Well, the Hens will get these

[Foster's Freehold]

I just tried to make a fried egg sandwich. It took six tries to get a fryable egg. The yolks of the first six broke immediately.
All eggs are fresh, gathered every day, not washed, stored on the counter. They get fermented layer crumble, fruits/veg, scratch, chickweed and other yard greens daily. There is always fresh water.
The weather has been rainy for a month, temps from low 40's to mid 60's. They have dry coop with deep litter, a muddy run lol with hay spread over it.
I can't sell these eggs if they are not fryable. That would give me a rep for "bad" eggs. And it's a pisser to want a fried egg sandwich and lose six eggs lol. Any help?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Broken yolks are still edible.
If I could suggest a change, I think your protein is way low.
Layer feed is usually 16% protein. That is about right for producing table eggs.
Add scratch at 10% protein or less, fruits/vegs which are very low in protein, yard greens (not adequate in some essential amino acids) and all of a sudden their crude protein intake may be 13% or less. Not sufficient for viable table eggs.
Vegetative sources of protein are low in or missing some essential amino acids.
Cut out the scratch and include animal protein with the table scraps and you're probably good to go.
The shortage of essential AAs could be weakening the tensile strength of the yolk surface.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Broken yolks are still edible.
If I could suggest a change, I think your protein is way low.
Layer feed is usually 16% protein. That is about right for producing table eggs.
Add scratch at 10% protein or less, fruits/vegs which are very low in protein, yard greens (not adequate in some essential amino acids) and all of a sudden their crude protein intake may be 13% or less. Not sufficient for viable table eggs.
Vegetative sources of protein are low in or missing some essential amino acids.
Cut out the scratch and include animal protein with the table scraps and you're probably good to go.
The shortage of essential AAs could be weakening the tensile strength of the yolk surface.

X2
Also, how old are the birds?

 

[Foster's Freehold]

Broken yolks are still edible.
If I could suggest a change, I think your protein is way low.
Layer feed is usually 16% protein. That is about right for producing table eggs.
Add scratch at 10% protein or less, fruits/vegs which are very low in protein, yard greens (not adequate in some essential amino acids) and all of a sudden their crude protein intake may be 13% or less. Not sufficient for viable table eggs.
Vegetative sources of protein are low in or missing some essential amino acids.
Cut out the scratch and include animal protein with the table scraps and you're probably good to go.
The shortage of essential AAs could be weakening the tensile strength of the yolk surface.

Thank you so much. I know they are still good, but I'm not cooking anything with beaten eggs any time soon and they may as well be fed back to the hens. I usually add mackerel during molt time, guess they'll get a couple of cans a week.

I've always been kinda ill with the no animal protein feeds. I understand why they did it, but dang, chickens are omnivores and I'm sure they could find a safe protein source, they do for dogs and cats.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Synthetic lysine and methionine are added to vegetarian feeds to make up for what is missing. But, that is only bringing them up to the minimum necessary for table eggs. Adding anything to the feed, like scratch, will drop those essentials.

 

[Foster's Freehold]

X2
Also, how old are the birds?

They are golden cuckoo marans hens and they are in their 2nd yr. Healthy, fairly calm, top of the pecking order but don't go out of their way to harass the juvies and the bitties. Their eggs are different and it's both of them with the fragile yolk.

I think it is the too many greens thing. Their eggs were not like this when I first got them. I hate they have to be wading in mud and give them greens because they cannot forage.

As far as fruit/veg go, it is mostly fruit. A couple of apples sliced around the run and there are 13 birds so they don't get to eat them all. A couple of bananas broken up, a handful of cherry tomatoes. Just something to keep them occupied.

I toss a handful of scratch into the deep litter at close up, they scratch it out and turn the litter in the mornings because these are truly "early" birds lol. I'm a second shift person so don't do daylite door opening.

I guess they will get a couple of cans of mackerel among the 13, one can every three days. And less greens. How long should it be before I see improvement? Or would they need more?

 

[aart]

Broken yolks are still edible.

I like my fried egg sammiches with a broken yolk.
I use those rings in the pan and break the yolk a bit.
Now over-easy or poached is a different story.