Floor eggs are not hatching eggs

Carla van der Pol MSc.

Floor eggs are eggs that were laid outside of the breeder flock’s next boxes in loose housing systems. The eggs are often laid on dirty litter or other contaminated surfaces. When an egg is freshly laid, it still has a temperature equal to the hen’s body temperature. It will cool down as it comes into contact with the cooler air and surfaces surrounding it in the breeder house. This causes the egg contents to shrink, pulling in air from the surroundings through the egg pores.

The cuticle at this point is still soft and can be penetrated by more harmful material than outside air. Therefore, when a warm, fresh egg is laid on a dirty surface, contaminated material may be drawn into the egg as it cools down. As a result, floor eggs have a higher bacterial load than nest eggs. They constitute a hygiene problem both within the hatchery and in the broiler house and would best be discarded. This may seem to be an economic loss, but discarding floor eggs is beneficial to a hatchery’s quality standards and profitability. This article aims to explain why we believe that floor eggs are not hatching eggs. Download the entire article via the button below.