Impact of egg shape on hatchability in pekin ducks

Abstract

Hatchability and duckling quality are of the utmost importance for commercial hatcheries. Many factors can affect hatchability and quality of the newly hatched ducklings. The importance of egg shell quality has been studied extensively in both turkey and chickens, however very little research has been directed toward ducks. This trial explored the effect that the overall shape of a duck egg plays on the moisture loss, hatchability, shell thickness, and pore concentration of eggs.