Variability of certain table egg quality traits depending on the producer and investigation year

Abstract

Interest of consumers in safety and quality of table eggs is increasing. Considering the deficit/lack of eggs from alternative systems, as well as increased production cost and other (zoo-hygienic) problems in these systems, it is necessary to improve egg quality traits in intensive production conditions. In Serbia, numerous mini farmers are main suppliers of table eggs on the market, therefore there is the issue of subjective factor, i.e. producer on the quality of egg. At the same time, objective of the paper was to investigate the changes of the egg quality traits depending on the year of investigation. During three production cycles, on five farms for production of table eggs with Isabrown layers, following quality traits were investigated: egg mass, albumen height, Haugh units, yolk color, egg shell color, cleanliness and thickness. Investigation results indicated significant effect of investigation years, i.e. production cycles on quality of table eggs, based on main flocks of same light layer hen hybrid, as well as quality of feeds used for their nutrition. Also, results indicated the possibility for improvement of egg quality even in conditions of intensive production and that this improvement greatly depends on the awareness of the producer about the importance of the correct realization of production technology.

Zainteresovanost potrošača za bezbednost i kvalitet jaja za konzum je sve veća. Obzirom na deficit jaja iz alternativnih sistema, kao i na veće troškove proizvodnje i druge (zoohigijenske) probleme koji se javljaju u ovim sistemima, neophodno je poboljšanje osobina kvaliteta jaja i u intenzivnim uslovima proizvodnje. U Srbiji, tržište konzumnim jajima uglavnom snabdevaju brojni mini farmeri pa se postavlja pitanje uticaja subjektivnog faktora, odnosno proizvođača na kvalitet jaja. Istovremeno, cilj rada je bio i ispitivanje promena osobina kvaliteta jaja u zavisnosti od godine ispitivanja. U toku tri proizvodna ciklusa, kod pet proizvođača jaja za konzum Isabrown hibrida kokoši, ispitane su osobine kvaliteta: masa jajeta, visina belanca, Hogove jedinice, boja žumanca, boja, čistoća i debljina ljuske. Rezultati istraživanja su ukazali na signifikantan uticaj ispitivanih godina, odnosno proizvodnih ciklusa na kvalitet jaja za konzum, koji je zasnovan na različitim matičnim jatima istog lakog linijskog hibrida kokoši, kao i kvalitetu upotrebljenih hraniva za ishranu kokoši nosilja. S druge strane, ukazuju da mogućnosti za poboljšanje kvaliteta jaja postoje i u uslovima intenzivne proizvodnje i da u velikoj meri zavise od svesti proizvođača o značaju pravilnog sprovođenja proizvodne tehnologije.