Method and a device for the optical in ovo sex determination of fertilized and incubated birds' eggs. The method includes monitoring formation of at least one identifiable blood vessel, creating a hole in the shell of the egg, finding and irradiating the blood vessel with at least one laser beam source emitting an excitation wavelength, recording backscatter radiation of the irradiated blood vessel and evaluating backscatter radiation from recorded spectral intensity of fluorescence radiation in a spectral range redshifted to an excitation wavelength. Sex-specific properties of male and female blood are contained in the intensity and spectral profile of the recorded fluorescence radiation. where intensity levels for male blood has an evaluable value distinct from that of female blood. Further, determining the sex of the bird egg from difference values of the fluorescence intensity and displaying the sex determined for the embryo in the egg.

Method and a device for the optical in ovo sex determination of fertilized and incubated birds' eggs. The method includes monitoring formation of at least one identifiable blood vessel, creating a hole in the shell of the egg, finding and irradiating the blood vessel with at least one laser beam source emitting an excitation wavelength, recording backscatter radiation of the irradiated blood vessel and evaluating backscatter radiation from recorded spectral intensity of fluorescence radiation in a spectral range redshifted to an excitation wavelength. Sex-specific properties of male and female blood are contained in the intensity and spectral profile of the recorded fluorescence radiation. where intensity levels for male blood has an evaluable value distinct from that of female blood. Further, determining the sex of the bird egg from difference values of the fluorescence intensity and displaying the sex determined for the embryo in the egg.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple method of detecting a protein in a liquid, which requires less labor or cost as compared with a conventional method. In the present invention, it has been found that coloring a protein by a color reaction specific to the protein, performing filtration using a filter which easily adsorbs a protein to concentrate the protein on the filter, and checking coloration allows for simply and easily detecting and measuring a protein. In addition, it has been found that filtering a protein using a filter, concentrating the protein on the filter, then coloring the protein by a color reaction specific to the protein, and checking the protein allows simply and easily detecting and measuring a protein.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple method of detecting a protein in a liquid, which requires less labor or cost as compared with a conventional method. In the present invention, it has been found that coloring a protein by a color reaction specific to the protein, performing filtration using a filter which easily adsorbs a protein to concentrate the protein on the filter, and checking coloration allows for simply and easily detecting and measuring a protein. In addition, it has been found that filtering a protein using a filter, concentrating the protein on the filter, then coloring the protein by a color reaction specific to the protein, and checking the protein allows simply and easily detecting and measuring a protein.

The present invention relates to a method for sampling an egg, the method comprising;

a) fluid coupling an interior of the egg to a source of pressure,
b) controlling the pressure in the interior of the egg by the source of pressure,
c) expelling an amount of fluid, in particular allantoic fluid, from the interior of the egg to the exterior of the egg as a result of the pressure in the interior of the egg, and
d) collecting at least a portion of the amount of fluid at the exterior surface of the egg.

The present invention relates to a method for sampling an egg, the method comprising;

a) fluid coupling an interior of the egg to a source of pressure,
b) controlling the pressure in the interior of the egg by the source of pressure,
c) expelling an amount of fluid, in particular allantoic fluid, from the interior of the egg to the exterior of the egg as a result of the pressure in the interior of the egg, and
d) collecting at least a portion of the amount of fluid at the exterior surface of the egg.

Shown herein is a method of automated noninvasive determining the fertility of a bird's egg (14), comprising the following steps: conveying a plurality of bird eggs (14) sequentially or in parallel into an NMR apparatus (18), subjecting the bird eggs (14) to an NMR measurement, such as to generate a .sub.3-D NMR image of at least a part of each of said eggs (14), said .sub.3-D NMR image having a spatial resolution in at least one dimension of 1.0 mm or less, preferably of 0.50 mm or less, wherein said part of the egg (14) includes the germinal disc of the respective egg (14), determining a prediction of the fertility according to at least one of the following two procedures: (i) deriving at least one feature from each of said .sub.3-D NMR images, and employing said at least one feature in a feature-based classifier for determining a prediction of the fertility, and (ii) using a deep learning algorithm, and in particular a deep learning algorithm based on convolutional neural networks, generative adversarial networks, recurrent neural networks or long short-term memory networks.

Shown herein is a method of automated noninvasive determining the fertility of a bird's egg (14), comprising the following steps: conveying a plurality of bird eggs (14) sequentially or in parallel into an NMR apparatus (18), subjecting the bird eggs (14) to an NMR measurement, such as to generate a .sub.3-D NMR image of at least a part of each of said eggs (14), said .sub.3-D NMR image having a spatial resolution in at least one dimension of 1.0 mm or less, preferably of 0.50 mm or less, wherein said part of the egg (14) includes the germinal disc of the respective egg (14), determining a prediction of the fertility according to at least one of the following two procedures: (i) deriving at least one feature from each of said .sub.3-D NMR images, and employing said at least one feature in a feature-based classifier for determining a prediction of the fertility, and (ii) using a deep learning algorithm, and in particular a deep learning algorithm based on convolutional neural networks, generative adversarial networks, recurrent neural networks or long short-term memory networks.

A pathogen reduction tool implementing a method of processing eggs at a poultry hatchery is provided. Such a method includes setting a production quantity of avian eggs in a setter incubator, the eggs being maintained in a plurality of egg flats. The avian eggs are removed from the setter incubator on a predetermined day of incubation, such predetermined day being during about day nine to day twelve of incubation. Subsequent to removal of the avian eggs from the setter incubator, the avian eggs are subjected to an egg detection system on the predetermined day to determine which of the avian eggs are viable and non-viable. The non-viable avian eggs are removed from the egg flats on the predetermined day. The viable avian eggs remaining in the egg flats post-inspection by the egg detection system are incubated through hatch.

A pathogen reduction tool implementing a method of processing eggs at a poultry hatchery is provided. Such a method includes setting a production quantity of avian eggs in a setter incubator, the eggs being maintained in a plurality of egg flats. The avian eggs are removed from the setter incubator on a predetermined day of incubation, such predetermined day being during about day nine to day twelve of incubation. Subsequent to removal of the avian eggs from the setter incubator, the avian eggs are subjected to an egg detection system on the predetermined day to determine which of the avian eggs are viable and non-viable. The non-viable avian eggs are removed from the egg flats on the predetermined day. The viable avian eggs remaining in the egg flats post-inspection by the egg detection system are incubated through hatch.