Can brittle eggs be an age related problem?

[Agathe]

I've on very rare occasion gotten brittle eggs from my hens. They are 2 and 3 years old. It's not been a problem in the past. At the same time some of them seem to occasionally eat eggs, but not consistently, and if I give them an egg, they just look confused. So maybe those eggs had brittle shells and broke and that's why they ate them. They're on layer feed, which should in itself be sufficient, and have access to oyster shells too, so I don't really think it's a lack of calcium. I'm not sure what else I can do. Maybe it's just within the norm?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

May be normal. How productive are they (average eggs a week per bird)? What breeds? Where are you located?
Number of eggs produced determine the amount of calcium they need to consume.
Egg eating usually starts with a broken egg and they learn eggs are delicious then teach the others.
Fake ceramic or wooden eggs in the nests help discourage egg eating.