Are seed shells getting stronger?

Hey all!

I read a few instances where people have had to help the shell open while germinating. Some people now 'rough up' the shell with an emery board while others I've seen use a sharp blade to make a tiny slice in
the shell.

I tend to correlate things like this with other similar examples in nature and it reminded me of how free-range eggs from a real farm will very often have a much harder shell than those bought in the store. Has anyone else noticed this?

Could it be that our superior gardening practices are creating super strong seed shells (the the detriment of successful germination?)

Thoughts on this?

They kind of need some winter stratification to break its dormancy as a seed, I do find that most seeds germinate just fine right out of the flower but sometimes the batch that give problems do seem to respond positively to some type of cold stratification.

Probably due to old seeds rather than superior gardening practices.