Table 2.
Physical characteristics of egg content during three-year laying seasons of guinea fowls.
| Item | Storage Time | Laying Season (Average ± SD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | II | III | Average | ||
| Albumen characteristics | |||||
| Albumen weight (g) | 7 days | 23.3 abc ± 1.1 | 24.0 ab ± 1.3 | 24.1 a ± 1.3 | 23.8 d ± 1.3 |
| 14 days | 22.5 cd ± 0.8 | 23.3 abc ± 0.8 | 23.3 bc ± 1.3 | 23.1 e ± 1.1 | |
| 21 days | 21.6 d ± 1.0 | 22.5 cd ± 0.8 | 22.4 cd ± 0.9 | 22.2 f ± 1.0 | |
| Average | 22.5 b ± 1.2 | 23.3 a ± 1.2 | 23.3 a ± 1.3 | 23.1 ± 1.3 | |
| Albumen percentage (%) | 7 days | 52.0 a ± 2.1 | 51.7 ab ± 1.7 | 51.3 ab ± 1.5 | 51.6 d ± 1.8 |
| 14 days | 50.9 abc ± 1.3 | 50.9 abc ± 1.1 | 50.4 bc ± 1.6 | 50.7 e ± 1.4 | |
| 21 days | 49.8 c ± 1.3 | 49.8 c ± 1.0 | 49.5 c ± 1.5 | 49.7 f ± 1.3 | |
| Average | 51.0 a ± 1.9 | 50.8 a ± 1.5 | 50.4 a ± 1.7 | 50.7 ± 1.7 | |
| Thick albumen index (%) | 7 days | 0.073 bc ± 0.013 | 0.086 a ± 0.015 | 0.080 ab ± 0.017 | 0.079 d ± 0.016 |
| 14 days | 0.055 de ± 0.012 | 0.069 bc ± 0.014 | 0.061 cd ± 0.013 | 0.062 e ± 0.014 | |
| 21 days | 0.043 e ± 0.009 | 0.050 de ± 0.014 | 0.048 e ± 0.011 | 0.047 f ± 0.011 | |
| Average | 0.059 b ± 0.017 | 0.069 a ± 0.020 | 0.063 b ± 0.019 | 0.064 ± 0.019 | |
| Albumen pH | 7 days | 9.41 bc ± 0.10 | 9.06 de ± 0.17 | 9.02 e ± 0.21 | 9.14 f ± 0.25 |
| 14 days | 9.46 ab ± 0.05 | 9.32 c ± 0.06 | 9.50 ab ± 0.14 | 9.44 d ± 0.13 | |
| 21 days | 9.55 a ± 0.08 | 9.31 c ± 0.13 | 9.13 d ± 0.08 | 9.27 e ± 0.20 | |
| Average | 9.47 a ± 0.10 | 9.22 b ± 0.18 | 9.20 b ± 0.25 | 9.28 ± 0.23 | |
| Yolk characteristics | |||||
| Yolk weight (g) | 7 days | 14.6 d ± 0.9 | 15.6 abc ± 0.7 | 15.8 a ± 0.9 | 15.4 d ± 1.0 |
| 14 days | 14.9 cd ± 0.7 | 15.6 abc ± 0.7 | 15.9 a ± 0.7 | 15.6 d ± 0.8 | |
| 21 days | 15.0 bcd ± 0.8 | 15.7 abc ± 0.6 | 16.0 a ± 0.8 | 15.7 d ± 0.8 | |
| Average | 14.8 b ± 0.8 | 15.6 a ± 0.7 | 15.9 a ± 0.8 | 15.5 ± 0.9 | |
| Yolk percentage (%) | 7 days | 32.6 d ± 1.9 | 33.5 cd ± 1.6 | 33.8 bcd ± 1.5 | 33.4 f ± 1.7 |
| 14 days | 33.7 bcd ± 1.4 | 34.1 abcd ± 0.9 | 34.5 abc ± 1.6 | 34.2 e ± 1.4 | |
| 21 days | 34.5 abc ± 1.6 | 34.9 ab ± 1.0 | 35.3 a ± 1.4 | 35.0 d ± 1.4 | |
| Average | 33.5 b ± 1.8 | 34.2 ab ± 1.4 | 34.6 a ± 1.6 | 34.2 ± 1.7 | |
| Yolk index (%) | 7 days | 40.0 a ± 0.04 | 39.0 ab ± 0.03 | 40.0 a ± 0.03 | 40.0 d ± 0.03 |
| 14 days | 37.0 bc ± 0.04 | 36.0 b ± 0.03 | 36.0 b ± 0.03 | 36.0 e ± 0.04 | |
| 21 days | 31.0 c ± 0.04 | 30.0 c ± 0.01 | 33.0 c ± 0.03 | 32.0 f ± 0.03 | |
| Average | 37.0 a ± 0.06 | 36.0 a ± 0.04 | 36.0 a ± 0.04 | 36.0 ± 0.05 | |
| Yolk pH | 7 days | 5.90 c ± 0.18 | 6.05 bc ± 0.10 | 6.53 a ± 0.20 | 6.21 d ± 0.33 |
| 14 days | 6.06 bc ± 0.28 | 6.04 bc ± 0.22 | 6.12 b ± 0.28 | 6.08 e ± 0.26 | |
| 21 days | 6.13 bc ± 0.16 | 6.09 bc ± 0.18 | 6.09 bc ± 0.34 | 6.10 de ± 0.26 | |
| Average | 6.02 b ± 0.23 | 6.06 b ± 0.17 | 6.27 a ± 0.34 | 6.14 ± 0.30 | |
| Yolk color (pkt) |
7 days | 10.4 a ± 0.9 | 10.4 a ± 0.8 | 10.3 a ± 0.9 | 10.3 d ± 0.8 |
| 14 days | 10.1 a ± 1.0 | 10.0 a ± 0.7 | 10.0 a ± 0.9 | 10.0 d ± 0.9 | |
| 21 days | 9.76 a ± 0.83 | 9.65 a ± 0.75 | 9.67 a ± 0.87 | 9.68 e ± 0.82 | |
| Average | 10.1 a ± 0.9 | 10.0 a ± 0.8 | 10.0 a ± 0.9 | 10.0 ± 0.9 | |
| Main Effect (p-Value) | |||||
| Laying Season (L) | Storage Time (ST) | L × ST | |||
| Albumen weight | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | 0.9991 | ||
| Albumen percentage | 0.1128 | <0.0001 | 0.9384 | ||
| Thick albumen index | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | 0.7398 | ||
| Albumen pH | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | ||
| Yolk weight | <0.0001 | 0.1809 | 0.9257 | ||
| Yolk percentage | 0.0002 | <0.0001 | 0.9464 | ||
| Yolk index | 0.1934 | <0.0001 | 0.0451 | ||
| Yolk pH | <0.0001 | 0.0913 | <0.0001 | ||
| Yolk color | 0.7910 | <0.0001 | 0.9965 | ||
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.