Research Article

COMPARISON OF MORPHOLOGICAL COMPOSITION AND THE QUALITY OF EGG CONTENT IN PEKING DUCKS FROM P11 AND P22 FLOCKS

Dariusz Kokoszyński, Zenon Bernacki, Henryka Korytkowska

Uniwersytet Technologiczno-Przyrodniczy w Bydgoszczy

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 6(4), 2007, 37‒44

Abstract. Research was conducted on eggs of Peking ducks from P11 and P22 flocks. Evaluation of egg quality was carried out at the age of 48 weeks (22nd week of egg laying). There were 30 eggs evaluated from each strain. Tests were carried out within 24 hours after obtaining the eggs. Ducks from strain P22 laid eggs of greater weight (89.2 g), length (65.7 mm) and width (49.2 mm) in comparison to strain P11 ducks respectively: 87.6 g, 64.9 mm and 48.8 mm. Moreover, eggs from P22 ducks had darker (51.6% white) and thinner egg shells (0.400 mm), and greater eggshell deformation (22.5 µm). Egg white fraction in P11 duck eggs was 57.7% and was significantly greater than in P22 eggs (56.1%), whereas yolk fractions were 32.6 and 34.6%, and were significantly greater in eggs of ducks P22 than in P11 strain. Greater values of density and pH of thin albumen and thick albumen were noted for P11 duck eggs in comparison to eggs obtained from P22 birds.

Keywords: albumen, duck, eggs, pH, yolk