Newly, people found the fertile chicken eggs sold at high prices far below average. These fertilized eggs are known as HE eggs (hatching eggs) from breeding companies.
So, what's the difference between HE chicken eggs and the standard chicken eggs sold in the market in general?
Head of the Poultry Science Laboratory of the Faculty of Animal Sciences UGM, Dr. Heru Sasongko, explained that HE eggs come from broiler chicken breeding companies. This variety of eggs appears from fertilized eggs but is not hatched by a nursery company. The reason is that the supply of chicks (DOC) is too much circulating on the market. On the other hand, the need for meat is not that much that the eggs are deliberately not hatched.
In normal conditions, the supply of broiler chicks is around 60 million per week for Indonesia. However, in the current situation, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, when demand for chicken meat drained significantly, the supply of the chicken was only 40-45 million per week.
"There are about 20 million eggs per week, not hatched in conditions where chicks are not sold. Some sell because of this emergency condition. If normal conditions are impossible, it is not hatched because the cost of producing one egg is prohibitive," explained the UGM Faculty of Animal Husbandry lecturer on Tuesday (5/19).
Heru said that this category of eggs is suitable for consumption. According to him, there is no difference in quality between fertile and infertile eggs. He gave an example as in native chicken and duck eggs, which are also fertilized the eggs. The problem occurs in the marketing step. It is when the chicken does not hatch the eggs because it will disrupt the market of eggs from the layer breeders.
It is different in the case of HE eggs, which are hatched. After going through the process of checking the embryo does not emerge, it is removed from incubation/incubation, or it is called as an infertile HE egg. Eggs in this condition are not feasible in quality. Although it is safe for consumption, its quality has declined.
"The characteristics of the eggs are it has the white substance that is not thick, the yolk is also not thick and widened if it is broken. Also, sometimes, the aroma is different," Heru explained.
While physical characteristics can be recognized by watching through a flashlight, the air cavity inside is already substantial, with a diameter of more than 2 cm.
He mentioned that there was a prohibition on selling HE eggs regulated through Regulation No.32 / Permentan / PK.230 / 2017 concerning Provision, Distribution, and Supervision of Broiler and Consumed Eggs. It states that in the nursery business actors are prohibited from buying and selling eggs or categories of fertile eggs.
"So, there is indeed an SE from the Ministry of Agriculture who does not allow the sale of fertilized eggs," he said.
Heru further explained that the HE eggs are not hatched, taken immediately after the egg-laying process. Those embryos have actually formed in the resting phase. When left at room temperature, egg embryos will not grow. Meanwhile, when the eggs incubated at a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius, the embryo will grow.
"Eggs that have just been laid directly distributed, not put in the hatching machine, there is already an embryo in the sleep phase. "The embryo will die in storage for 15 days at room temperature and will hold up to 3 weeks when stored in a room with temperatures around 16 degrees Celsius," he explained.
Heru urged people not to worry excessively about the circulation of these fertilized eggs. Even so, he advised the public to be more careful in choosing eggs to be consumed.
"From the price, if it's too cheap, there should be annihilation to watch out for eggs," he said.
Author: Ika
Translator: Natasa AUGM Experts Explain Quality of Fertil Chicken Eggs
In recent times, people found the fertile chicken eggs sold at high prices far below average. These fertilized eggs are known as HE eggs (hatching eggs) from breeding companies.
So, what's the difference between HE chicken eggs and the standard chicken eggs sold in the market in general?
Head of the Poultry Science Laboratory of the Faculty of Animal Sciences UGM, Dr. Heru Sasongko, explained that HE eggs come from broiler chicken breeding companies. This variety of eggs appears from fertilized eggs but is not hatched by a nursery company. The reason is that the supply of chicks (DOC) is too much circulating on the market. On the other hand, the need for meat is not that much that the eggs are deliberately not hatched.
In normal conditions, the supply of broiler chicks is around 60 million per week for Indonesia. However, in the current situation, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, when demand for chicken meat drained significantly, the supply of the chicken was only 40-45 million per week.
"There are about 20 million eggs per week, not hatched in conditions where chicks are not sold. Some sell because of this emergency condition. If normal conditions are impossible, it is not hatched because the cost of producing one egg is prohibitive," explained the UGM Faculty of Animal Husbandry lecturer on Tuesday (5/19).
Heru said that this category of eggs is suitable for consumption. According to him, there is no difference in quality between fertile and infertile eggs. He gave an example as in native chicken and duck eggs, which are also fertilized the eggs. The problem occurs in the marketing step. It is when the chicken does not hatch the eggs because it will disrupt the market of eggs from the layer breeders.
It is different in the case of HE eggs, which are hatched. After going through the process of checking the embryo does not emerge, it is removed from incubation/incubation, or it is called as an infertile HE egg. Eggs in this condition are not feasible in quality. Although it is safe for consumption, its quality has declined.
"The characteristics of the eggs are it has the white substance that is not thick, the yolk is also not thick and widened if it is broken. Also, sometimes, the aroma is different," Heru explained.
While physical characteristics can be recognized by watching through a flashlight, the air cavity inside is already substantial, with a diameter of more than 2 cm.
He mentioned that there was a prohibition on selling HE eggs regulated through Regulation No.32 / Permentan / PK.230 / 2017 concerning Provision, Distribution, and Supervision of Broiler and Consumed Eggs. It states that in the nursery business actors are prohibited from buying and selling eggs or categories of fertile eggs.
"So, there is indeed an SE from the Ministry of Agriculture who does not allow the sale of fertilized eggs," he said.
Heru further explained that the HE eggs are not hatched, taken immediately after the egg-laying process. Those embryos have actually formed in the resting phase. When left at room temperature, egg embryos will not grow. Meanwhile, when the eggs incubated at a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius, the embryo will grow.
"Eggs that have just been laid directly distributed, not put in the hatching machine, there is already an embryo in the sleep phase. "The embryo will die in storage for 15 days at room temperature and will hold up to 3 weeks when stored in a room with temperatures around 16 degrees Celsius," he explained.
Heru urged people not to worry excessively about the circulation of these fertilized eggs. Even so, he advised the public to be more careful in choosing eggs to be consumed.
"From the price, if it's too cheap, there should be annihilation to watch out for eggs," he said.
Author: Ika
Translator: Natasa A