On the Hatchability of Chicken Eggs Stored in Plastic Bags Flushed with Nitrogen Gas

BECKER et al. (1963, 1964), and Becker (1964) showed that storing fertile eggs of chickens, quail and turkeys in plastic bags improved their hatchability on subsequent incubation. Cryovac (polyvinylidene chloride copolymer) bags were shown to be superior to polyethylene bags for this purpose. Proudfoot (1964a) confirmed that the hatchability of stored eggs was improved when the eggs were sealed in plastic film. More recent work by Proudfoot (1964b) indicates that the kind of gas surrounding the eggs in the plastic storage bags has a major effect on the hatchability of the eggs when removed from storage. He presented evidence to show that flushing the bags with nitrogen gas after inserting the eggs and before sealing them for storage significantly increased hatchability over eggs stored with air in the Cryovac bags. An opportunity presented itself to check the value of flushing Cryovac storage bags with nitrogen gas before storing eggs, when…