EVALUATION OF SOME ANATOMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STATUS OF RETAIL CHICKEN SHELL TABLE EGGS WITHIN USMANU DANFODIYO UNIVERSITY, SOKOTO

Abstract

Anatomical and physiological egg quality characteristics are important parameters that affect egg retail value; characteristics such as shape index affect the risk of cracked eggs, egg weight is one of the primary criteria for grading eggs, albumen pH is an important indicator of egg freshness and physicochemical and interfacial property of yolk is affected by pH. Length of storage, temperature and humidity of storage environment affects egg quality parameters. Cracked eggs are also more vulnerable to be affected by the mentioned factors. Adverse weather condition which is prevalent in the humid tropical countries and lack of infrastructural storage facilities for storage of egg, adversely affects egg preservation in these countries Therefore this study was carried out to determine some egg quality parameters within Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. Five eggs were bought from each six randomly selected retailers within Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto at hostels mini market. One Hundred and Twenty (120) eggs were bought for a period of four weeks between July and August. The design of the experiment was a completely randomized design. The six randomly selected egg retailers formed the treatments.Control treatment was added with average standard values of egg weight, albumen pH, yolk pH and egg shape index as obtained in the literature. The number of weeks (4) formed the replicates and 5 egg numbers as units of each replicate. The weight, width and length of each egg were taken to calculate the shape index. Albumen and yolk pH were also measured. GENSTAT package was used for data analysis. Only the albumen pH was significantly (P<0.001) different between the control (Average standard value for albumen pH) and the six egg retailers sampled, though within the acceptable limit. It was concluded that:eggs sold within the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto Main Campus Hostels Area were of good weight and acceptable albumen pH (freshness).Most of the eggs studied, though not significantly different across the treatments, were not of the standard shape index.