The effect of egg external quality traits on hatching results in broiler and layer chickens

The aim of the thesis is to examine the effects of groups created according to egg shell transparency, egg weight and shape index on egg quality traits, chick quality traits and incubation results in four different (two layer + two broiler) chicken genotypes. The material of the study; 600 eggs each (2400 eggs in total) obtained from flocks belonging to Leghorn, Rhode Island Red, Ross 308 and Anadolu-T genotypes between the ages of 40-45 weeks were created. For the transcluency score, the environment was darkened and the eggs were held to the light by the large and small ends and scored as "1", "2", "3" and "4" points from opaque to transcluency. Egg weight groups were made as the average weight and below for each genotype "light" and above "heavy". According to the egg shape index, the eggs were divided into 3 equal parts for each genotype and the eggs were classified as "sharp", "standard" and "round", and tables were created by analyzing them accordingly. Depending on the genotypes in chickens, egg weight, shell thickness, shape index, egg weight loss during incubation, hatching results and chick quality traits can vary significantly. It had been determined that egg shell thickness, chick yield, hatchability of fertile egg and hatchability vary significantly depending on egg transcluency (opacity). It had been found that egg weight, shape index, egg weight loss during incubation, hatching results and chick quality characteristics vary significantly depending on whether the chickens were layer or broiler type. It had been determined that egg weight loss, shape index and chick quality characteristics vary significantly during incubation, depending on egg weight. It was determined that egg external quality, hatching results and chick quality characteristics did not change depending on the egg shape index. As a result, genotype, broiler or layer chicken type, shell transcluency and egg weight were effective on external egg quality characteristics, hatchability characteristics and chick quality characteristics. It is important to take these features into consideration in breeding and field studies.