I just received some eggs on Friday that they all have super-porous-looking shells? Why is this? What causes this? What prevents it, if anything? Anyone? Thanks!
I wasn't going to answer because I wasn't 100% but I believe it is from a calcium deficiency in the hen. I have had a couple super porous and they don't make it to day 18 I had some mildly porous ones and they did fine. I think the reason the super porous ones don't make it is they lose too much moisture, they are unable to sustain the proper internal environment. Krista
This website has a pic of one that is an example of the ones that did not make it until day eighteen http://shilala.homestead.com/candling.html Krista
One I just hatched out was super porous. I asked about it and was told "lack of calcium". Whether that is true or not, I dont really know.
What kind of eggs are they ??? I had a bunch of silkie eggs that were like that.... I got 100% hatch rate !!!!
I'm not sure that picture is showing "pores" at all. Calcium deficiency usually leads to thin shells that break easily, rather than porous shells. Thin shells are a problem because they lose moisture in the incubator much faster than thick ones .... so it can be hard to provide ideal conditions when you mix them up. That pic. looks like a "mottled" shell, and I just had at least 2 of those hatch. I wouldn't worry too much.
It seemed like my Dorking eggs always looked like that. The brahma eggs weren't the ones were they? I've been candling the ones I have in the 'bator, and they don't look porous at all... The key with those is to bump up the humidity 5-10%... the egg will lose a lot of moisture through those holes otherwise. A trick that someone else told me was to dip the pointy end in parafin wax to seal some of the holes. I've tried it, and eggs have hatched. Good nutrition will help with the eggs... it has something to do with the way the calcium is used to make the shell.
Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain : It seemed like my Dorking eggs always looked like that. The brahma eggs weren't the ones were they? I've been candling the ones I have in the 'bator, and they don't look porous at all... The key with those is to bump up the humidity 5-10%... the egg will lose a lot of moisture through those holes otherwise. A trick that someone else told me was to dip the pointy end in parafin wax to seal some of the holes. I've tried it, and eggs have hatched. Good nutrition will help with the eggs... it has something to do with the way the calcium is used to make the shell. Good answer Also, hairline cracks in valuable eggs can often be fixed with clear nail polish.