A method for estimating egg weight using image processing

Nagoya Cochin is a chicken that is a specialty of Aichi Prefecture. The eggshell is cherry-pink, and some have white spots (cherry blossom snow). In Aichi Prefecture, breeding has been used for many years to develop strains with excellent egg-laying performance. In breeding, selection items such as age at first lay, egg-laying rate, egg weight, egg shape, eggshell color, white spots, and eggshell strength are evaluated subjectively based on measurements using special equipment and standards. However, the enormous amount of effort required to measure a huge number of eggs and the importance of ensuring objectivity and quantification of the measurement results in subjective evaluation are important issues. To address these issues, we are conducting research and development of a measurement and evaluation method using image processing technology with the goal of quantitatively and easily measuring the selection items. This paper reports on the egg weight measurement method and its performance.