Transporting hatching eggs on plastic setter trays is common due to the reduction in packaging materials compared to paper trays, favouring sustainability. However, the plastic setter trays convey mechanical effects more strongly, negatively impacting eggshell integrity and blastoderm viability. On the other hand, Short Period of Incubation During Storage (SPIDES) proven to increase the liveability of the blastoderm, if applied at the right time. This experiment investigated the mitigating effects of SPIDES during modelled egg transport conditions on vibration machine. Data showed that moderate mechanical effects, simulated by a vibrating modelling machine, resulted in better hatchability of live embryos compared to setups where SPIDES was also applied.

Global food demand is expected to double by 2050, putting immense pressure on agro-food supply chains. As non-agricultural activities gain prominence within the food supply chain, a systemic approach is needed to address sustainability challenges. However, this is a learning process, because of the complexity of hatching egg transport, similar to a three-arm balance of transport condition, packaging material and egg quality. Changes made in the name of sustainability can sometimes cause unintended negative effects. Plastic trays are often favoured over paper ones for sustainability purposes in egg transport. However, they may contribute to higher egg breakage and reduced hatchability, increasing the carbon footprint due to the loss of day-old chicks. Since hatching eggs are more valuable than table eggs, any damage during transport results in greater economic loss. This study investigated the mechanical impact on eggs during 41 road transports, utilizing g-force acceleration loggers to collect data. A significant relationship was found between cargo weight, egg breakage, hatchability, embryo mortality, and g-force frequency. Seasonality also played a crucial role in hatchability, even when transport temperatures were within acceptable limits. Simulated trials using vibrating transport devices were conducted to better control mechanical impact. Eggs from one flock were used to minimize variables. Results showed a significant (P<0.05) reduction in hatchability (91.06 % vs. 82.81 %) when transported on plastic trays compared to paper ones. At higher vibration levels, even paper trays could not protect the eggs, with hatchability decreasing significantly (P<0.05) to 64.8 %. These trials indicated that plastic trays had a greater negative impact on hatchability, but at extreme impact levels (47.22 m/s^2), even paper trays failed to offer adequate protection, reducing hatchability by 15.9 %. Considering both hatchability losses and egg breakage provides a more comprehensive understanding of sustainability in egg transport, raising the question of whether plastic trays are truly sustainable if transport conditions cannot be improved.

Egg transport and rough egg handling can have numerous negative effects on hatchability. The authors monitored mechanical effects under field conditions by acceleration sensors and then simulated the same scale effects using a modelling machine to verify the effects on hatchability. To measure and record mechanical effects-instantaneous acceleration (m/s²), three-dimensional HOBO® Pendant® G Data Logger were used. The RSS, RSM values calculated from the data from the accelerometer can serve as a point of reference for practitioners to see the mechanical effect level which results in significant negative impact on the hatchability results. It was also revealed that the measurement of the recorded values in the different directions and the minimum and maximum values are important too. Using the HOBO® Pendant® G Data Logger and detailed logging (the exact location of the logger at the time of the technological steps at a given time) can reveal the location of the maximum impact. By analysing RMS x, y, z, the type of impact can be determined. By combining these two pieces of two information, the technological failure can be clearly revealed and corrected. The measurement process described by the authors provides practical advice for hatching egg producers. Moreover, attention is drawn to the short-term damage effect on hatchability, since the 5-minute treatment at 20 Hz, prior incubation significantly reduced the hatchability (P < 0.05), which was achieved at the level of 10.02 RSS m/s² and 12.3 m/s² maximum value in the direction of x-axis. It is important for hatching egg producers to be aware that the damage to the mechanical effect is not only visible (broken, cracked eggshell), but can also negatively affect hatchability and thus the profitability of the sector. Furthermore, the typical “spider web” crack on the eggshell clearly refers to the mechanical impact caused by vibration.