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The Keeping Quality of Shell Eggs in Storage as Affected by Newcastle Disease
T h e Keeping Quality of Shell Eggs in Storage as Affected by Newcastle Disease E. D .
PARNELL
Department of Poultry Husbandry, Texas A & M College, College Station, Texas (Received for publication August 10,1949)
EWCASTLE disease has now spread to every state in the union. When young stock is attacked, death losses run very high. In laying hens the disease causes little or no death loss, but egg production as well as egg quality are lowered in such flocks, so the economic loss is great. Beach (1943) showed that pneumoencephalitis (Newcastle) caused a sudden and drastic drop in egg production and a mortality of about 5 percent. Lorenz (1944) reported that eggs laid up to 45 days after an outbreak of Newcastle disease revealed these abnormal conditions: (1) Up to 10 percent of the eggs had abnormal air cells, many of which contained free-floating bubbles. (2) A high percent of the hens produced eggs with abnormal shells. (3) Albumen quality was decreased in nearly all eggs laid. Berg, et al. (1947) reported that albumen and shell quality were lower after a Newcastle disease attack than prior to infection, but that not all birds affected with the disease produced poorer quality eggs following a return to normal egg production. The decrease in albumen quality and the increase in roughness of shells following a disease attack tended to be permanent. Piatt (1948) reported that hens drop from about seventy-five percent production to zero production in eight days after being vaccinated for Newcastle disease, and that some pens
resumed normal egg production within six weeks. PROCEDURE
An outbreak of Newcastle disease occurred in several pens of S. C. White Leghorns at the Texas A & M College poultry plant in late 1947 and early 1948. The disease did not attack all pens, and outbreaks were spasmodic and were spread out over several months. House L succumbed in late 1947, declined to zero production within eight days, then resumed normal egg production in January 1948. House 43 succumbed to a Newcastle attack in late January, and by March were back in full production. House 30 experienced an acute attack on March 15 and production dropped from 80% to zero within seven days. Houses 44 and V.J.B. did not succumb to an attack, although 44 was within a very short distance of house 43. All birds in the five pens were S. C. White Leghorns in their first year of egg production. All were full fed on a conventional mash mixture, with grain being fed in the late afternoon. All were on Sudan grass range. The birds were nontrapnested but were of similar breeding and of approximately the same age, so that normal albumen index could be expected to be about the same in all pens. Starting March 16,1948 and continuing for six successive days, random samples of eggs were taken from Houses L, 30, 43, 153
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Manitoba on June 17, 2015
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E. D. PARNELL
TABLE 1.—Albumen scores (Van Wagenen) of eggs from various lots of hens, at progressive stages during storage period New castle Pens
Non-Newcastle Pens
1.80 2.40 Fresh Eggs (no storage) 2.90 3.40 After 4 weeks in storage 3.10 3.80 After 8 weeks in storage 3.60 4.20 After 16 weeks in storage 3.70 4.10 After 32 weeks in storage 3.80 4.30 After 64 weeks in storage (Perfect score is 1.00, and lowest possible score is 5.00)
Table 2 shows the distribution of USDA Grades in the freshly laid eggs from the
various lots of hens. The eggs from Houses 44 and V.J.B. followed the usual pattern for normal hens in the Southwest area. The hens in House L laid eggs with much lower quality than those in the nonNewcastle groups, but much higher than for 43 and 30, both of which had suffered a more recent attack. Only houses 30 and 43 laid eggs that classified as Grade B. The low percentage of Grade AA eggs in House 30, and the much higher level in the recovered pens, agrees with Berg, et al. (1947) that loss of albumen quality in some hens seems to be permanent following recovery from a Newcastle disease attack.
TABLE 2.—'USDA grades of eggs when freshly laid from houses exposed to various conditions relative to Newcastle disease USDA grade of fresh e*gs in percent House number and condition House House House House House
44, No Newcastle VJB, No Newcastle 30, in active attack 43, recent recovery L, 3 mos. after recovery
AA or special
A or extra
B or standard
C or trade
62 64 5 31 40
38 36 86 61 60
0 0 9 8 0
0 0 0 0 0
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Manitoba on June 17, 2015
44, and V.J.B., until a hundred and five eggs had been collected from each house. When gathered, the eggs were dated and labeled, then were classified into U.S. Grades. Five eggs from each lot were immediately broken out, and an albumen index score observed and recorded. The remainder of the eggs were then placed in a refrigerator and held at 36 degrees F. for the entire storage period. Additional grading was done at 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 week intervals. During each grading, a random sample of 10 eggs was taken from each lot, broken out and a Van Wagenen index score recorded for each egg. At the 64th week all remaining eggs were broken and the Table 1 albumen index measured and recorded. Eggs were held in storage in half cases with conventional fillers and flats. None of the eggs were oil processed. Table 1 gives the average Van Wagenen albumen scores of eggs from the Newcastle pens (Houses 30, 43, and L) com-
pared to those from the non-Newcastle pens (Houses 44, and V.J.B.). A marked difference was noted in the albumen index of the fresh eggs from the two groups. As the storage period advanced, the difference became less marked. A uniform break-down in the albumen from the non-Newcastle pens was noted. It was not so uniform for the eggs from Newcastle pens, especially in the later months of storage. The quality differences between the two lots were shown in the albumen condition only, since the yolks were uniformly good in all lots. A few of the freshly laid eggs from the Newcastle pens contained loose air cells, a characteristic noted in eggs from Newcastle hens by Lorenz and Newlon (1944).
155
EFFECT OF NEWCASTLE DISEASE ON STORAGE EGGS TABLE 3.—Comparison of eggs from Newcastle and Non-Newcastle after storage at 4, IS, and 64 weeks
Percent of eggs that fall in each U. S. grade U. S. grade or no grade
AAA or Special A or Extra B or Standard C or Trade Inedible
Fourth week
Sixty-fourth week
Sixteenth week
Newcastle pens
NonNewcastle pens
Newcastle pens
NonNewcastle pens
Newcastle pens
NonNewcastle pens
12 41 45 2 0
42 51 6 1 0
3 31 49 16 1
20 48 28 4 0
0 0 30 47 23
0 0 57 34 9
loss or inedible eggs than did those from Newcastle diseased birds. Stuck yolks, which usually accompany a high level of thin albumen, accounted for most of the loss. Hens in an active attack of Newcastle disease seem to lose their ability to secrete thick albumen. After complete recovery, some hens appeared to regain their ability to secrete thick albumen, while others do not. Yolk quality as measured by yolk index, color, and general table quality, was no different in the Newcastle infected eggs than in those not so affected.
SUMMARY
REFERENCES
A Newcastle disease outbreak has been described and its effects upon five flocks of hens have been explained. Eggs from hens that experienced a Newcastle disease attack showed low albumen index when fresh and at successive periods up to 64 weeks in cold storage, when compared to eggs from hens never infected with the disease. Eggs from hens free of Newcastle disease kept longer in storage and had fewer
Beach, J. R., 1943. Avian pneumoencephalitis. Proc. 46th An. Meet., U. S. Livestock Sanitary Ass'n., pp. 203-223. Berg, Lawrence R., Gordon E. Bearse, and C. M. Hamilton, 1947. The effect of Newcastle disease on egg production and egg quality. Poultry Sci. 26: 614-622. Lorenz, F. W., and W. E. Newlon, 1944. Influence of avian pneumoencephalitis of subsequent egg quality. Poultry Sci. 23:193-198. Piatt, C. S., 1948. Some observations on the effect of newcastle disease upon laying fowl. Poultry Sci. 27: 201-206.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Manitoba on June 17, 2015
Table 3 shows the comparisons by USDA Grades between the Newcastle and the non-Newcastle groups of hens at the 4th, 16th and 64th week of storage. Loss or inedible eggs appeared earlier in the Newcastle eggs, and the percentage of loss eggs was much higher than for the nonNewcastle groups at all periods of storage. Most of the inedible eggs resulted from stuck yolks, a condition that is common in lots of eggs containing much watery albumen. Although stuck yolks did not always accompany a watery white condition, there was a tendency for it to do so. Except for stuck yolks, mold was the only other cause of loss.
PARNELL
Department of Poultry Husbandry, Texas A & M College, College Station, Texas (Received for publication August 10,1949)
EWCASTLE disease has now spread to every state in the union. When young stock is attacked, death losses run very high. In laying hens the disease causes little or no death loss, but egg production as well as egg quality are lowered in such flocks, so the economic loss is great. Beach (1943) showed that pneumoencephalitis (Newcastle) caused a sudden and drastic drop in egg production and a mortality of about 5 percent. Lorenz (1944) reported that eggs laid up to 45 days after an outbreak of Newcastle disease revealed these abnormal conditions: (1) Up to 10 percent of the eggs had abnormal air cells, many of which contained free-floating bubbles. (2) A high percent of the hens produced eggs with abnormal shells. (3) Albumen quality was decreased in nearly all eggs laid. Berg, et al. (1947) reported that albumen and shell quality were lower after a Newcastle disease attack than prior to infection, but that not all birds affected with the disease produced poorer quality eggs following a return to normal egg production. The decrease in albumen quality and the increase in roughness of shells following a disease attack tended to be permanent. Piatt (1948) reported that hens drop from about seventy-five percent production to zero production in eight days after being vaccinated for Newcastle disease, and that some pens
resumed normal egg production within six weeks. PROCEDURE
An outbreak of Newcastle disease occurred in several pens of S. C. White Leghorns at the Texas A & M College poultry plant in late 1947 and early 1948. The disease did not attack all pens, and outbreaks were spasmodic and were spread out over several months. House L succumbed in late 1947, declined to zero production within eight days, then resumed normal egg production in January 1948. House 43 succumbed to a Newcastle attack in late January, and by March were back in full production. House 30 experienced an acute attack on March 15 and production dropped from 80% to zero within seven days. Houses 44 and V.J.B. did not succumb to an attack, although 44 was within a very short distance of house 43. All birds in the five pens were S. C. White Leghorns in their first year of egg production. All were full fed on a conventional mash mixture, with grain being fed in the late afternoon. All were on Sudan grass range. The birds were nontrapnested but were of similar breeding and of approximately the same age, so that normal albumen index could be expected to be about the same in all pens. Starting March 16,1948 and continuing for six successive days, random samples of eggs were taken from Houses L, 30, 43, 153
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Manitoba on June 17, 2015
N
154
E. D. PARNELL
TABLE 1.—Albumen scores (Van Wagenen) of eggs from various lots of hens, at progressive stages during storage period New castle Pens
Non-Newcastle Pens
1.80 2.40 Fresh Eggs (no storage) 2.90 3.40 After 4 weeks in storage 3.10 3.80 After 8 weeks in storage 3.60 4.20 After 16 weeks in storage 3.70 4.10 After 32 weeks in storage 3.80 4.30 After 64 weeks in storage (Perfect score is 1.00, and lowest possible score is 5.00)
Table 2 shows the distribution of USDA Grades in the freshly laid eggs from the
various lots of hens. The eggs from Houses 44 and V.J.B. followed the usual pattern for normal hens in the Southwest area. The hens in House L laid eggs with much lower quality than those in the nonNewcastle groups, but much higher than for 43 and 30, both of which had suffered a more recent attack. Only houses 30 and 43 laid eggs that classified as Grade B. The low percentage of Grade AA eggs in House 30, and the much higher level in the recovered pens, agrees with Berg, et al. (1947) that loss of albumen quality in some hens seems to be permanent following recovery from a Newcastle disease attack.
TABLE 2.—'USDA grades of eggs when freshly laid from houses exposed to various conditions relative to Newcastle disease USDA grade of fresh e*gs in percent House number and condition House House House House House
44, No Newcastle VJB, No Newcastle 30, in active attack 43, recent recovery L, 3 mos. after recovery
AA or special
A or extra
B or standard
C or trade
62 64 5 31 40
38 36 86 61 60
0 0 9 8 0
0 0 0 0 0
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Manitoba on June 17, 2015
44, and V.J.B., until a hundred and five eggs had been collected from each house. When gathered, the eggs were dated and labeled, then were classified into U.S. Grades. Five eggs from each lot were immediately broken out, and an albumen index score observed and recorded. The remainder of the eggs were then placed in a refrigerator and held at 36 degrees F. for the entire storage period. Additional grading was done at 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 week intervals. During each grading, a random sample of 10 eggs was taken from each lot, broken out and a Van Wagenen index score recorded for each egg. At the 64th week all remaining eggs were broken and the Table 1 albumen index measured and recorded. Eggs were held in storage in half cases with conventional fillers and flats. None of the eggs were oil processed. Table 1 gives the average Van Wagenen albumen scores of eggs from the Newcastle pens (Houses 30, 43, and L) com-
pared to those from the non-Newcastle pens (Houses 44, and V.J.B.). A marked difference was noted in the albumen index of the fresh eggs from the two groups. As the storage period advanced, the difference became less marked. A uniform break-down in the albumen from the non-Newcastle pens was noted. It was not so uniform for the eggs from Newcastle pens, especially in the later months of storage. The quality differences between the two lots were shown in the albumen condition only, since the yolks were uniformly good in all lots. A few of the freshly laid eggs from the Newcastle pens contained loose air cells, a characteristic noted in eggs from Newcastle hens by Lorenz and Newlon (1944).
155
EFFECT OF NEWCASTLE DISEASE ON STORAGE EGGS TABLE 3.—Comparison of eggs from Newcastle and Non-Newcastle after storage at 4, IS, and 64 weeks
Percent of eggs that fall in each U. S. grade U. S. grade or no grade
AAA or Special A or Extra B or Standard C or Trade Inedible
Fourth week
Sixty-fourth week
Sixteenth week
Newcastle pens
NonNewcastle pens
Newcastle pens
NonNewcastle pens
Newcastle pens
NonNewcastle pens
12 41 45 2 0
42 51 6 1 0
3 31 49 16 1
20 48 28 4 0
0 0 30 47 23
0 0 57 34 9
loss or inedible eggs than did those from Newcastle diseased birds. Stuck yolks, which usually accompany a high level of thin albumen, accounted for most of the loss. Hens in an active attack of Newcastle disease seem to lose their ability to secrete thick albumen. After complete recovery, some hens appeared to regain their ability to secrete thick albumen, while others do not. Yolk quality as measured by yolk index, color, and general table quality, was no different in the Newcastle infected eggs than in those not so affected.
SUMMARY
REFERENCES
A Newcastle disease outbreak has been described and its effects upon five flocks of hens have been explained. Eggs from hens that experienced a Newcastle disease attack showed low albumen index when fresh and at successive periods up to 64 weeks in cold storage, when compared to eggs from hens never infected with the disease. Eggs from hens free of Newcastle disease kept longer in storage and had fewer
Beach, J. R., 1943. Avian pneumoencephalitis. Proc. 46th An. Meet., U. S. Livestock Sanitary Ass'n., pp. 203-223. Berg, Lawrence R., Gordon E. Bearse, and C. M. Hamilton, 1947. The effect of Newcastle disease on egg production and egg quality. Poultry Sci. 26: 614-622. Lorenz, F. W., and W. E. Newlon, 1944. Influence of avian pneumoencephalitis of subsequent egg quality. Poultry Sci. 23:193-198. Piatt, C. S., 1948. Some observations on the effect of newcastle disease upon laying fowl. Poultry Sci. 27: 201-206.
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Manitoba on June 17, 2015
Table 3 shows the comparisons by USDA Grades between the Newcastle and the non-Newcastle groups of hens at the 4th, 16th and 64th week of storage. Loss or inedible eggs appeared earlier in the Newcastle eggs, and the percentage of loss eggs was much higher than for the nonNewcastle groups at all periods of storage. Most of the inedible eggs resulted from stuck yolks, a condition that is common in lots of eggs containing much watery albumen. Although stuck yolks did not always accompany a watery white condition, there was a tendency for it to do so. Except for stuck yolks, mold was the only other cause of loss.