Qualidade interna e externa de ovos de poedeiras comerciais com casca normal e vítrea

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the internal and external quality of hens eggs, classified in eggs with normal eggshell and eggs with vitreous eggshell, produced by hens in three different ages. Forty-five eggs of each eggshell type, normal and vitreous, were sampled at age of 30, 50 and 70 weeks. After the execution of physical and chemical analysis, it was observed that specific gravity, for both eggs with normal eggshell and eggs with vitreous eggshell, had a decrease with the advancing age of the hen. The weight of the egg, in both types of eggshell increased with the advancing age of the hen. Higher concentration of calcium was found on eggs with normal eggshell comparing to eggs with vitreous eggshell. The phosphorus percentage wasn t affected by the eggshell type. The mineral deposition of the eggshell was constant, the thickness of the eggshell in both eggshell types increased throughout the reproductive life of the hen and decreased when the hen got older. The albumen weight increased, showing its relation with the egg size. The percentage of albumen moisture with the advancing age of the hen didn t show any relation with the egg weight. Protein concentration and pH of the albumen decreased along with hen ages. The weight of egg yolk, the moisture percentage and the yolk pH decreased with the advancing age of the hen. Crude protein and ether extract increased with the advancing age of the hen. Eggs with vitreous eggshell showed eggshell with lower quality compared to those with normal eggshell, without, however, compromise the internal quality of albumen and yolk.