| dc.description.abstract | Rearing chicken has contributed positively to global nutrition, especially egg production.
This practice attracts both large and small-scale poultry keeping within the world’s
economy. Egg storage has been a problem due to ineffective methods subjecting many
farmers and egg retailers to losses. These methods include various models involving
statistical analysis of the storage conditions on the egg quality. However, they do not
provide sufficient information. Therefore, confusion persists between the use of fixed and
mixed-effect models. The confusion is because some studies analyse randomized complete
block design as fixed while others as mixed effect models. Apparent deficiencies of the
evidenced information from the randomized complete block design model prompted this
study. The quality of the eggs was determined by the physical characterization and changes
of both external and internal properties under different temperature conditions and storage
duration. The study evaluated the effect of storage temperature at three levels (5
o
C, 19.5
o
o
) on egg quality using fixed
and mixed-effects models. This study used a total of 618 fresh and unfertilized eggs from
the ISA (Institut de Sélection Animale) brown layers. Restricted maximum likelihood and
analysis of variance methods were used to determine the efficiency of fixed and mixed
effect models. Results showed that the physical components of the egg were significantly
affected at 5
C and 30
C) and time at four levels (2
nd
th
nd
, 12
, 22
nd
and 32
o
o
C, 19.5
o
P
( 0.05).
C and 30
C
The effect was more adverse on eggs stored
o
at 30
C for 32 days. However, storage temperatures of 5
o
o
C and 19.5
C led to an extensive
reduction in the Haugh unit, yolk index, and egg white. Contrariwise, it increased the
weight loss, the albumen diameter under storage for 2
nd
th
nd
, 12
, 22
nd
, and 32
-time intervals.
This study recommends a temperature of 5
o
C for egg quality preservation. The eggs should
be reserved in fridge-freezers for 32 days, at 19.5
o
C for fourteen days, and at 30
o
C for
seven days maximal. The fixed-effect models exhibited smaller components in diameter
and height of albumen, yolk index, weight loss, and Haugh unit. This overlapped instances
where the fixed-effect models were significantly the same as the mixed-effect models. This
study proposes that the fixed effect model is the most appropriate for randomized
completely block design experiments. This study obtained G-optimal efficiency of 68% to
predict the optimal levels of egg storage for quality maintenance. This study strongly
recommends further studies to consider optimization using other classes of storage
conditions. | en_US |
