Effects of Chemical Treatments on Microflora Species on Eggshell and Hatchability of Broiler Eggs

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effects of three disinfectants on the microbes and hatchabilty of broiler eggs. One hundred and ninety-two medium-sided hatchable broiler eggs were divided into four groups with three replications of sixteen eggs each. Each group of eggs was assigned to each of the following treatments; untreated, NaOCl, H₂O₂ and KM_nO₄:HCHO combination (1:2). The eggs were incubated for 21 days. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance in a completely randomized design. The bacteria isolated were Escherichia coli (225-390cfu/ml), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (78-139cfu/ml), Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus mirabilis (210-268cfu/ml), Salmonella spp (258-313cfu/ml) and fungi (63-101cfu/ml). Significant (P<0.05) variation was observed in the population of the micrfloral species on the egg shell. Escherichia coli were the pre-dominant bacteria recovered from all the samples before treatment. Effects of disinfectants on the microorganisms varied significantly (P<0.05) with KM_nO₄ + formaldehyde combination having the highest (57.36) effect on Salmonella spp. Similar effect of NaOCI and H₂O₂ was observed on S. aureus and proteus mirabilis, E. coli, P. aeruginosa and fungi. Eggs treated with KM_nO₄  + formaldehyde combination had the least significant (P<0.05) incubation weight losses value (14.63), while eggs treated with H₂O₂ had the highest value (17.00%). The results further showed that hatchability, chick hatchinh weight and early embryonic mortality were not significantly (P<0.05) affected by the treatments unlike the late embryonic mortality which was significant (P<0.05). Although, KM_nO₄ + formaldehyde combination is commonly used in the hatchery, in this experiment NaOCI and H₂O₂ compared favourably with formaldehyde as hatching disinfectants without adversely affecting hatching potentials.