Cleaning up the mess of an accidentally dropped egg teaches you not to expect an egg to bounce. But ask yourself if chemistry can change the egg's bounce properties. Predict the results. Soak a hard-boiled egg in vinegar for three days or until the shell dissolves, and then let it sit in cold water overnight. Drop it from a height of 24 to 36 inches to test its bounce factor.
How do you like your eggs? Science Buddies recommends comparing three techniques for soft-boiled eggs: cooking or steeping in boiling water or boiling the egg and water at the same time. Boil a pot of water and lower an egg into the boiling water, leaving the pot on the heat. Boil a second pot of water and remove the pot from the heat after the water boils. Place an egg into the hot water. Put a third egg into a pot of cold water and boil the egg and the water together. Boil the three eggs for two minutes each, and then immerse them in cold water for one minute and peel them. Cut open each egg and compare the runniness of the yolk. Taste test each one and determine your preference.
Experiment with different feed combinations to learn what type of diet causes your hens to lay the best eggs. Chickens will eat whole grains, sprouted grains, grit, seeds, unsalted peanuts, green leafy vegetables and peels, grass, weeds, fruit, milk and meat products, worms and bugs, as well as several varieties of commercial poultry feed that comes as scratch, mash, pellets or crumble. Separate your hens into two or more groups in different pens. Weigh and measure the width of each hen's eggs to start. Select a different diet for each group to follow for the duration of your experiment. After two to four weeks, weigh and measure the eggs again to compare the effect the feed has on egg quality.
Chickens need calcium in their diets to strengthen their eggshells. Adding oyster shell to the feed is a common way to ensure that your birds are getting enough of this important nutrient. Determine just how much effect calcium has on egg strength by measuring your chickens' current eggs and comparing them with the eggs laid after you add oyster shells to their diet for 10 to 30 days. Test egg strength by building an egg crusher, suggests Kasi Zoldoske of the 2010 California State Science Fair. Drill holes in the four corners of two small square boards. Place one board on a flat surface and insert dowels in the holes. Set an egg on the base and slide the second board onto the posts to rest lightly on the egg. Slowly add weights to the top until the egg cracks. Use a gram scale to measure the weight needed to break the shell.