The Relationship of Egg Shape to Shell Strength

Abstract

FRANK et al. (1964) reported that egg shell strength measured by the weight required to crush cannot be totally explained by shell thickness, specific gravity of the whole egg, egg weight and percent of egg as shell when these factors are considered either individually or in combination. They concluded that additional factors, particularly those concerned with the geometry of the intact egg, might be capable of explaining some of the residual variation in shell strength. The role of egg shape in shell strength has received limited consideration in the past. Stewart (1936) studied several shell characteristics and concluded that when equal pressure was applied to both ends of the egg, the breaking strength so determined did not depend to any appreciable degree upon egg shape. Edin et al., as reported by Tyler (1961), reached a similar conclusion. The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate egg shape, in conjunction with shell…