My ladies have just stared to lay their eggs! Yay! We are up to 3 eggs a day out of 15 possible. I have noticed that alot of the eggs are coming out with bumps on them and have pulled a hand full of them that are cracked :/ I have shavings in their nests at the moment but I am wondering if I need to switch to straw for more cushion so their little eggs have something more soft? Also are the bumps on the eggs just calcium on the eggs because they are just starting to lay?
Chickens usually produce weird eggs when they just start. Make sure the nest is a good egg catcher and they have calcium in their feed or freely available and you should be okay
I'd offer some oyster shell in a separate dish. Yes, that's what the bumps are. Odd things often happen to eggs for the first monthor so of laying. Things should get more "normal" after that.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/common-egg-quality-problems This has nice information on the egg formation and problems with eggs
What are you feeding? Are the shells thin? Can you post pics of the eggs? I like to use straw in the nests because it does form a better padding and is less easily scratched out of the nest.
I feed Layer %16 and some corn and oats for scratch and then get to free range in the back yard for a few hours a couple days a week when I am home and they get all sorts of fruits and veggies that I get to bring home from work. I have been taking the eggs and cracking them to use for the dogs coats and then I bring the shells back to the chickens but ill have to get some oyster shells also. The shells are not thin by any means.. I think I just need more cushion for them in there.