Shell Quality?!

[J's Orpingtons]

Hi, I got some call duck eggs, bought from Ebay. They have quite weak/thin shells, so much so you can see the air cells floating about

(which i know is a different issue) -- My question is, does the shell quality affect the overall hatchability ?

 

[sumi]

Yes, it does. Thin-shelled eggs are not only very fragile, but allow for higher moisture loss during the incubation process, resulting in dehydration and higher embryonic mortality. The chicks that do hatch from thin-shelled eggs are more likely to die during the first few days after hatching and the ones that do survive do not thrive and grow as they should, because they get off to a slow start.