EFFECT OF LENGTH AND STORAGE METHODS ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF EXOTIC CHICKEN AND QUAIL EGGS

摘要

The quality characteristics and proximate composition of the eggs of chicken and quail were compared. A total of 200 chicken eggs were collected from 28 weeks old Harco layers and 200 Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) eggs from 21 weeks oldquail birds. Eggs were randomly selected and divided into 5 groups of 10 eggs per group for both chicken and quail eggs respectively and stored for 21 days.The eggs were subjected to different storage methods (room temperature, refrigeration, oiling, black polythene bags) with room temperature as control and observed at different intervals 0,3,7, 14,21 days.Weight loss was measured and proximate analysis was carried out Data was analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with treatments (storage methods) and durations as the 2 main effects. For all treatments, the values related to egg weight decreased asweight loss increased from day 0 to 21.The proximate composition for all storage methods were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from each other throughout the duration of storage.Comparison of the length and method of storage of both chicken and quail eggs shows that they can both be stored for 3 days without deterioration using any of the four storage methods. In both eggs, refrigeration was the best storage method even though the use of polythene bags could be an alternative for chicken eggs while oiling could be an alternative for quail eggs when stored for longer periods.