Table 1.
Physical characteristics of eggs during three-year laying seasons of guinea fowls.
| Item | Storage Time | Laying Season (Average ± SD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | II | III | Average | ||
| Whole egg characteristics | |||||
| Egg weight (g) | 7 days | 44.8 abc ± 1.3 | 46.5 a ± 1.6 | 46.8 a ± 2.0 | 46.1 d ± 1.9 |
| 14 days | 44.3 bc ± 1.3 | 45.8 a ± 1.7 | 46.1 a ± 1.6 | 45.5 e ± 1.7 | |
| 21 days | 43.4 c ± 1.5 | 45.1 ab ± 1.1 | 45.3 ab ± 1.5 | 44.8 f ± 1.6 | |
| Average | 44.2 b ± 1.4 | 45.8 a ± 1.6 | 46.1 a ± 1.8 | 45.5 ± 1.8 | |
| Egg weight loss during storage (g) | 7 days | 0.17 d ± 0.01 | 0.17 de ± 0.01 | 0.16 e ± 0.01 | 0.17 f ± 0.01 |
| 14 days | 0.60 b ± 0.01 | 0.59 bc ± 0.01 | 0.59 c ± 0.01 | 0.59 e ± 0.01 | |
| 21 days | 1.11 a ± 0.01 | 1.10 a ± 0.01 | 1.10 a ± 0.01 | 1.10 d ± 0.01 | |
| Average | 0.63 a ± 0.39 | 0.62 b ± 0.39 | 0.62 b ± 0.39 | 0.62 ± 0.38 | |
| Egg shape index (%) | 7 days | 76.2 ab ± 2.6 | 76.3 ab ± 4.3 | 77.5 a ± 3.3 | 76.6 d ± 3.6 |
| 14 days | 76.4 ab ± 2.9 | 75.9 ab ± 3.6 | 77.1 ab ± 2.7 | 76.5 d ± 3.1 | |
| 21 days | 76.7 ab ± 2.9 | 75.6 b ± 3.6 | 77.3 a ± 3.3 | 76.6 d ± 3.3 | |
| Average | 76.4 b ± 2.8 | 76.0 b ± 3.9 | 77.3 a ± 3.1 | 76.6 ± 3.3 | |
| Air cell height (mm) | 7 days | 1.18 c ± 0.33 | 1.12 c ± 0.36 | 1.17 c ± 0.36 | 1.16 f ± 0.35 |
| 14 days | 2.07 b ± 0.63 | 2.13 b ± 0.35 | 2.10 b ± 0.37 | 2.10 e ± 0.46 | |
| 21 days | 2.55 a ± 0.37 | 2.58 a ± 0.38 | 2.51 a ± 0.53 | 2.54 d ± 0.44 | |
| Average | 1.88 a ± 0.73 | 1.88 a ± 0.72 | 1.96 a ± 0.72 | 1.91 ± 0.72 | |
| Shell characteristics | |||||
| Shell weight (g) | 7 days | 6.87 a ± 0.44 | 6.93 a ± 0.51 | 6.95 a ± 0.57 | 6.92 d ± 0.51 |
| 14 days | 6.85 a ± 0.46 | 6.90 a ± 0.47 | 6.93 a ± 0.44 | 6.90 d ± 0.44 | |
| 21 days | 6.83 a ± 0.39 | 6.86 a ± 0.30 | 6.87 a ± 0.61 | 6.86 d ± 0.49 | |
| Average | 6.85 a ± 0.46 | 6.90 a ± 0.43 | 6.92 a ± 0.54 | 6.90 ± 0.48 | |
| Shell percentage (%) | 7 days | 15.4 ab ± 0.9 | 14.9 b ± 0.8 | 14.8 b ± 1.0 | 15.0 e ± 0.9 |
| 14 days | 15.5 ab ± 0.8 | 15.1 ab ± 0.7 | 15.0 ab ± 0.8 | 15.2 de ± 0.8 | |
| 21 days | 15.7 a ± 0.7 | 15.2 ab ± 0.6 | 15.2 ab ± 1.0 | 15.3 d ± 0.9 | |
| Average | 15.5 a ± 0.8 | 15.1 b ± 0.7 | 15.0 b ± 0.9 | 15.2 ± 0.9 | |
| Average shell thickness (mm) | 7 days | 0.51 ab ± 0.04 | 0.53 ab ± 0.03 | 0.54 a ± 0.05 | 0.52 d ± 0.04 |
| 14 days | 0.50 b ± 0.04 | 0.52 ab ± 0.04 | 0.52 ab ± 0.04 | 0.51 d ± 0.04 | |
| 21 days | 0.50 b ± 0.02 | 0.52 ab ± 0.05 | 0.53 ab ± 0.06 | 0.51 d ± 0.04 | |
| Average | 0.50 b ± 0.03 | 0.52 a ± 0.04 | 0.53 a ±0.05 | 0.52 ± 0.04 | |
| Main Effect (p-Value) | |||||
| Laying Season (L) | Storage Time (ST) | L × ST | |||
| Egg weight | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | 0.9943 | ||
| Egg weight loss during storage | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | 0.7731 | ||
| Egg shape index | <0.0001 | 0.8213 | 0.4274 | ||
| Air cell height | 0.9760 | <0.0001 | 0.9281 | ||
| Shell weight | 0.6730 | 0.7213 | 0.9996 | ||
| Shell percentage | 0.0003 | 0.0467 | 0.9939 | ||
| Average shell thickness | 0.0001 | 0.1011 | 0.8205 | ||
a,b—Statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) for the laying season are marked with different letters in the subscript; d–f—statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) for the storage time are marked with different letters in the subscript; a–e—statistically significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) for interaction type of laying season × storage time are marked with different letters in the superscript.