Why are eggs so shiny?

[wskline]

Curious to why eggs guineas are laying on are so shiny? They weren't like that in incubator. Starting to get excited because they should be hatching in next week.

 

[chooks4life]

The breast skin of broodies contains some amount of oils and buffs the eggs over time.

The way you said what you said there made me wonder if there is some positive aspect to this which may be necessary for full embryo health... Most random and seemingly meaningless things turn out to be anything but.

Best wishes.

 

[wskline]

chooks4life, I have 4 babies keets as of now and probably more to come. I think that oil from Moms helped these little ones because they are so much healthier looking and more stable on their feet than the eggs I hatched from incubator.

 

[chooks4life]

chooks4life, I have 4 babies keets as of now and probably more to come. I think that oil from Moms helped these little ones because they are so much healthier looking and more stable on their feet than the eggs I hatched from incubator.

I know what you mean, what an obvious difference it is!

It's not just the oil I think, it's a combination of things which haven't been adequately studied and quantified yet, but there's definitely something superior in hen-incubated/hatched/reared babies; that's been noted ever since artificial incubation was invented. Even when people get pipping eggs from the artificial incubator and put them under a hen at the end the result is not the same as hen-incubated eggs.

Good to hear your bubs are hatched and on their way. I believe natural breeding and retaining natural social structures has beneficial ripple effects throughout their lives, making overall smarter, happier, healthier birds; that's been my experience of it. Gets better with every naturally raised generation.

Best wishes.