EGG Formation & structure

EGG STRUCTURE
Four Major structures of the egg from outside
to inside are
• Shell
• Shell membranes
• Albumen
• Yolk
 EGG SHELL

Outer hard, protective covering for internal

semi-liquid contents.
The egg shell consists of
• Cuticle
• Spongy or calcarious layer
• Mammillary layer or matrix and pores
• Pores form connecting passages between the shell
membrane and cuticle.
• Helps in gaseous exchange for developing embryo.
• Allows some water vaporisation which creates
some space for growing embryo during
incubation.
• Average no. of pores---6500-8,000 per egg
Distribution--- uneven (more at the broad end than
at the narrow end).
• Shell from outside is covered by thin,
transparent, chaky membrane called as cuticle
which is bacteriostatic.
• Cuticle partially blocks the pores to prevent
excessive evaporation of moisture from eggs
and also physically blocks the entrance of
micro-organisms.
 SHELL MEMBRANE

0.01 to 0.02 mm thick and act as main line of

defence for microbial entries.
The shell membrane consists of
• Air cell
• Outer shell membrane
• Inner shell membrane
• Air cell----Towards broad end
• Air cell - formed as a result of contraction of
the egg contents (due to differences in the
temperatures prior to and after oviposition).
• During incubation of hatching eggs, it supplies
oxygen to developing embryo.
• Normal depth of air cell: 4 to 8 mm.
 ALBUMEN
• Also known as white of egg.
• It has 4 parts:
• Outer thin
• Dense white
• Inner thin
• Chalazae and chalaziferrous
• The chalaziferous layer twists into two chords
on either sides of the yolk called chalazae,
which are formed due to rotational movement
of the egg in the oviduct.
 Functions of chalazae

• hold the yolk firmly in its central position and

thus serves as an anchor for yolk
• Absorbs any shocks and jerks to eggs and
protect the vital yolk.
• contain a protein called lysozyme, which is
possessing antimicrobial properties and helps
to prevent the microbial spoilage of the egg
• Ageing, improper storage and microbial
spoilage makes thick albumen watery
 Yolk
It consists of:
• Germinal disc or blastoderm
• Latebra
• Dark Yolk layers (6)
• Light yolk layers (5)
• Vitelline membrane or yolk layers
• Normally yellowish in colour but may vary
from reddish-yellow to light pale depending
on ration content.
• Carotene present in yellow maize and yellow
pigment xanthophyll of beak, shank, skin of
birds is responsible to give yellow colour to
yolk.
• Most of the fat, protein, minerals and vitamins
of egg are concentrated in yolk.
• Concentric layers of dark and light yolk material, due to
differences in their chemical composition
• Latebra is the centre of the yolk (does not completely
harden on boiling).
• In an infertile egg it is unicellular (ovum) and contains
haploid number of chromosomes, called "Blastodisc".
• Where as in a fertile egg, it is a multicellular structure having
diploid number of chromosomes, called "Blastoderm".
• "Vitelline membrane" is a semi-permeable elastic
membrane, surrounding the yolk, separating the yolk
material from the albumen
% Physical composition of an Egg (weighing
50-55 g)
1. Shell and Shell membrane—12 %
Shell—97%
Shell membrane—3%
2. Egg yolk—32 %
3. Egg white (Albumen)—56 %
Outer thin—23%
Dense white/thick---23 %
Inner thin---17%
Chalazae and chalaziferous---3%
 Physical composition of egg in different
species
Species Wt. (g) Albumin (%) Yolk (%) Shell (%)

Turkey 85 56 32.2 11.8

Chicken 58 56 32 12

Duck 80 52.6 35.4 12

Composition of chicken and turkey egg is same.

In chicken & duck, albumin is more and yolk is less.
 Shape of egg
• Normally ovoid: Broader at one end and
tapering or narrower at opposite.
• Shape index is measure of egg shape
• Shape index= Transverse diameter x 100
Length
• Normal value of shape index for chicken egg is
74.
 Size (weight)
• Depends on species, body size, stage of
production, place in the clutch, nutrition etc.
• Usually, smaller body size---smaller eggs
Larger body size----larger eggs
• Pullets at initial stage of production lay smaller
eggs than hens in later stage of production.
• Initial eggs in clutch are comparatively larger than
later ones.
• Balanced nutrition (any stage of lay)—bigger eggs
 Egg sizes of common species of poultry
Species Egg size (g)
Goose (Swan) 200
Turkey 85
Duck 72-80
Chicken 55-58
Guinea fowl 50
Pigeon 17
Quail 10
 Colour
• Generally breed specific.
• Previously brown colour was preferred.
• May be brown, white, tinted or with yellow
shades.
• English & American class: Brown eggs
• Mediterranean class: White eggs
• Asiatic class: Brown or tinted eggs
• Certain exceptions
 % Chemical Composition of Egg
Part Entire egg Yolk Albumen Shell & shell
membranes
Water 65.5 48 88 1
Dry Matter 34.5 52 12 99
Protein 11.8 17.5 11 4
Fat 11 32.5 0.2 -
Carbohydrate <1 <1 <1 <1

Ash 11.7 2 0.8 95

 White Portion
It contains:
• Non-protein-8%
• Protein-92 %
Out of protein, max. part is ovalbumin i.e. 54 %
and conalbumin (13%), ovomucoids- 11 %.
• Ovomucin is responsible for firmness of thick
albumin (absent in thin albumin).
• Riboflavin present in thick albumen gives a
slightly greenish tinge to it.
 Yolk
It contains:
• Protein—33 % (1/3rd
• Lipid—63 % (2/3rd
Triglycerides—41% & Phospholipids-22%
(2:1 ratio)
• Glucose---0.4 %
• Inorganic elements---2.1 %
• Other compounds---1.5 %
 Shell
• Caco3—94 %
• Mgco3—1%
• Pigment—1%
• Protein—4%
 % Chemical composition---comparison
Land Fowl Water fowl
Chicken Turkey Duck Geese
Water 73.6 73.7 69.7 70.6
Solids 26.4 26.3 20.3 29.4
Organic matter 25.6 25.5 29.3 28.2
Protein 12.8 13.1 13.7 14.0
Fat 11.8 11.7 14.4 13.0
CHO 1 0.7 1.2 1.2
Inorganic 0.8 0.8 1.0 1.2
matter

Solid percent is more in water fowl i.e. by 4 %.

Fat percent is more in water fowl i.e. 1.5-2 %.
% chemical composition of whole egg and raw poultry meat
Contents Chicken meat Turkey meat Whole egg
Protein 19 20 13
Water 76 64 74
Fat 6.0 15 12
SFA (Sat. Fatty 2.2 5.0 4.0
acids
Oleic acid 2.0 6.0 5.0
Linoleic acid 1.0 3.0 1.0
Ash 0.8 1.0 1.0
Calcium (mg) 12.0 8.0 5.4
Phos (mg) 20.0 21.2 20.5
Iron (mg) 1.9 11.5 2.3
Vit. A (I.U.) 730 800 1180
Thiamine (mg) 0.07 0.08 1.1
Riboflavin (mg) 5.6 8.0 0.1
Niacin (mg) 0.38 0.14 0.3