# Egg tooth?



## DonaTello's-Mom (Mar 31, 2010)

What is an egg tooth? Can someone post a picture and explain what, why, how and so forth? Thanks!

It's the tooth to help'em break out of their shell??


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## Yvonne G (Mar 31, 2010)

Scroll down and you'll see it on the baby redfoot picture:

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...g.mozilla:en-US:official&gbv=2&tbs=isch:1[hr]
Its not really a tooth. Its a sharp little protrusion on the front of the beak and the baby uses it to tap, tap, tap at the inside of the egg until he has broken the shell. After a couple weeks or more it is either absorbed or falls off...depending upon who is telling the story.


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## DonaTello's-Mom (Mar 31, 2010)

Oh I see it,how cute! Thanks Yvonne!


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## ChiKat (Mar 31, 2010)

Here's a picture of Nelson's egg tooth!


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## Redfoot NERD (Mar 31, 2010)

DonaTello said:


> Oh I see it,how cute! Thanks Yvonne!



Where have I seen that before?






( now I remember - Feb 28 '05 )

BTW.. they 'absorb' that "egg-tooth".. I watched more than several...

Terry K


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## ChiKat (Mar 31, 2010)

Oh I didn't know that! I always heard that it fell off! Or I guess that's what I assumed when people would say they "lose" their egg tooth.


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## DonaTello's-Mom (Mar 31, 2010)

The babes are so precious!


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## Redfoot NERD (Mar 31, 2010)

That first baby was the very first one I hatched 5 years ago. That IS a 'bony' growth used to 'jack-hammer' holes in the shell.. just like Yvonne had said. I believe it is then absorbed as additional nutrition during the first week or so when they begin to eat 'solid' food.

A baby from '09 -






Terry K


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