Another factor known to impact the viability of stored eggs is
their water content. Eggs with a water content b10% are found to be
extremely tolerant of temperature extremes; these eggs are considered
as cryptobiotic (Clegg, 1967; Clegg and Trotman, 2002). External
environmental factors also have significant impact on the viability
of eggs during storage. Clegg (2005) documented that the surrounding
space volume occupied by per unit egg mass had significant
impact on the heat tolerance of the eggs. He hypothesized that some
volatile factor(s) (X) released from eggs reacted with something in
the gas phase (presumably CO2, O2 and/or H2O) to form another
unknown substance (Y), which entered the embryo and resulted in
the inhibition of development and hatching. Clegg (2005) explained
that if “the cyst mass per unit volume of the surrounding air space”
is not properly controlled, then this could be the possible reason
that results of previous thermotolerance studies of dried eggs were
highly variable and difficult to replicate.