Egg shell quality is one of the major concern for farmers and the poultry sector. A mere crackle on the shell is enough to downgrade an egg. Solidity is therefore a crucial condition for marketing an egg as a finished product. What precautions can be taken to avoid too many crushed or cracked eggs in a flock? How to make eggshells stronger?

The shell is formed in hens’ uterus by the precipitation of calcium carbonate on a membrane. To make the eggshell, hens mainly use their available dietary calcium. If this mineral is not available sufficiently in supplies as the shell is forming, hens need to sustain this formation process by drawing upon their own bone reserves, the medullary bone.

What factors can influence the quality of the egg shell?

he older the hen, the weaker the eggshell. While egg size increases as hen age, their egg shell tend to thin out and become lighter over time. Dietary calcium intakes should be supplied in sufficient amounts so hens do not have to pull too much calcium out from their reserves. How can this result be achieved? Providing hens with causes the ingested calcium to stay longer in their gizzard. As a consequence hens are able make a continuous use of this calcium throughout the day thereby sparing their medullary bone reserves.

What are the consequences of a fragile egg shell?

Excessively drawing upon hens’ medullary bone reserves results in weakening both hens and eggs. Besides a fragile shell, a weaker egg shell can lead to to higher risks of bone fractures, osteoporosis. As a consequence, hens may also stop laying eggs and even die.

As far as breeder flocks are concerned, the main goal is to have your hens lay eggs whose shells are intact. Indeed, a fractured or broken egg that has already been fertilised will not lead to chick birth.

Bonifit , a Key Factor Bone strength Quality

By strengthening the bone structure, this product increases the calcium storage capacity in the animal. the strength of the Bone is clearly increased.

Bonifit is a combination of original sources of highly assimilable calcium, and precursors of the osseous matrix.