Shell gland oxygen consumption in hens producing eggs of low or high specific gravity

Oxygen consumption of shell gland lumenal tissue was found to be higher in hens producing eggs of high specific gravity (greater than or equal to 1.080) when compared to tissue from hens producing eggs of low specific gravity (less than or equal to 1.075). Shell gland lumenal tissue oxygen consumption was also greater when an egg was in the shell gland as compared to hens with an egg in the magnum (9.8 and 8.0 microliter O2/hr/mg tissue respectively).