ERRORS IN MEASURING AND CALCULATING EGGSHELL QUALITY

Three experiments were conducted to examine potential errors in measuring or calculating eggshell quality. In Experiment 1, specific gravity of eggs was measured in increments of .001 and .0025, and the increments of .0025 were combined for increments of .005. Average specific gravity of a group of eggs increased significantly as the increments of solution increased. These increased specific gravity values resulted in significant increases in calculated eggshell weight. In Experiment 2, egg content density was measured after eggs were stored at three temperatures. As the temperature during storage increased, egg content density decreased. This decreased egg content density resulted in a significant increase in calculated eggshell weight. In Experiment 3, eggshell weights were measured and calculated for two groups of hens. Specific gravity of eggs was measured in increments of .001, and egg content density of eggs from that flock was used for calculating shell weight. Shell weight and calculated weight agreed very well.