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Michael Petilli

Mrs. Stevens and Mrs. Bond

Life Science

13 January 2017

Does a Chickens Diet Impact Its Eggs?

I own nine chickens, their names are: Ophera, Shadow, Dominique, Fluffy, Cereal, Cleo,

Chica, Coco and Chloe. I decided to use them for my project. I will feed some of them oyster

shells and examine their eggs. I will feed the rest yogurt and examine their eggs as well. That

way, I can see if oyster shells or yogurt have more calcium. If I give my chickens oyster shells

and yogurt, then the oyster shells will thicken and give more calcium to their egg shells.

What are Egg Shells Made of?

Egg Shells are made out of calcium carbonate, or CaCO3. When a chicken is forming the

egg, she is getting the calcium she needs for the shell from her diet. This includes stuff like

oyster shells and yogurt. If a chicken doesnt receive enough calcium, her eggs wont have a

strong shell. The shell is also made of crystals stabilized by a crystal matrix. (What) Plus, eggs

come in many different colors.

Why do Oyster Shells Increase the Thickness of Chicken Eggs?

Again, oyster shells contain calcium. An alternative to oyster shells is grounding up the

chickens eggs. But it is better to use oyster shells if the chicken cant naturally produce enough

calcium for her eggs. The extra calcium will help the chicken create a stronger and bigger egg.

Chickens also like to eat the oyster shells, but chickens will eat anything. (How)

Why do Dairy Product Increase the Thickness of Chicken Eggs?

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Not all dairy products are not healthy for chickens. But some yogurts are good for

chickens. (Susan) Yogurt contains a lot of protein and calcium. Not only does it contain protein

and calcium, chickens love it eat it. It is best for chickens to have yogurt for their breakfast.

(AimsChickies)

How Do You Accurately Measure the Thickness of an Egg Shell?

You can measure the thickness of eggshells with a device caller a Caliper, it has a nose

Another way of measuring the thickness of the shell is to turn the shells into a powder, then

weighing it. (Susan) The heavier the powder is, the more calcium the egg contains. You can also

do a crack test, just lightly tap an egg on a flat surface. The stronger the egg, the harder it is to

crack.

What Factors, Other Than Diet, can Affect a Chicken's Egg Shell Thickness?

Chickens have calcium in their body to produce their egg naturally. (Limestone) Other

than that, there is how nourished the chicken is, the chickens age and the diseases the chicken

has. Other than calcium, phosphorus is another good thing to give to chickens. It can be found in

cereals and grains. According to an article on how to raise healthy hens,Vitamin D3 is also a

vital partner in the absorption of calcium. (Calcium)

How Does the Size of an Egg Affect the Thickness of Its Shell?

From personal experience, a chickens first egg is usually very small. But size doesnt

matter, the thickness of an egg has to do with like I said earlier, diet, how nourished the chicken

is, the chickens age and if the chicken has any diseases. (Factors) Also, the darker the eggs

color is, the thicker the shell is. Usually at 40 weeks old, a chickens egg quality decreases by

50%.
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If I give my chickens oyster shells and yogurt, then the oyster shells will thicken and give

more calcium to their egg shells. In conclusion, chickens need calcium to produce strong healthy

eggs. But there are other factors besides diet that can also affect chicken eggs. This is important

because we need to have strong and good eggs to eat. But too much calcium can deform the egg.

But the right amount of calcium will produce the perfect egg.

Works Cited

AimsChickies. "Feeding Chickens Yogurt." BackYard Chickens. N.p., 13 Sept. 2008. Web. 08

Nov. 2016.

Calcium: The Key to Beautiful Eggs and Healthy Hens." Hoegger Farmyard Calcium The Key to

Beautiful Eggs and Healthy Hens Comments. Hoegger Goat Supply, 2011. Web. 0"6 Jan.

2017.

"Factors Influencing Shell Quality." The Poultry Site. Enterprises Inc., Mar. 2008. Web. 10 Jan.

2017.

"Foods Which Create Mucus." Healthy Eating. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2016

"How to Improve Shell Quality." The Poultry Site. N.p., 8 Mar. 2008. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

"Limestone and Oyster Shell for Brown Layers in Their Second Egg Production Cycle."

Limestone and Oyster Shell for Brown Layers in Their Second Egg Production Cycle.

N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016."Limestone and Oyster Shell for Brown Layers in Their

Second Egg Production Cycle." Limestone and Oyster Shell for Brown Layers in Their

Second Egg Production Cycle. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

"Science of Eggs: Anatomy of an Egg | Exploratorium." Exploratorium: The Museum of

Science, Art and Human Perception. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2016.
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Susan. "Does a Chicken's Diet Affect Its Eggs." Personal interview. 16 Nov. 2016.

"What Are Eggshells Made Of?" Reference. Reference An IAC Publishing Labs Company,

2016. Web. 03 Nov. 2016.