The effects of storing hatching eggs in different thermal conditions and duration on embrionic death, hatch results and some performance characteristics

The aim of this study is to compare the hatching characteristics and post-hatch performance traits of Japanese quail hatching eggs stored in different thermal conditions and for different durations. In the study, a total of 720 hatching eggs collected from a 30-week-old breeding Japanese quail flock were collected and they were stored at 75% relative humidity and 18 °C temperature in the first storage unit, 80% relative humidity and 15 °C temperature in the second storage unit, and 85% relative humidity and 12 °C temperature in the third storage unit.. Eggs were stored for 7, 14, 21 and 28 days in all three storage units. Early, late and total embryonic mortalities were affected by storage thermal conditions and storage time, and mortality increased as temperature increased and humidity decreased, however, an increase in embryo mortality was observed as storage time extended. Similar results were found in terms of hatchability of fertil eggs and hatchability of total eggs, as the temperature increased and humidity decreased, the hatchability of fertil eggs and hatchability of total eggs decreased, however, as the storage period increased, a decrease was observed in the hatchability of fertil eggs and hatchability of total eggs characteristics. The quality of the chick was also affected by the thermal conditions of the storage, as the temperature increased and the relative humidity decreased, the quality of the chick deteriorated. No differences were observed between the experimental groups in terms of weekly body weight averages, Gompertz growth model parameters, and slaughter-carcass characteristics of Japanese quails obtained from hatching eggs stored in different thermal conditions and durations. In other words, the effect of storage in different thermal conditions and durations on the performance characteristics of Japanese quails was not found to be significant. As a result, it was determined that the storage of hatching eggs in different thermal conditions and durations in Japanese quails directly affects the number of sellable chicks and chick quality, while storage has no effect on performance characteristics. Considering the acceptable chick losses in commercial production, it is possible to say that Japanese quail hatching eggs can be stored for up to 21 days under 85% relative humidity and 12 °C temperature conditions.