Impact of egg storage temperature and stage of laying on hatchability, fertility and chick quality in Kadaknath chickens

The present study was conducted at the RKVY Poultry Farm, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Science, Barkachha, Mirzapur, U.P., India, to evaluate the influence of pre-incubation storage conditions, environmental temperature, and relative humidity on hatchability traits of Kadaknath layer eggs. A total of 578 eggs, collected from flocks in the first (mid-laying) and second laying cycles, were stored at two temperatures (refrigerated vs. room temperature) for five days prior to incubation. Environmental temperature and relative humidity during the storage periods were monitored and categorized into three zones. Fertility, hatchability on total egg set (HTES) and fertile egg set (HFES) basis, embryonic mortality, and chick weight at hatch were recorded. Results showed that hatchability was significantly higher during the first laying cycle compared to the second, with embryonic mortality more than doubling in the latter. Storage temperature significantly influenced outcomes: refrigerated eggs recorded higher hatchability (HTES: 82.24%; HFES: 90.11%) and lower embryonic mortality (10.27%) than room-stored eggs (HTES: 56.31%; HFES: 62.72%; mortality 37.63%). Environmental temperature also affected performance, with moderate conditions yielding higher hatchability (HTES: 73.95%; HFES: 80.33%) and lower mortality (20.22%) than high-temperature conditions. Similarly, high relative humidity favored hatchability (HTES: 73.95%; HFES: 80.33%) and chick weight, reducing embryonic mortality compared to low humidity storage. Chick weight was significantly influenced by storage temperature, environmental temperature, and humidity, with refrigerated, moderate-temperature, and high-humidity groups producing heavier chicks at hatch. Fertility rates remained unaffected across treatments. These findings underscore the critical role of pre-incubation storage environment in determining embryonic survival, hatchability, and chick quality in Kadaknath.