EVALUATION OF EGG QUALITY PARAMETERS OF TURKEY (MELEAGRIS GALLOPAVO) EGGS AT NATIONAL AVIAN RESEARCH PROGRAM, KHUMALTAR, LALITPUR

  • Maheshwar Dahal , Niraj Baskota and U. Paneru

Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is an important avian species in Nepal contributing in the nutrition security and income generation. Present study was carried out in the National Avian Research Program (NARP), Lalitpur, Nepal from August to November 2021 to evaluate selected morphological characteristics of turkey eggs. A total of forty eggs from 45-48 weeks hens were examined for different internal and external egg quality parameters. Further, the effects of different egg quality parameters on egg weight in Turkey were examined. The data were recorded in MS-Excel and analyzed through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 25. The mean egg weight, length, breadth, fresh shell weight, shell thickness, albumin height, yolk diameter, yolk weight and yolk height of turkey was 72.32±3.29 g, 6.36±0.20 cm, 4.70±0.12 cm, 9.68±0.33 g, 0.47±0.03 mm, 6.88±0.73 cm, 5.62±0.19 cm, 25.15±1.87 g and 0.98±0.20 cm, respectively. There was significant difference in almost all traits of external and internal traits of egg weight, fresh eggshell thickness, albumen height, yolk diameter and yolk height. This research provides important information about the egg quality parameters of Turkey raised in Nepal and serves as a reference for further investigation.