Why are Guinea shells so hard?

[racuda]

I don't give them extra calcium. No crushed egg shells or oyster shells. No layer pellets.

Occasionally I find an egg under the tree where they roost and I believe it gets layed with the bird on a limb, 25 feet up, and yet I have never found a broken egg. I believe I could ship eggs across the country loose in a box with no packing and none would get cracked.

 

[9farmgirl9]

Its because of the grass they eat, im assuming the forage all the time like mine. Grass has lots of calcium in it.

One time i was getting ready to put eggs in the incubator and i tripped and droped al 78 eggs, i was dissappointed cuz i thought the eggs wouldnt hatch but the did! When you think about it its amazing a little keet can crack the shell.

 

[PeepsCA]

I don't have a scientific answer as to why they are so thick (wild turkey eggs are thick too), I'm guessing it's natures way for the eggs to be able to survive being in laid and brooded in the rough natural terrain Guineas originate from.

IMO you really should be giving your birds layer pellets and oyster shell during laying season, the poor Hens are probably draining the calcium from their bodies to produce the shells.

 

[racuda]

Quote:
I have never seen a soft/thin Guinea egg shell so I thought they must be getting calcium from their environment. It seems like the shells would thin a bit before the hen's health would be affected.

I do feed layer pellets during the winter. I've noticed that sometime around March/April when greens and bugs appear they stop eating the pellets, so at that point I stop feeding them. I'll resume in late Fall.

 

[PrinceSandwich]

Quote:
So if you drop them it doesn't break the shell and also doesn't kill the embryo?

 

[aria122]

Quote:
So if you drop them it doesn't break the shell and also doesn't kill the embryo?

YES .. guinea eggs are amazingly hardy!

I have heard that the egg shells are so hard because the moms are not very careful with them. I could attest to this as I have noticed that my chickens are much more gentle with their eggs than my guineas.

 

[9farmgirl9]

Quote:
So if you drop them it doesn't break the shell and also doesn't kill the embryo?

It didnt kill mine, in fact 7 of the 78 i kept.

 

[okdfarms]

genetics. they just are. harder, smaller and more porous. lots of interesting reading if you are willing to do a search.

 

[SuperPeacockman]

Well it is natural, the guinea's do not need to be on grass or have extra calcium, it is normal.

 

[9farmgirl9]

Quote:
when i took my guineas and pinned them up they didnt have acess to grass and the egg shell were very thin, some so soft they broke and a week ago i let them to free range and there eggs are geting stronger.