The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between body defects, egg and chick quality and hatching results at different age periods of the laying period of partridges raised in production conditions (cage system). The study was based on three different periods. The first period is the pre-peak egg production period (˂200 eggs), the second period is the peak egg production period (˃200 eggs) and the third period is the post-peak egg production period (˂200 eggs). These periods also represent the age of the animals. As material, 432 female and 216 male partridges in their first egg production year were used. The study was organized according to the random plots experimental plan. There were changes in body defects and other health parameters depending on egg production periods. Foot-pad dermatitis and elbow burns increased with increasing age. Parent partridges had better head, neck, back, chest and tail feather condition before peak egg production. Egg weight increased with advancing age. Hatching egg characteristics such as excessively pointed eggs and eggs with calcium deposits decreased in the peak and post-peak yield period. Eggshell transparency increased with advancing age. Fertility was higher in the pre-peak egg yield period compared to other periods. Hatchability was lower after the peak period. Tona score of chicks decreased with age. There were weak negative and positive phenotypic correlations between many traits. Practices that prevent body injuries in the early egg production period and deteriorating feather condition with advancing age, decreasing shell opacity, deterioration in hatching performance and chick quality traits in partridges will be beneficial in terms of increasing both production performance and animal welfare.

The present study was focused on the design and implementation of an experimental recognition system for dirty chicken eggshell by using an image analysis technique. Image analysis based observation and evaluation techniques can be used efficiently and effectively for agricultural product quality control. Dirt stains on eggs are the result of mainly by feces (black to light brown stains), uric acid (white stains), yolk, and blood. The experimental system was used to obtain dark level images of dirty stains of chicken eggs owing to feces. For this aim, the dirty chicken eggs which have dirty parts were put under a webcam, and dirtiness degree was evaluated by using developed image analysis software at the LabVIEW platform. For the experiment, 100 clean and 100 dirty eggs were used to accurate the determination of dark stains. The results of the research showed that the designed experimental system pointed an accuracy of 99.8% at painted grade eggs. On the other hand, the accuracy of the differentiation of the dirt stains by feces was 98.5%. The developed system can be upgraded for developing egg sorting machines by presence-absence of dirty stains in eggshell.

Eggs are important components of the human diet due to their low cost, high protein content and protein related technological features. High digestibility of egg proteins makes it possible to consume alone in the assay of nutritive values. Binding, emulsifying, foaming, gelling, and thickening properties of egg proteins provide an opportunity to use egg in various food products as an ingredient. Therefore, the consumption of egg is increasing with each passing day, however, Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimirum infections have been reported to be egg-born. These serious infections are originated from direct consumption of eggs or unpasteurized food products in which the egg yolk/albumen is added to the formulations such as mayonnaise, salad dressings or merengues. In order to prevent these infections, aforementioned microorganisms must be eliminated from the environment by pasteurization. Commercial pasteurization process is applied with hot water or vapor. Commercial processes include high temperature/short time or low temperature/long-time pasteurization. Although heat treatment is considered the most reliable method in terms of microbiological safety, high temperature and/or long time applications may have adverse effects on functional and nutritional properties of egg proteins. To ensure the microbiological safety of products without sacrificing technological or nutritional properties, researches have been centered upon innovative techniques such as irradiation, pulsed electric field, high hydrostatic pressure, and radiofrequency applications. This review is aimed to bring out the amendments occurred in the egg protein structures in consequence of aforementioned pasteurization methods.

Eggs are important components of the human diet due to their low cost, high protein content and protein related technological features. High digestibility of egg proteins makes it possible to consume alone in the assay of nutritive values. Binding, emulsifying, foaming, gelling, and thickening properties of egg proteins provide an opportunity to use egg in various food products as an ingredient. Therefore, the consumption of egg is increasing with each passing day, however, Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimirum infections have been reported to be egg-born. These serious infections are originated from direct consumption of eggs or unpasteurized food products in which the egg yolk/albumen is added to the formulations such as mayonnaise, salad dressings or merengues. In order to prevent these infections, aforementioned microorganisms must be eliminated from the environment by pasteurization. Commercial pasteurization process is applied with hot water or vapor. Commercial processes include high temperature/short time or low temperature/long-time pasteurization. Although heat treatment is considered the most reliable method in terms of microbiological safety, high temperature and/or long time applications may have adverse effects on functional and nutritional properties of egg proteins. To ensure the microbiological safety of products without sacrificing technological or nutritional properties, researches have been centered upon innovative techniques such as irradiation, pulsed electric field, high hydrostatic pressure, and radiofrequency applications. This review is aimed to bring out the amendments occurred in the egg protein structures in consequence of aforementioned pasteurization methods.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between body defects, egg and chick quality and hatching results at different age periods of the laying period of partridges raised in production conditions (cage system). The study was based on three different periods. The first period is the pre-peak egg production period (˂200 eggs), the second period is the peak egg production period (˃200 eggs) and the third period is the post-peak egg production period (˂200 eggs). These periods also represent the age of the animals. As material, 432 female and 216 male partridges in their first egg production year were used. The study was organized according to the random plots experimental plan. There were changes in body defects and other health parameters depending on egg production periods. Foot-pad dermatitis and elbow burns increased with increasing age. Parent partridges had better head, neck, back, chest and tail feather condition before peak egg production. Egg weight increased with advancing age. Hatching egg characteristics such as excessively pointed eggs and eggs with calcium deposits decreased in the peak and post-peak yield period. Eggshell transparency increased with advancing age. Fertility was higher in the pre-peak egg yield period compared to other periods. Hatchability was lower after the peak period. Tona score of chicks decreased with age. There were weak negative and positive phenotypic correlations between many traits. Practices that prevent body injuries in the early egg production period and deteriorating feather condition with advancing age, decreasing shell opacity, deterioration in hatching performance and chick quality traits in partridges will be beneficial in terms of increasing both production performance and animal welfare.

The present study was focused on the design and implementation of an experimental recognition system for dirty chicken eggshell by using an image analysis technique. Image analysis based observation and evaluation techniques can be used efficiently and effectively for agricultural product quality control. Dirt stains on eggs are the result of mainly by feces (black to light brown stains), uric acid (white stains), yolk, and blood. The experimental system was used to obtain dark level images of dirty stains of chicken eggs owing to feces. For this aim, the dirty chicken eggs which have dirty parts were put under a webcam, and dirtiness degree was evaluated by using developed image analysis software at the LabVIEW platform. For the experiment, 100 clean and 100 dirty eggs were used to accurate the determination of dark stains. The results of the research showed that the designed experimental system pointed an accuracy of 99.8% at painted grade eggs. On the other hand, the accuracy of the differentiation of the dirt stains by feces was 98.5%. The developed system can be upgraded for developing egg sorting machines by presence-absence of dirty stains in eggshell.