Why oh why are my eggs always cracked?

[SquirrelGirl]

Every day I make my egg run and usually find about 2 out of 5 that have cracks!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2629/4121963979_31ac64b91c_o.jpg

They usually are not all the way through like that.. its usually just cracked.. no actual holes.


Does anyone know what those purple little vein things are?

Could the cracks be caused by the bottom of the nesting boxes being exposed?

Or could they just be laid that way?

OR is there an evil chicken pecking away at everyones eggs?

 

[dacjohns]

Could be a number of things.

Chickens pecking at them. That's what it looks like in the photo.
Crack when they hit the bottom of the nest box.
Not enough calcium.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

On the end like that it's usually from the egg hitting the bottom of the nest on the way out. Small holes on the side are normally toe holes. If they peck at them and break them, they usually devour them in short order.

Put a piece of astroturf in the bottom of the box. If they push the bedding out of the box there is still a soft surface to catch the egg. That is generally what's used in commercial nest boxes, although the commercial nest pads are specially made with perforations so that the hens can scratch any dirt and manure through. You can keep a few extra, change them out as necessary and hose the dirty ones off.

 

[SquirrelGirl]

Thats sorta what I thought might have been happening. Im going to try getting some of the drawer padded liner stuff from wal-mart. Thanks!!

 

[newchicksnducks]

That was happening to me. I put a piece of corrugated cardboard on the bottom of the box, put the shavings on top. At first I only had time to do 2 of the 4 boxes, then of course, I forgot about doing the other 2 boxes. Sure enough, eggs were laid the next day, and the only one cracked was in one that I had not put in the cardboard. Since I have outfitted all 4 boxes with cardboard liners...no cracked eggs! It'll be easy to change when they get dirty...just toss and replace w/new