by regressing weight of contents on volume of contents; covariance analysis revealed significant differences between strains, one of the brown‐egg hybrids having the highest density of egg contents, 1.045 g/cm.³, and the laboratory Brown Leghorns the lowest, 1.033; both commercial white‐egg hybrid strains gave a value of 1.040 g./cm.³.     

猪肉品质及其影响因素(I)——影响猪肉品质的遗传因素

对猪肉品质及其主要影响因素进行了综合评价。这些影响因素包括遗传、营养、饲养管理、肉猪屠宰前、屠宰以及屠宰后的处理方式等。着重讨论了遗传因素、营养因素对猪肉实用品质(肉色、风味、系水力)的影响,并从遗传、营养以及饲养管理等多方面提出了提高猪肉品质的综合措施。     

The hen's egg: Incidence and inheritance of some egg abnormalities

1. More than 9000 eggs, each laid by a known hen, were examined and malformations of six types recorded: double‐yolked, A, B, rough, shell‐less and thin‐shelled.

2. A and B malformations are those seen in, respectively, an egg that is held in the shell gland for an abnormally long period and one that reaches the shell gland while an A‐egg is still there; many of the eggs recorded as rough‐shelled were probably A‐eggs for which the corresponding B‐eggs had been lost.

3. The birds were of three strains: a medium‐body‐weight brown‐egg‐laying strain and a White Leghorn strain, both of commercial origin, and a laboratory strain of Brown Leghorns.

4. The incidences of egg malformation in the three strains were 8.3, 9.2 and 0.5%.

5. A‐, B‐ and rough‐shelled eggs constituted more than two‐thirds of all malformed eggs.

6. Evidence from two generations suggests that these malformations have a high heritability.     

The hen's egg: independence of weight at oviposition and the sex of the chick.

1. Cockerels tend to be heavier than pullets at hatching and an experiment was therefore done to test the null hypothesis that the eggs from which cockerels hatch are, on average, at oviposition of the same weight as those from which pullets hatch. 2. The experiment did not disprove it.     

The hen's egg: A method for estimating the principal curvatures at any point on the shell

1. Estimates of curvatures of the shell of a well‐formed egg can be obtained by the method described, which is based on six measurements of the shell.

2. Estimates of the radii of longitudinal curvature at the equators of 24 eggs selected for their extreme shapes or sizes ranged from 284 to 42–7 mm; the standard deviation of the difference between such an estimate and one obtained for the same egg by the 3‐point method (using a slot and dial micrometer) was 1.2 mm.

3. Other tests, which are described, indicate that the method is reliable for estimating the principal curvatures at any point on the shell and not merely at the equator.     

Genetic parameters for a heavy female turkey line: impact of simultaneous selection for body weight and total egg number

1. The objective of this study was to investigate the strength of the genetic association between growth and reproduction traits in turkeys selected for body weight, conformation and egg production. 2. Two distinct populations but derived from the same heavy turkey female line and situated in different locations (UK and USA), were used to estimate genetic parameters using multivariate REML for the following traits: body weight at 14 (BW14), 19 (BW19) and 24 (BW24) weeks of age and total egg number (EGG). 3. A Box-Cox transformation was applied to egg production data to reduce the impact of non-normality. 4. The heritability estimates for each trait for the UK and USA populations, respectively, were: BW14 0.37 and 0.48; BW19 0.34 and 0.43; BW24 0.28 and 0.43; EGG 0.22 and 0.34. 5. The genetic correlation between the body weight at all ages and the total egg production was strongly negative, reaching a value of -0.75 for the UK and -0.55 for the USA population. 6. The comparison of our results with published estimates in turkeys suggests that the genetic correlation may get stronger in magnitude following selection for increased body weight. 7. This could arise from fixation during selection of genes favouring larger weights but with minimal effect on egg production, leaving the segregating genetic variation dominated by pleiotropic loci with antagonistic effects on the traits. 8. Thus, in order to avoid continued selection for body weight reducing egg production to a point where natural selection offsets selection gains, alternative selection strategies should be considered.     

The hen's egg: Prediction and reduction of downgrading in large producer groups

British Egg Marketing Board data on the incidence of downgrading in eggs received at packing stations during the second week in each month from April 1960 to March 1968 have been analysed in relation to:

1. the incidence of free‐range, deep‐litter and battery husbandry in flocks from which they came, as estimated by interpolation from annual census data;

2. season, as represented by fundamental and first‐harmonic sine and cosine terms;

3. age‐structure of the flocks, as indicated by the incidence of extra‐small eggs 10 months earlier;

4. time;

5. packing‐station throughput.

It is shown that 93–3 per cent of the variance of downgrading percentage is associated with variation in (i), (ii) and (iii). After these effects had been taken into account there was no significant long‐term time‐trend but there were small effects associated with certain years. There was no significant effect of (v). The regression equation was used to predict the incidence of downgrading in the second week of each month from April 1968 to January 1969; this it did accurately except in May and June 1968, when the downgrading percentage fluctuated to an unprecedented degree following a very cold and a very hot spell of weather.

It is suggested that large producer‐packer groups should systematically collect information on the incidence of downgrading and the percentages of birds of each strain and age‐group, of cages of each type, of nutritional regimes and of egg‐collection methods; and that these data should be analysed to yield (a) forecasts of downgrading incidence and (b) estimates of the effect of each strain, cage‐type, etc. on downgrading incidence, for use when deciding replacement policy.     

The hen's egg: Evidence on the mechanism relating shell strength to loading rate

1. The decrease in strength of an egg shell which is known to accompany an increase in the period of time over which a load is applied might come about by either of two mechanisms: a decrease in the strength of the material constituting the strong, outer layer of the mineral shell, or a decrease in the thickness of this layer brought about by deepening of the crevices that are normally present between adjacent crystal columns in the weak, inner layer of the shell.

2. Experiments designed to discriminate between these mechanisms are described: the results indicate the second mechanism.

3. This mechanism offers explanations for various other shell phenomena, including delayed fracture under a static, cyclical or recurrent load.

4. The main implication for the poultry industry is that any external insult to a shell is likely to weaken it by doing damage that is local, internal, irreparable and cumulative, even though it may be invisible from the outside.     

The hen's egg: Variation in shell deformation under static load with relative humidity and age of egg

Deformation of an intact egg shell under static load, which is used for the nondestructive estimation of shell thickness, is commonly assumed to be independent of the relative humidity of the atmosphere surrounding the egg and of the age of the egg. Two experiments are described in which these assumptions were tested. In the first it was found that deformation under a load applied at the poles depends on both factors. In the second it was found that the same was true for equatorial loading and that the change in deformation was independent of the number of times the load had been applied, the porosity of the shell and the strain of bird. Deformation increased linearly with relative humidity and decreased exponentially with the age of the egg, the half‐value period being about 3.5 d. It is suggested that the effect may be due to variation in the elastic properties of the organic moiety of the shell. The effect is small relative to that of shell thickness and curvature and may usually be neglected if relative humidity is in the normal range and the egg is more than 10 d old. With fresh eggs or extremes of relative humidity, however, it is desirable to apply corrections. A table of correction factors is given (Table 6).     

The hen's egg: Effect of a hole in the shell on the incidence of splitting during cooking

Two experiments, involving nearly 1000 eggs, were designed to show whether or not piercing the shell at the broad pole prevents it splitting when an egg is soft‐boiled. With eggs stored in the laboratory the incidence of splitting was low after storage for 1 d and there was no indication that the presence of a hole affected it; after 5 d splitting was reduced; after 28 d it was prevented. This may be because at 1 d the shell is still permeable, so even if there is no hole the build‐up of internal pressure as the egg contents expand is limited; at 5 d, when shell permeability has fallen, pressure build‐up is prevented initially by the presence of a hole, though it can occur in the later stages of cooking because the hole becomes sealed by congealed albumen; at 28 d the hole remains patent and the air space can accommodate all the expansion of the egg contents. The nature of the hole, whether made by piercing with a needle or by drilling to 1·5 mm diameter with a dental drill, did not significantly affect the response of eggs of any age.

Housewives should pierce eggs before boiling them, since if they are fresh it will do no harm and if they are stale it will prevent splitting.     

The hen's egg: Genetics of taints in eggs from hens fed on rapeseed meal

1. Fishy taints in eggs from hens fed on rapeseed meal, which have been reported to occur in brown‐shelled eggs of some hens with Rhode Island Red ancestry, occur also in white‐shelled eggs of some hens of a strain of Brown Leghorns.

2. Genetic tests have demonstrated that tainting in these circumstances is conditional on the presence in the hen, in the heterozygous or homozygous state, of an autosomal semi‐dominant mutant gene that has variable expression, depending on environmental factors (including the rate of ingestion of rapeseed meal).

3. No simple test for the presence of this gene, applicable to either sex, can be anticipated at present.     

The hen's egg: Estimation of shell superficial area and egg volume,using measurements of fresh egg weight and shell length and breadth alone or in combination

1. Shell superficial area (S, mm²) and volume (V, mm³) of an egg can be estimated from any one or a combination of the following measurements: fresh egg weight (W, g), shell length (L, mm) and maximum shell breadth (B, mm).

2. Estimation equations and their error standard deviations are given.

3. The random error of the estimate is smallest when estimation is based on L, B and W together: 0.4% for S and 0.6% for V.

4. Estimation of S based on L and B together has the advantage over that based on W alone that it is unnecessary to measure the egg soon after lay; the random error is the same (0.7%).     

The hen's egg: Relationship of mean strain energy at shell fracture to shell compression speed,the nature of the compressing body and the location on the shell of the point of contact

1. The mean energy, E_f, required for fracture of an egg shell at its equator by a flat plate is known to depend on shell compression speed, v_m, for speeds in the range 20 μm/s to 2.lb5 mm/s; analysis of published data shows that E_f bears a linear relationship to log (v_m ) throughout the industrially important speed range from 20 μm/s to 1.lb1 m/s, increasing from 1.lb3 to 5.lb0 mJ.

2. At lower speeds down to 2 μm/s E_f is constant.

3. E_f is reduced if the flat plate is replaced by a sphere or cylinder; the greater its curvature, the smaller E_f.

4. E_f for the narrow pole is greater and for the broad pole smaller than that for the equator but these differences may be due in part to . systematic differences in shell thickness as well as curvature.