Some quality characteristics of pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) eggs with different shell colors

In this study, some external and internal quality characteristics of pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) eggs with white, blue, brown, or olive green shells were investigated. A total of 120 pheasant eggs including 9 white, 4 blue, 24 brown and 83 olive green eggs (collected in the same laying period and randomly) were used in this study. The values of egg weight, shape index, eggshell weight and shell membrane weight of the brown and the olive green eggs were found different from those of the blue and white color eggs (P < 0.05). Yolk and albumen weights of the white, blue, brown, and olive green eggs were found 9.03 and 16.28 g, 9.57 and 14.37 g, 10.72 and 17.96 g, 10.13 and 17.79 g, respectively (P < 0.05). The effect of eggshell colors on the yolk index, albumen index, shell thickness, membrane thickness, and Haugh Unit was found to be insignificant (P < 0.05). As a result of this study, the quality of brown and olive green eggs were better than blue and white eggs. © TÜBİTAK.