Effects of atmospheric ammonia on albumen height and pH of fresh broiler breeder eggs.

Two experiments were conducted to study the stimulatory effect of atmospheric ammonia on albumen liquefaction. Albumen height and pH were measured in fresh eggs after 1 h of exposure to 0, 142, 294, 592, 2,747, or 6,052 mg/kg ammonia vapor. In Experiment 1, eggs exposed to ammonia concentrations of 2,747 and 6,052 mg/kg exhibited a significantly reduced albumen height compared with all other treatments. The 2,747 and 6,052 mg/kg treatments produced a significantly higher albumen pH compared with the 0, 142, and 294 mg/kg ammonia treatments. In Experiment 2, eggs exposed to ammonia concentrations of 2,747 and 6,052 mg/kg had a significantly reduced albumen height compared with eggs exposed to ammonia concentrations of 0, 142, and 592 mg/kg. Albumen pH was significantly higher at the 2,747 and 6,052 mg/kg concentrations of ammonia compared with the control. The linear regression for the effects of ammonia on albumen height and pH were highly significant in both experiments. The effect on yolk pH was inconsistent. The results suggest that the presence of atmospheric ammonia contributes to albumen liquefaction.