Eggshell quality is of major importance to the egg industry and also has a major economic impact on commercial egg production. Broken and cracked eggs represent an economic loss to egg producers. Some 6-8% of all eggs produced commercially are unusable because of poor shell quality.
Eggshell quality is one of the elements that, without proper management, can quickly deteriorate. It is therefore essential that the egg producer takes into account all the necessary elements for the formation of high-quality eggs.
Numerous factors involved in eggshell quality include nutrition, age, stress and disease. But the most important factor which should be managed for the bird’s health and to maintain good eggshell quality is heat stress.
Building an eggshell
Calcium and vitamin D3 are two of the most important nutrients needed to build strong shells.
Calcium is the most important nutrient for eggshell development, and vitamin D3 is vital to getting the calcium where it needs to go. In fact, each eggshell includes about 2 grams of calcium – that’s 40 percent of the shell.”
Calcium transport
After a hen consumes calcium, the nutrient begins the journey to egg shell production. It first enters the blood stream where it is carried to the shell gland and the rest of the body. To help calcium travel quickly enough to create strong egg shells, vitamin D3 also plays a large role.
Vitamin D3 is necessary, because it increases the rate at which calcium passes through the intestinal lining into the blood stream. The birds require large amounts of calcium when the shell gland is active. For this reason, we add vitamin D3 to get enough calcium to the shell gland when it is needed.
Improve Egg Shell Quality. Mission… Impossible?
1) Ascorbic acid
Ascorbic acid is a natural supplement available to alleviate heat stress in layers during hot weather. Adding 5 millilitres of lemon juice per litre of drinking water will reduce eggs with broken and fragile shells. The useful effect of lemon juice on the eggshell quality of heat-stressed birds could be due to ingredients such as the ascorbic acid in lemon juice.
Although poultry can synthesise vitamin-C, its quantity becomes insufficient during heat stress as a result of its increased rate of usage to combat the free radicals generated. Vitamin C supplementation at 500 parts per million (ppm) is beneficial to maintaining bird performance, including interior and exterior egg quality under severe environmental stresses.
A dietary level of 250 mg ascorbic acid/kg diet of moulted hen improves the egg production and eggshell quality by enhancing intestinal calcium absorption or by resorption of bone Calcium.
2) Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3):
Hens aged 30 weeks fed with 1% dietary NaHCO3 and housed at 32ºC either in conventional or intermittent lighting programme improves eggshell breaking strength. Supplementation of NaHCO3 to laying hens at high temperatures is a means of improving eggshell quality as hens consume the additional bicarbonate during the period of active shell formation.
The addition of sodium bicarbonate elevates the dietary electrolyte balance, improves acid-base balance and has a positive effect on eggshell quality.
3) Improve shell quality and egg quantity with the right minerals
Zinc, copper and manganese are the 3 most important trace minerals and they have both catalytic and structural properties. Zinc, Manganese and copper are compounds involved in the metabolic process of eggshell formation. Zinc catalyses carbonic anhydrase, which is needed to deposit calcium carbonate in the shell matrix, Copper is required for the synthesis of collagen found in eggshell membranes and manganese helps to deposit proteins in the eggshell matrix. Supplementation of these trace minerals can improve eggshell breaking strength and decrease the percentage of broken eggs.”
“Studies show that a superior source of zinc, copper and manganese can further improve egg production and reduce the number of cracked eggs”.
Products of choice
YORSTONER FORTE LIQUID is a combination of A Unique combination of Essential Vitamins, Minerals & Amino Acids and Liver Protector with blend of Natural Bio actives to be given through drinking water. It is intended for layers and breeders to:
- Maintain the levels of vitamins, amino acids, minerals like zinc, copper and manganese needed for optimal egg production.
- Reinforce skeletal health.
- Reduce early chick mortality.
- Stimulate the hepatic metabolism and the immune system.
- Improve the quality of the egg and the health of day-old chicks.
- Avoid the drop of the laying rate produced by stress (management, vaccines, hot weather, etc.…)
- At the start of the laying period, to boost productivity.
- Prolong the productive life of the hen.
4) Calcium, a Key factor for Eggshell Quality
To make the eggshell, hens mainly use their available dietary calcium. Dietary calcium intakes should be supplied in sufficient amounts so hens do not have to pull too much calcium out from their reserves. How can this result be achieved? Providing hens with coarse particles of calcium causes the ingested calcium to stay longer in their gizzard. As a consequence hens are able make a continuous use of this calcium throughout the day thereby sparing their medullary bone reserves.
A gradual intake of calcium for a solid shell
The goal of getting a solid eggshell should be prepared far ahead of the laying period. The proportion of calcium in diets should be gradually increased over time, following a very tight schedule. During lay, part of calcium intakes should be provided in the form of coarse particles. Therefore these calcium supplies will be available in due time as hens begin to form their eggshell.
To ensure a quality shell throughout the laying period, YORS can provide you with complete range of nutritional solutions. For more information, please visit our website: www.yorspharmaceuticals.com.
CALTIARA SUSPENSION is an effective combination of Calcium, Phosphorus and Vitamin D3 to Maximize Egg shell strength, Thickness and overall Quality.
Dilute CALTIARA SUSPENSION in the DRINKING WATER and give by oral route.
CALTIARA FORTE SUSPENSION is an Oral Suspension containing Calcium, Phosphorous and Vitamin D3.
CALTIARA FORTE SUSPENSION helps Prevention of thin shelled eggs, prolapse, and canabolism in poultry and improves the egg.
CALTIARA POWDER is the Bio-available Calcium and Phosphorus Salt with Essential Minerals Supplement for Egg Shell Strength.
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