Lupin
05-12-2009, 4:08 AM
Excuzzzeme, while in the chatroom, asked me if eggshells can be pound as fine as powder. My reply is yes as it is indeed possible thus allowing the eggshells to dissolve quickly assuming the water is quite soft and acidic. He asked an interesting question about the calcium carbonate mass between white eggs and brown eggs which really intrigued me so I made a research and came up with these excerpts. You learn something new everyday.:)
Calcium carbonate, CaCO3, is found in nature giving hardness and strength to things such as seashells, rocks, and eggshells.
A good quality eggshell will contain, on average, 2.2 grams of calcium in the form of calcium carbonate. Approximately 94% of a dry eggshell is calcium carbonate and has a typical mass of 5.5 grams, although these values can differ depending on sources. Amounts as low as 78% have been published. The remaining mass is composed largely of phosphorus and magnesium, and trace amounts of sodium, potassium, zinc, manganese, iron, and copper.
In the case of brown versus white eggs, a definitive difference in calcium carbonate amounts may be hard to uncover. However, consider this. The color of the eggs is nothing more than a result of a different breed. The quality, nutritional value, and taste are identical between white and brown eggs, though two notable differences are size and price. Brown eggs are usually larger and slightly more expensive. The reason for the price increase is because brown eggs come from larger hens, which need to be fed more food daily. With a larger intake of calcium each day, one might expect the produced egg to have a higher calcium carbonate content. However, since the eggs are larger, it must be kept in mind that the calcium is spread over a larger surface area during egg formation. A brown eggshell’s increased tendency to break, when compared to white, is often attributed to this “thinning out” of calcium during deposition.
Reference:
http://74.6.146.127/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=brown+egg-calcium+content&fr=yfp-t-501&fp_ip=PH&u=www.sas.upenn.edu/%7Ekushnert/webport/teacheregginquiry.pdf&w=brown+egg+calcium+content&d=QGldTExISn00&icp=1&.intl=us
Conclusion:
Both eggs despite the color difference, still have the same calcium carbonate mass.
My Thoughts:
Having raised and bred chickens before, it occured to me the last statement is very true. I raised broiler chickens and native chickens wherein they lay white and brown eggs respectively. The brown eggs seem to break at the slightest squeeze of the egg whereas white ones need your pressure exerted.
Calcium carbonate, CaCO3, is found in nature giving hardness and strength to things such as seashells, rocks, and eggshells.
A good quality eggshell will contain, on average, 2.2 grams of calcium in the form of calcium carbonate. Approximately 94% of a dry eggshell is calcium carbonate and has a typical mass of 5.5 grams, although these values can differ depending on sources. Amounts as low as 78% have been published. The remaining mass is composed largely of phosphorus and magnesium, and trace amounts of sodium, potassium, zinc, manganese, iron, and copper.
In the case of brown versus white eggs, a definitive difference in calcium carbonate amounts may be hard to uncover. However, consider this. The color of the eggs is nothing more than a result of a different breed. The quality, nutritional value, and taste are identical between white and brown eggs, though two notable differences are size and price. Brown eggs are usually larger and slightly more expensive. The reason for the price increase is because brown eggs come from larger hens, which need to be fed more food daily. With a larger intake of calcium each day, one might expect the produced egg to have a higher calcium carbonate content. However, since the eggs are larger, it must be kept in mind that the calcium is spread over a larger surface area during egg formation. A brown eggshell’s increased tendency to break, when compared to white, is often attributed to this “thinning out” of calcium during deposition.
Reference:
http://74.6.146.127/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=brown+egg-calcium+content&fr=yfp-t-501&fp_ip=PH&u=www.sas.upenn.edu/%7Ekushnert/webport/teacheregginquiry.pdf&w=brown+egg+calcium+content&d=QGldTExISn00&icp=1&.intl=us
Conclusion:
Both eggs despite the color difference, still have the same calcium carbonate mass.
My Thoughts:
Having raised and bred chickens before, it occured to me the last statement is very true. I raised broiler chickens and native chickens wherein they lay white and brown eggs respectively. The brown eggs seem to break at the slightest squeeze of the egg whereas white ones need your pressure exerted.