Effects of storage on the quality of chicken and duck eggs

• National Institute of Animal Husbandry, Vietnam

Eggs can deteriorate quickly in hot climates. If ready refrigeration is not available, as in many rural Asian areas, then eggs may not be a viable item for farmers to sell. Previous work has shown that the shelf life of chicken eggs and, to a lesser degree, duck eggs can be prolonged by oiling them within 24 hours of their being laid. This project will work in Vietnam to survey the quality of existing eggs both at the farm and in the market place and will evaluate whether oiling and other storage methods would be of benefit to Vietnam. Different poultry systems will be investigated in four main areas and various storage regimes will be tested.