Bioimpedance-Measurement-Based Non-Invasive Method for In Ovo Chicken Egg Sexing
Congo Tak Shing Ching,
Chien-Kai Wang,
Pin-Chi Tang,
Minh-Khue Ha,
Chin Li,
Hsuan-Ni Chiu,
Fiona Yan-Dong Yao,
Nguyen Chi Nhan,
Nguyen Van Hieu,
Thien-Luan Phan
Affiliations
Congo Tak Shing Ching
Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Chien-Kai Wang
Department of Animal Science, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Pin-Chi Tang
Department of Animal Science, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Minh-Khue Ha
Department of Physics and Electronic Engineering, University of Science, Vietnam National University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
Chin Li
Department of Animal Science, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Hsuan-Ni Chiu
Department of Animal Science, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Fiona Yan-Dong Yao
Division of Science, Engineering and Health Studies, College of Professional and Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
Nguyen Chi Nhan
Department of Physics and Electronic Engineering, University of Science, Vietnam National University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
Nguyen Van Hieu
Department of Physics and Electronic Engineering, University of Science, Vietnam National University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
Thien-Luan Phan
Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
Day-old male chick culling is one of the world’s most inhumane problems in the poultry industry. Every year, seven billion male chicks are slaughtered in laying-hen hatcheries due to their higher feed exchange rate, lower management than female chicks, and higher production costs. This study describes a novel non-invasive method for determining the gender of chicken eggs. During the incubation period of fourteen days, four electrodes were attached to each egg for data collection. On the last day of incubation, a standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based chicken gender determination protocol was applied to the eggs to obtain the gender information. A relationship was built between the collected data and the egg’s gender, and it was discovered to have a reliable connection, indicating that the chicken egg gender can be determined by measuring the impedance data of the eggs on day 9 of incubation with the four electrodes set and using the self-normalization technique. This is a groundbreaking discovery, demonstrating that impedance spectroscopy can be used to sex chicken eggs before they hatch, relieving the poultry industry of such an ethical burden.
