Group No.

___ Date:___________
Group Members:

Exercise 4 Parts of the Egg, Grading and Candling

Introduction (cite recent articles)

Objectives (at least 3):

Materials

Table egg, fertilized egg (incubated for 3 days), candler, wide plate, micrometer,
Internet, books, ebooks

Procedure

Do it yourself (DIY) candler:

- Get a box or an old can wherein you can place a fluorescent bulb or a flashlight.
- Provide cardboard with a central hole that the eggs may set slightly on it
- Put cardboard above the box.

For table egg:

1. Study the parts of the egg and the candling of eggs.
2. Weigh your table egg. Take a photo and label its external parts.
3. Candle the table egg, observe, and take a photo. Label
4. Break the egg for grading. Gently, open the egg using the forks by cracking the tip of
the blunt end.
5. Place the egg on a level surface. Observe the egg and use Table 1 for grading.
6. Measure the height of the thick albumen using a micrometer. From this
measurement and the weight, compute for Haugh unit value of the egg. Interpret.
7. Check the Yolk color against a required color standard, the DSM Yolk Color Fan
(formerly known as the Roche Yolk Color Fan). Record your result.

Provide images of the following defects by looking and observing an actual egg (if
not possible, look for any images that are downloadable from the internet).
Shell defects
i. Gross cracks
ii. Hairline cracks
 iii. Star cracks
iv. Thin-shelled eggs and shell-less eggs
v. Sandpaper or rough shells
vi. Misshapen eggs
vii. Flat-sided eggs
viii. Body-checked eggs
ix. Pimples
x. Pinholes
xi. Mottled or glassy shells
xii. Cage marks
xiii. Stained eggs
xiv. Fly marks
xv. Fungus or mildew on shells

Internal Defects

i. Blood spots/ blood ring

ii. Meat spots

iii. Watery whites

iv. Pale yolks

v. Mottled yolks and discolored yolks

vi. Discolored whites

vii. Rotten eggs

viii. Roundworms in eggs

ix. Off odors and flavors

Table 1. Standards for internal quality of eggs

Interior
Quality AA Quality A Quality B Quality Inedible
Factor
Air cell 1/8 inch or 3/16 inch or More than Doesn't
less in-depth less in-depth 3/16 inch apply
White Clear, firm Clear, maybe Clear, may Doesn't
(Albumen) reasonable be weak and apply
firm watery
Yolk Outline The outline Outline Doesn't
slightly may be fairly clearly apply
defined well defined visible
Spots (Blood None None Blood or Blood or
 or meat) meat spots meat spots
aggregating aggregating
not more more than
than 1/8 1/8 inch in
inch in diameter
diameter

Source: Pescatore and Jacob, n.d.

For fertilized eggs:

1. For the candling procedure, read Agricultural Handbook Number 75 (2020). Candle
fertilized eggs in a dark room.
2. Identify the embryo during candling. Note: A healthy embryo appears as a dark
shadow with the head like a dark spot. Healthy embryos will respond to the light by
moving.
3. Look carefully at the blood vessels. They are well defined in a healthy embryo.
Determine the following from the embryonated eggs
i. Infertile
 ii. Early death

iii. Late death

iv. Viable embryos

Guide Questions
1. What is the shape and texture of the normal fresh egg? 2 points

2. Is it possible to minimize the decline of the quality of the egg? How? 5 points

3. In your own opinion, is it safe to eat an egg with a blood ring? 3 points

4. What is an indication of a blood ring in the egg? 3 points

5. What is the importance of grading? 2 points

6. During egg grading, what is the management for cracked and dirty eggs? 5 points

7. Identify and list the features of embryonated eggs visible during candling. 1 point each;
maximum score is 5 points
References (Use APA 7th edition format)