International Journal of Agriculture and Food Security Vol. 2 (1), pp. 012-017, February, 2015.  © Advanced Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Evaluation of egg storage methods in Easter Wellega, Ethiopia

Mohammed .Y. kurtu³, Dereje Duressa¹ and Alemu Yami ²

² US AID Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

¹, ³ Haramaya University, P.O. Box 138 Dire Dawa Ethiopia.

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 03, April 2014

Abstract 

The five common traditional egg storage containers bamboo basket, cartons, clay pots, polythene bags and Teff grains that were identified as storage methods during a preliminary survey carried out in the rural and urban areas of East Wollega Two experiments, of similar experimental materials, procedures and designs, were conducted at different time of the year (May and August) to evaluate these traditional storage methods at Haramaya University poultry farm.  A factorial experiment 5 by 5 with completely randomized design using storage containers and storage time as treatment was used.  The storage times were 4, 6,8,12 and 20 days. Among the quality parameters considered, weight loss (%) and daily weight loss (%) of eggs were highly affected (P<0.001) by storage containers, durations and their interactions during both experiments. The maximum weight loss was observed after storage period of 16 days for all containers. Polythene bags storage maintained minimum weight loss Vs the baskets at all stages of storage duration. Only storage durations had significant effects (P<0.05) on the egg shell thickness during experiment I. Inconsistent but significant effect of storage durations was observed on the shell weight during experiment I, and weights of yolk and albumen during experiment II. Storage containers during experiment I, and storage durations during experiment II showed significant effects on albumen height and haugh unit values. Except polythene bags which had higher albumen height and haugh unit values, the other containers did not show significant variations for both parameters. The effect of storage duration on these parameters was linear with increasing storage duration; and higher beyond the 16 days of storage. Thus, it was concluded that using polyethylene bags and 16 days of storage could give the best result to store eggs among the traditional methods compared in this experiment.

Key words: Traditional/ egg storage/ changes in egg quality/ optimum egg storage duration/ 

Eastern Region Wellga/Ethiopia.