The effect of egg classification on uniformity, performance, and meat yield of broiler chicks was evaluated using 140 males and 140 females hatched from one of each of the following treatments: A - eggs weighting from 66 to 72g, 33,3% of them produced by broiler breeders of different ages; B - eggs weighting from 58 to 65g, 33,3% of them produced by broiler breeders of different ages; C - eggs weighting from 52 to 57g, 33,3% of them produced by broiler breeders of different ages; D - eggs from 31-wk-old broiler breeders, weighting from 52 to 72g; E - eggs from 38-wk-old broiler breeders, weighting from 52 to 72g; and F - eggs from 43-wk-old broiler breeders, weighting from 52 to 72g. It was used a completely randomized design, in a 6x2 factorial (six categories of egg classification x two genders) with four replicates of 35 bird each. The chicks were raised from one to 44-day-old and slaughtered at 45-day-old. Sorting eggs by weight prior to incubation was not efficient to keep the better broiler chickens uniformity until they were 44-day-old. A significant and positive relationship between 7-day-old chick weight and broiler weight at slaughtering age was observed, except in chicks from treatment D. Broiler performance and meat yield were not affected by egg classification.
broiler chicken; egg classification; incubation; uniformity; performance
