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>>This is 4-H Poultry Judging: Class I - Interior Egg Quality
This is a Grade AA quality.
To properly candle an egg, we take the egg
and put the large side straight into the aperture
where the light is coming out.
We never turn the egg on its side
because you cannot see the air cell.
This is the proper technique and you can clearly see the air cell.
Because this air cell is very small, 1/8-inch or less in depth,
it is a AA quality egg.
Next, spin the egg while up to the aperture
watching the yolk go around inside the egg.
Do this from both ends of the eggs and look for blood spots or meat spots.
If there are none, then grade the egg by the size of the air cell.
As the egg sits in storage the larger the air cell will become.
As we look at this egg we can see that it is an A Grade
because the air cell is between 1/8-inch in depth and 3/16-inch in depth.
Students should practice looking at air cells with a ruler
to master the ability to judge the grade based on the depth of the air cell.
Next, as with the previous egg, it is spun and the yolk is watched
to ensure there are no blood or meat spots.
If there are none then the grade is based on air cell depth.
There are no blood or meat spots in this egg.
It is an A Grade.
As the egg is stored for even longer periods,
air will seep into the air cell making it larger.
This egg has deteriorated to a Grade B egg
because the air cell is larger than 3/16-inch in depth.
When this egg is spun, it looks like there is a possible blood spot.
However, this is dirt on the surface of the shell
and does not move when the egg is spun around.
Because there are no blood or meat spots in this egg,
this is a Grade B egg.
Notice the dirt spot there.
This is an excellent example of an egg with a blood spot.
A blood spot smaller than 1/8-inch in length
makes the egg a B Grade, whereas a blood spot
that is larger than 1/8-inch makes the egg inedible.
© 2012 University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences