what causes tough membranes and shells on eggs?

[tazzy]

the membranes and shells on our eggs are REALLY tough. is this from the feed or what could cause it? we use a feed mix for laying hens.

thanks!

 

[Katy]

I think this has been answered on your other posts about it, but too low of humidity in the incubator or from lifting the hen off the eggs too much will cause the humidity to be too low which in turn makes the membrane dry out and become tough. When they're hatching the lid needs to be left on the incubator and when they're under the hen she needs to be left alone to do her job.

 

[Linda in San Diego]

Do you mean on fresh eggs? My son, DS 19 complains that the "fresh" eggs will not crack, we tell him if he will just wait 3 weeks or so, the membranes will thin out and they will crack just like "store" eggs. LOL

 

[panner123]

100% agree with Katy. Get the bator temp set put the eggs in and go fishing for 18 days. Take the turner out and go back fishing for three days. Bingo, you have baby chicks. Not really that easy. If you don't open the bator more than twice during the first 18 days, your hatch rate should decrease by at least 20%.
Once a hen goes broody I normally leave them be. I have only a few that I even think of picking up to check the eggs. I was told by my grand father that each time you pick a broody hen up you kill a chick. That may be a little out there, but if you notice the broody hens you pick up have a low hatch rate.

 

[tazzy]

I was hoping someone might know if it's a feeding issue that's causing this. It's not just the eggs under the broody hen that are having issues, but EVERY single egg we've eaten in the past year. The membranes are very tough and the shells are super hard. If I boil an egg to eat it, even a two-week old one, the membranes are so stringy and tough that they won't come off the egg.

This isn't about the eggs we're trying to hatch, it's about all the others. That's why I posted here to ask instead of in the other threads on hatching chicks, etc. (As for our broody hen, we only looked under the chicken this morning for the first time ever. The membranes were already dried out at that point. The chicken had sat there for 20 days until today. Not sure why someone said I lifted the hen a bunch? I marked my calendar and waited until today to see what was going on.)

Thanks!!!!!!!!!

 

[Julie evans]

I have the same problem with the eggs,I currently have araucana hen that lays blue eggs my husband discided too fry up some of our blue eggs tonight and he noted that the egg membrain was tuff i thought ok maybe he over cooked the eggs and nope i cooked some of my Barred Rock eggs and a blue and there was a huge difference between the two eggs just making scrambled eggs the blue was definitely harder to scramble than the brown egg i compared the egg shells as well the blue egg had alot harder shells than the brown eggs so i belive it has alot to do with the thickness of the shells

 

[curiousheart3]

I was hoping someone might know if it's a feeding issue that's causing this. It's not just the eggs under the broody hen that are having issues, but EVERY single egg we've eaten in the past year. The membranes are very tough and the shells are super hard. If I boil an egg to eat it, even a two-week old one, the membranes are so stringy and tough that they won't come off the egg.

This isn't about the eggs we're trying to hatch, it's about all the others. That's why I posted here to ask instead of in the other threads on hatching chicks, etc. (As for our broody hen, we only looked under the chicken this morning for the first time ever. The membranes were already dried out at that point. The chicken had sat there for 20 days until today. Not sure why someone said I lifted the hen a bunch? I marked my calendar and waited until today to see what was going on.)

Thanks!!!!!!!!!

I understand what your talking about. I too, have been experiencing thick membranes when cracking or boiling the eggs. I've tried many things I've looked up. My husband takes two boiled eggs in his lunch everyday for work. I didn't have this issue until after this winter. I have 13 laying hens, red barred rock, Americanas, cream leggbars, light barama, Easter eggers, blue maran, copper maran, lavender Orpington and a Dominique. I've put salt in the water and tried white vinegar in the water before water is out into the stove. I've tried peeling them right after the cold water shock when I pull them off the stove and I've refrigerated them overnight and then tried peeling them. There were some that became easier and others that the membrane wouldn't detach from the egg or separate from the shell. I have found for since reason the tan ones boil and peel easier than the blue/teal and dark brown/maroon eggs. I have noticed very little to no air pocket present which I've read has something to do with it. I've also read that the membrane is thicker with fresher eggs. I have tried so many things to make them peel easier. I had a crazy thought and tried soaking them in hot water after pulling them from the fridge, after they've been boiled and that seemed to help most of the time.
I have not found anything that says it's due to a deficiency or the feed.
Although, the shells have always been tougher than store bought eggs since they aren't processed, I haven't had issues with the egg whites or yokes being tougher.