Egg Quality

[Thornpaw]

Hello, I have been candling my eggs for over a month now before selling. I am finding hairline cracks that I wouldnt have noticed if not candled. My hens get constant access to layer and free range in an acre paddock. They have access to oyster shell. Most of the birds, Blue Rocks and Barred Rocks, are a year old with the remainder 3-4 year old crossbreeds. I use BestNest Rollaway nests. I have used them for years without problems. Any ideas?
Picture attached

 

[rosemarythyme]

Could be one of the older birds (they can start developing shell issues) or a bird with some shell gland issues. Are the cracks visible at all to the naked eye? The eggs are likely still safe to eat as long as they're not dirty or left on counter too long.

 

[Thornpaw]

You can see the crack if you really look. It's sorta a very light grey line.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I get these once in a while but I just put them at the start of the line to eat. Since you have customers I wouldn't sell them, but you could probably eat them yourself or feed them to other pets.

 

[donddon]

You can see the crack if you really look. It's sorta a very light grey line.

Are you sure it's cracked completely through the shell? I got a cracked egg this morning and the crack was very well defined. I scrambled it and gave it to the dog.