SCIENCE
DESPITE its delicate appearance, an egg is surprisingly strong. Take for example a chicken's egg. It can support a weight of up to 300lb (136kg): an extraordinary feat, considering that the shell may be less than a millimetre thick. So what gives an egg its integral strength?
One of the most important elements in a bird's body is phosphorus. It is responsible for “controlling” the growth of bones, the development of the egg, and the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, to name only a few functions.
The food we provide our birds willphosphorus can be used at a much higher level than plant-based phosphorus. That is because plant-based phosphorus contains phytin and requires an enzyme called phytase to make it available to the bird. Because birds lack this enzyme, they can only utilise small amounts of it that is held in plants and fruits.
