Evaluation of eggshell quality of hens infected with Salmonella enteritidis by application of compression

US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Egg Safety and Quality Research Unit, Athens, Georgia 30605, USA. jbouldin@seprl.usda.gov

Eggs collected from hens of different ages and that differed in infection status with Salmonella enteritidis were evaluated for the ability to resist cracking following application of maximum compression load from an Instron materials testing machine. Orally infected 24-wk-old hens that were prepeak produced eggs with significantly lower hardness units (HU) of shells compared with a paired control group (P < or = 0.01). However, 1 of 3 additional infection trials in hens at peak (29 wk) and older hens postpeak (58 wk) showed an increase in HU in one trial and no difference in the other 2 trials. Thus, Salmonella enteritidis may be able to alter HU in a manner that is influenced by multiple factors, which include the age of the hen and the strain used for infection. Hardness was overall a sensitive physiological barometer of age, because readings correlated positively (all R > 0.50) with hens entering peak production, regardless of infection status. Detection of a very low HU reading (<1.0) was indicative of a hairline crack in the egg, which increased in incidence from 0.01% preinfection to 0.08% postinfection. Two other clinical signs noted postinfection in hens were that i) daily egg production significantly increased in older hens, and ii) emaciation was evident in a few hens that were infected by contact. These results suggest that there may be supportive approaches to achieve reduction of S. enteritidis in table eggs that do not rely on culturing.