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Whole Body / GeneralPart of the Glaser Archive

EXPOSURE OF CHICKEN EGGS TO AN ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD PRIOR TO INCUBATION

No Effects Found

Patricia Y. Hester, B.B. Bohren · 1978

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Brief electromagnetic field exposure up to 160 gauss had zero effect on chicken egg hatching success, contradicting patent claims.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed chicken eggs to electromagnetic fields of up to 160 gauss for 3 seconds each before incubation, then measured hatching rates and chick weights. The study found no effects on hatchability, body weight, or hatching time, contradicting a U.S. patent's claims that similar EMF exposure improves hatching success by 5-8%.

Finding

It was concluded that the levels of EMF energy utilized in these trials had no effect on hatchability percentages, body weight means, or hatching time.

In their words

“It was concluded that the levels of EMF energy utilized in these trials had no effect on hatchability percentages, body weight means, or hatching time.”
Cite This Study
Patricia Y. Hester, B.B. Bohren (1978). EXPOSURE OF CHICKEN EGGS TO AN ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD PRIOR TO INCUBATION.
Show BibTeX
@article{exposure_of_chicken_eggs_to_an_electromagnetic_field_prior_to_incubation_g4729,
  author = {Patricia Y. Hester and B.B. Bohren},
  title = {EXPOSURE OF CHICKEN EGGS TO AN ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD PRIOR TO INCUBATION},
  year = {1978},
  
  
}
No DOI on file for this study.

Quick Questions About This Study

The study tested electromagnetic fields ranging from 90 to 160 gauss on chicken eggs. These field strengths are significantly higher than typical household EMF exposures, which usually measure 1-3 gauss near common appliances.
Each chicken egg was exposed to electromagnetic fields for exactly 3 seconds as it rolled through a magnetic coil. This brief exposure occurred before the incubation process began, testing whether short EMF treatment could affect development.
No, electromagnetic field exposure had no effect on hatching rates, body weights, or hatching time. This directly contradicted U.S. patent claims that similar EMF levels would increase hatchability by 5-8% compared to untreated eggs.
Researchers tested both direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) electromagnetic fields. The DC fields were 90 and 160 gauss, while AC fields were 125 and 160 gauss, allowing comparison between different field types.
The study aimed to verify claims made in U.S. patent 3,910,233, which stated that electromagnetic field exposure could increase egg hatching success by 5-8%. Independent scientific testing found no such benefits from EMF treatment.