A preliminary study on the application of image analysis for the measurement of ostrich eggshell traits

Embryonic mortality in developing ostrich embryos has been linked to water loss in eggs during artificial incubation. Traits possibly related to water loss were assessed on shell samples obtained from 512 hatched ostrich eggs. Moderate to high repeatability estimates (0.43 to 0.86) were derived from significant between female variance components for all traits. Two-trait between female correlations were unity or near unity when the same trait was assessed at either the side or the top of individual eggshells. Recordings at either site can thus be considered as the same on the level of the individual female, implying that in future studies only one measurement is needed during the evaluation of the traits investigated in this study. South African Journal of Animal Science Vol. 36(3) 2006: 155-15