looking for Eggs with Harder Shells

Andy From Sligo

How would you get eggs with hard shells - what would I be looking at?

The wife buys free range eggs from the supermarket and the shells on them seem to be paper thin, when you crack them your thumb goes through them and pierces the yolk.

I thought i remember a farmer telling me years ago that he fed his chickens chopped up egg shells in with their feed and it strengthened the shell. Is there any truth in that ?

Paullimerick

Very true. And alot of the hens laying eggs commercially would have a form of grit in their feed to help make the shell harder

Kerryman79

chopped up egg shells is probably an inland thing on the coast crushed sea shells are used as a source of calcium

Andy From Sligo

Kerryman79 wrote: »

chopped up egg shells is probably an inland thing on the coast crushed sea shells are used as a source of calcium

ah right, so is it a case of the more calcium a chicken gets the harder the shell?

Kerryman79

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

ah right, so is it a case of the more calcium a chicken gets the harder the shell?

Well if there is a calcium deficiency the egg shell will be thin , chickens need grit which is insoluble to help with digestion otherwise the layers mash with the added calcium will not be properly absorbed, going on how thin the shells are it looks like its a deficiency in diet

Whistlejacket

Older hens tend to lay larger eggs with thinner shells than younger ones. So buying medium rather than large/extra large eggs can help also.

Andy From Sligo

Whistlejacket wrote: »

Older hens tend to lay larger eggs with thinner shells than younger ones. So buying medium rather than large/extra large eggs can help also.

thanks, its medium ones we normally buy

Andy From Sligo

Says no additives given to hens, so i suppose that means no grit or anything. That cant be good for them if they are not being given something to help their digestion can it?

Water John

A bit of ground limestone for the hens to peck, will solve it.

Andy From Sligo

without the risk of being flamed or coming across as being in favour of animal cruelty are all eggs sold in Ireland now 'free range' or can you get non free range eggs in the normal supermarkets still? - as you can most probably guess I dont do the shopping in my house, my wife does it - getting her to buy them could be tough because she thinks its kinder for hens to roam free range rather than couped up in (cant remember name) -

M.T.D

If you just want eggs with harder shells get some Guinea Fowl. Their egg shells are tough, tastier than hen eggs as well

Day Lewin

The legal definition of "free range" isn't what you or I would call "free roaming" - far from it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5exEt-b1bag

rubadub

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

Says no additives given to hens, so i suppose that means no grit or anything.

not sure if grit would count as additives, it might be accepted, just like those ham adverts making out like they add nothing (but really do). Some people eat egg shells as a source of calcium. It is calcium carbonate and comes in many forms.

I am wondering what the real issue is though, and if you really need thicker shells. You mentioned the egg splitting the yolk. Is your real issue your egg cracking technique, if this was better you might not need harder shells. There are devices to crack eggs, and I expect there are countless "lifehack" methods to do it without another new gadget, or youtube videos just showing better technique.

Andy From Sligo

rubadub wrote: »

not sure if grit would count as additives, it might be accepted, just like those ham adverts making out like they add nothing (but really do). Some people eat egg shells as a source of calcium. It is calcium carbonate and comes in many forms.

I am wondering what the real issue is though, and if you really need thicker shells. You mentioned the egg splitting the yolk. Is your real issue your egg cracking technique, if this was better you might not need harder shells. There are devices to crack eggs, and I expect there are countless "lifehack" methods to do it without another new gadget, or youtube videos just showing better technique.

i smash them off the kitchen counter and then split them apart (well try to, but the shells are too thin to do that)

Tree

I find the strength of the shell to be less of an issue when i'm breaking eggs than a membrane that doesn't want to tear and when it gives the whole thing is just a mess. Being super careful is the only solution, lots of tapping all round then piercing the membrane before trying to separate the halves of shell.

The free range eggs I buy, on the whole, seem to have fairly sturdy shells. Mostly they come from the milkman, otherwise whatever local free range eggs I can find.

Dial Hard

rubadub wrote:

I am wondering what the real issue is though, and if you really need thicker shells. You mentioned the egg splitting the yolk. Is your real issue your egg cracking technique, if this was better you might not need harder shells.

I was just about to post this. I've only ever used free range eggs and have never had an issue with thin shells.

Andy From Sligo wrote:

i smash them off the kitchen counter and then split them apart (well try to, but the shells are too thin to do that)

And I think we have our answer. All they need is a sharp tap with a knife, I'm not sure what else you expected by smashing them off the counter.

Andy From Sligo

Dial Hard wrote: »

... And I think we have our answer. All they need is a sharp tap with a knife, I'm not sure what else you expected by smashing them off the counter.

I only do that because I used to hit them at the side of the frying pan and people said that pierced the yoke and that it was best to crack them on the counter

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Andy From Sligo

what make the free range eggs taste better than the other ones? - is it a huge difference in taste or a subtle one?

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Johnnyhpipe

Duck eggs are very tasty and have a very thick shell.

Paullimerick

Totally agree with the duck eggs. My god they are fantastic

RasTa

I also agree with the bash off the counter method

sbsquarepants

Am I missing something here - would it not just be easier to take a bit more care when you're cracking the eggs? I mean, how many eggs do you crack on an average day!:)

Andy From Sligo

RasTa wrote: »

I also agree with the bash off the counter method

what, you agree with the method and its the way to go, or agree that its a bad method?

RasTa

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

what, you agree with the method and its the way to go, or agree that its a bad method?

It's the way to go, the chef method.

L1011

Buy the poshest eggs in the shop and the shells are likely to be harder - I found it near impossible to break Ballon ones on the side of a rigid plastic jug recently; ditto Lidl's organic. By comparison I picked up the wrong pack in the newagents down the road, got some whatever we have that's replaced battery these days, and they were like paper.

chuckles30

I just crack my eggs with a knife and rarely have a problem with the yolk breaking up. I know it's not as fancy as the chef crack on the counter/edge of the bowl, but it works for me

rubadub

I was looking on youtube and it was showing the "break on flat counter" method. It was saying if you do it with a knife or edge of a bowl you are more likely to have small shards which have to be picked out.

You hold the egg with both hands and pull the 2 sides apart evenly, hinging on the opposite uncracked side. Sounds like the OP might be holding one side and digging into the other side and trying to rip it off.

kylith

Paullimerick wrote: »

Totally agree with the duck eggs. My god they are fantastic

I'm not a fan of them for frying, but they do make amazing scramble.

RasTa wrote: »

I also agree with the bash off the counter method

I don't like that one because I find that it smashes the shell but doesn't break the membrane so I have to use more force and then I tend to put my thumb through the whole thing. I much prefer giving them a sharp tap on the side of a glass, then I can get my nail into the 'cut' and get the shell apart more cleanly.

RasTa

You should all be cracking your eggs with one hand by now, unless you are 26 and under.