Utilization of Egg Shell Waste by the Laying Hen

J. S. SIM, L. M. AW-YONG, and D. B. BRAGG

Department of Poultry Science, The University of British Columbia Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V6T 2A2
(Received for publication March 21, 1983)
ABSTRACT Egg shell waste produced by a local egg breaking plant was processed as granular egg
shell meal and utilized as a dietary calcium source for laying hens to study its nutritional quality
relative to ground limestone.
One hundred and ninety-two Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens were fed diets containing
0, 1.75, 3.5, and 7% egg shell waste in place of ground limestone. Production traits and egg quality
were studied during two different production periods, 27 to 51 weeks of age and 67 to 91 weeks of
age. No differences in egg production and egg quality traits among treatments were found during
the early period of the egg production cycle. During the latter period of the egg production cycle,
egg shell diets supported significantly improved egg production and feed utilization. No significant
improvement in egg and egg shell quality was observed. Possible explanation of the nutritional
advantage of egg shell waste over ground limestone was discussed.
(Key words: egg shell waste, laying hens)
1983 Poultry Science 62:2227-2229
INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS
Walton et al. (1973) estimated that ap- Wet egg shells, containing about 29% mois-
proximately 45 million kg of egg shell waste are ture, produced by a local egg breaking plant
produced annually in over 150 egg breaking (Vanderpol's Eggs Ltd., Abbotsford, B.C.) were
industries in the United States. It is also esti- processed by passing them through a rotary
mated that over 5 million kg of egg shell waste drum drier heated with natural gas at 180 C.
are produced annually from egg breaking and The dried egg shell waste was granulated by a
hatchery operations in Canada. Most of this hammer mill equipped with 1 mm mesh screen.
product is discarded without further process- The product recovered contained 98.9% dry
ing by dumping in landfills. This disposal matter, 36% calcium, and 5.5% crude protein.
practice is expensive and contributes to the One hundred and ninety-two 21-week-old
growing pollution problem. Single Comb White Leghorn pullets were
Egg shells are rich in calcium and contain housed in individual laying cages and divided
protein associated with the albumen residue, into 12 groups consisting of 16 birds each.
egg shell membrane, and shell matrix, which Birds were maintained on a standard com-
can be utilized by chickens (Gutteridge and mercial layer ration (16% protein) until 27
Pratt, 1945; Aravat and Hinners, 1973; Christ- weeks of age. Feed and water were supplied ad
mas and Harms, 1976; Meyer et al., 1973; libitum.
Vandepopuliere et al., 1975). However, sig- Trial 1. Birds reached peak production at 27
nificant use of this material has not been weeks of age and were placed on four ex-
developed. perimental diets. The control diet (0% egg shell)
The limited information on the nutritional is shown in Table 1. Dietary egg shell treat-
value of egg shell waste indicates there may be ments were 0, 1.75, 3.5, and 7.0% replacing an
an economic advantage over other calcium equal amount of ground limestone. Each diet
sources. The waste shell must be dried and was assigned at random to triplicate groups of
sterilized before being used as a feedstuff. birds (16 birds each). Production traits and egg
These problems must be solved before the egg quality were studied during a 6-month feeding
shell waste can be recycled to feed. period (27 to 51 weeks of age).
The objective of this study was to evaluate Trial 2. To investigate the influence of age
egg shell waste produced by a local egg breaking on the utilization of dietary egg shell waste,
plant for utilization in poultry feed as a re- birds were maintained on a 16% protein layer
placement for ground limestone. diet from 51 to 67 weeks of age. At 67 weeks

2227
2228 SIM ET AL.

TABLE 1. Composition of experimental diet The average values for egg production, feed
consumption, feed conversion (feed/egg mass),
0 and egg quality traits assessed in terms of egg
weight, yolk weight, albumen weight, dry egg
(%) shell weight, and specific gravity of whole eggs
Ground wheat 30.5 were not influenced by dietary treatments
Corn 27.4 during the early egg production period (Table
Barley 15.0 2). In contrast, laying birds in the latter pro-
Soybean meal 15.0 duction period (Trial 2) responded to dietary
Dehydrated alfalfa meal 2.5
Vitamin premix 1 .5 egg shell waste with increased egg production
Mineral premix 1 .5 and improved feed utilization (Table 3). Egg
Calcium phosphate (30% Ca, 18% P) 1.6 production and feed utilization (feed consumed
Limestone (38% Ca) 7.0 per egg mass) showed a significant improvement
Egg shell waste
(P<.05) when limestone was completely
Total 100 replaced by egg shell waste in the diet. The data
Calculated analysis: also showed a progressive increase in egg
Crude protein, % 15.8 production with a gradual increase of egg waste
Metabolizable energy kcal/kg 2655 in diets (Table 3).
Calcium, % 3.24
Phosphorus, % .63 Results obtained from Trial 1 indicate that
egg shell waste is equal to limestone in the
1
Supplies per kilogram of ration: vitamin A, laying hen diet when birds are in the early
7150 IU; vitamin D 3 , 1100 ICU: vitamin E, 23.9 period of egg production. However, birds fed
IU; vitamin B I 2 , 11.0 Mg; riboflavin, 2.42 mg; Ca egg shell waste demonstrated higher egg pro-
pantothenate, 2.42 mg; nicotinic acid, 11 mg; choline, duction and improved feed efficiency compared
55 mg; santoquin, 99 mg; methionine, 48.9 mg; Mn,
9.8 mg; Cu, 1.37 mg; Z, 31.7 mg; Nacl, 4.75 g. to birds fed the limestone control during the
latter period of egg production. This suggests
that birds can utilize egg shell waste more
effectively than limestone to support egg
of age birds were assigned to the same ex- production during the latter part of the laying
perimental treatments as in Trial 1 for a 6- cycle when calcium transport and deposition
month period (experiment ending at 91 weeks normally decrease (Hurwitz and Griminger,
of age). 1961). The improved performance may be
Monthly feed consumption, daily egg related to the composition of egg shell waste
production, mortality, and initial and final and the possibility that egg shell waste is more
body weights were determined in both trials. At
the end of each period (28 days), total eggs
were gathered for 3 consecutive days. Ten eggs
were randomly selected and were broken to TABLE 2. Effect of dietary egg shell waste as calcium
measure yolk weight, albumen weight, and shell source on the performance of laying hens at early
weight. Egg shell was washed and dried in production age (Trial 1)
an oven at 86 C overnight before weighing. The
remaining eggs (30) were used to determine egg Treatments
egg shell Egg Feed/ Dry
weight and specific gravity according to the waste produc- shell Specific
egg
flotation method (Hamilton, 1982). supplements tion mass weight gravity
Data obtained were subjected to statistical
analysis and a multiple range comparison to (%) (%/hen- (g)
determine significant differences among treat- day) 1
ments means (Little and Hills, 1978). 0 75.4 2.47 5.79 1.0821
1.75 75.8 2.51 5.68 1.0833
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 3.5 74.6 2.49 5.93 1.0840
7.0 75.1 2.62 5.85 1.0836
Performance of egg production and egg Statistical NS 2 NS NS NS
quality traits of laying hens obtained during difference
two different production periods (27 to 51
1
weeks of age and 67 to 91 weeks of age) are ND, hen-day.
summarized in Tables 2 and 3, respectively. J
NS, not significant.
 EGG SHELL WASTE FOR LAYERS 2229

TABLE 3. Influence of dietary egg shell waste on egg production, feed conversion, and egg and shell quality
with aged White Leghorn hens (Trial 2)

Egg shell waste supplements

Statistical
0% 1.75% 3.5% 7.0% difference

Average egg production, 56.0a 57.0 a 59.9 a b 62.2 b *

%/hen-day
Feed consumed, g/hen-day 124.3 122.8 125.5 124.8 NS
Average egg weight, g 67.7 68.3 68.5 68.4 NS
Feed consumed/egg mass g/g 3.35^ 3.20ab 3.12 b c 2.95 b c **
Yolk weight g 19.13 18.90 18.73 19.04 NS
Albumen weight, g 44.19 42.38 41.45 43.52 NS
Shell weight, g 5.92 5.94 5.86 6.06 NS
Egg specific gravity 1.0825 1.0818 1.0822 1.0820 NS
Average final body weight, kg 2.009 1.957 1.945 1.949 NS

' ' Values within rows followed by different letters were significantly different (**P<.01) and (*P<.05).
NS, not significant.

readily digested and absorbed t h a n limestone.
The a m i n o acids derived from egg shell waste
were shown to be readily available and well
utilized b y laying hens (Vandepopuliere et al.,
1975). This, in conjunction with the egg
shell and albumen p r o t e i n , s u p p o r t e d improved
performance during t h e latter part of t h e laying
cycle.
Feeding egg shell e x e r t e d n o significant
influence on egg and shell quality from birds in
either Trial 1 or 2. Therefore, t h e beneficial
effect obtained from Trial 2 m a y be d u e t o
extra amino acids in t h e egg waste material or
t h e c o m b i n a t i o n of a m i n o acids, calcium, and
trace minerals rather t h a n t h e calcium car-
b o n a t e . T h e particle size of egg shell waste may
be a contributing factor t o improve utilization
of dietary calcium by laying birds. Meyer et al.
( 1 9 7 3 ) r e p o r t e d t h a t larger particle size of
calcium c a r b o n a t e , such as oyster shell and
granulated egg shells, was an i m p o r t a n t factor
t o improve calcium a b s o r p t i o n .
The results of t h e present s t u d y indicate t h a t
egg shell waste from t h e local egg industry can
be processed and utilized as a calcium source in
place of g r o u n d limestone with a possible
nutritional advantage.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
T h e a u t h o r s wish t o express their apprecia-
tion t o t h e B.C. Feed Manufacturers' Associa-
tion and Vanderpol's Eggs Ltd. ( A b b o t s f o r d , B.
C.) for their assistance and support.
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