What happens when Yoshi turns something into an egg?

[Valigarmander]

How exactly does Yoshi turn things he eats into eggs? Are the oftentimes-sentient beings he devours killed before being turned into an egg? Or do they remain conscious throughout? What's the difference between these eggs and the eggs that Yoshis hatch from?

[DarkZero]

they're still alive and able to struggle out if smash bros is anything to go by

and the difference between those eggs and the eggs that yoshi's hatch from is that they don't have baby yoshis in them. it's that simple.

[I REALLY HATE POKEMON!]

Strong enemies probably can't be eaten or fully eggified. That's probably why generic enemies are turned to eggs and bosses/SSB cast aren't (ignoring that it's just gameplay elements lacking any logic).

The egg process is fast so weaklings die a swift, merciful death.

[Kargath]

I figured it was something like a chitin-sealed fecal container.
Smash Bros is non canon.

[Marilink]

So I think Yoshi has some control over what happens. I mean, in SMW, the only thing that hatches from his eggs are power-ups and other Yoshi (though we never see him lay the eggs that other Yoshi hatch from). It isn't until YI when he can produce those empty projectile eggs.

Not really sure what I'm getting at here, but it does seem that there are a number of different egg types that Yoshi can produce.

[I am nobody]

Yoshi's mouth contains a wormhole to the Egg Dimension, which is a dimension that was originally completely full of eggs. Since it is always completely full of eggs and Yoshi food, the contents of the Egg Dimension shift whenever a Yoshi eats something. This shifting inevitably forces something through the wormhole back to the Mario Dimension, which conveniently exits inside Yoshi's butt. Since the Egg Dimension is very large and overwhelmingly consists of eggs, it is essentially guaranteed that an egg will go through the other wormhole. However, if Yoshis were to eat so many things that non-eggs made up a measurable portion of the Egg Dimension, it would eventually become likely that, say, a Shy Guy might appear in Yoshi's butt instead.

Although this might seem to contradict modern science's understanding of reality, Yoshis and physics were recently reconciled by Professor E. Gadd's theory of theory of thermodynameggs. It's well worth a read.

[Sim Kid]

Easy.

They get laid. (Sorry, you asked for that)

[CaptHayfever]

^C'mon, that was over easy.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[I REALLY HATE POKEMON!]

Well, look at the sunny-side up, at least you didn't make a food joke.

[Apollo the Just]

Yoshis are gods, omnipotent beings that can alter the very nature of the world around them at will. Eggs are the form by which they manifest their power.

[glux]

I assumed that it's just them curled and warped into an egg, and then when they get thrown they just explode with just force that they... uh... explode?