The influence of morphological parameters of eggs on the results of incubation

¹ Udmurt State Agrarian University, 11, Studencheskaya Street, Izhevsk, 426069, Russian Federation
² LLC “Plemptitsesovkhoz” “Uvinskiy”, 10, Mekhanizatorov Street, Udmurt Republic, Uva, 427260, Russian Federation

^* Corresponding author: zykina_i@mail.ru

Abstract

The purpose of the research was a comparative analysis of the morphometric parameters of eggs, as well as their impact on the results of incubation and the quality of day-old chicks. Eggs in the amount of 160 pieces were placed in the incubator and incubated according to generally accepted conditions. A high level of fertilization (88.2%) and hatchability (84.9%) of eggs was revealed. 126 heads were received, chick hatching rate was 78.7%. Received 65 cockerels, 61 chickens. The average weight of the eggs from which the cockerels were obtained was 59.6 g, which is 1.4% more than the weight of the eggs from which the hens were obtained, with an unreliable difference. The weight of males was significantly higher than that of females by 1.3 g (3.3%). For such analyzed morphological parameters as egg volume, cross-sectional area, egg surface area, no significant difference was found between the groups (from 0.02% to 0.39%). The size of the longitudinal sectional area and the semimajor axis of the eggs from which the chickens were obtained was higher by 3.3% and 2.3%. The value of the parameter semi-minor axis of eggs (2.71 cm), from which the cockerels were obtained, was significantly higher by 5.1%. The eggs from which the hens were obtained have a more rounded shape of the sharp end, the angle was 102.2 degrees, which is significantly higher by 5.9% than that of the eggs from which the cockerels were obtained. The shape index of eggs from which males were obtained varied from 0.548 to 0.815, and from eggs from which hens were obtained from 0.546 to 0.749 units.