Squashed Eggs

[AnnS]

At last! my hens have started laying, but I am crushed! Two days running we have a single egg from our 5 hens but they were squashed. The shells seem a bit thinner the shop eggs but seem solid. I'm not sure who laid them we have three Transylvanian Naked Necked chickens. OK in my naivety when I got the chicks I thoughy they hadn't grown yet. We also have two half Limousins. They are all about five months. There are two naked neck cockerels (yes, I know one will have to be despatched - I have brought the humane despatcher but haven't plucked up the courage yet). They share 3 nest boxes, where they seem to sleep but have laid the eggs on the floor. Any advice gratefully recived.

[red]

well it could be that they are not getting ehough of the right food to make stronger eggs - what are they being fed?
of ten when they first come in to lay you get some oddities.. very small eggs.. double yolkers or shellless eggs. clear it all up to discourage egg eating. maybe see how it develops?

[Odsox]

Red is right, you do get some weird and wonderful eggs when they first come into lay.
Very often you get eggs with no shell at all, just the inner membrane holding it all together.

Just one thought though, what are you feeding them on ?
Commercial feed has added calcium for the hens to create the shells, so if you're using that they should settle down.
If you're feeding your own concoction them you need to give then that extra calcium, usually in the form of oyster shell grit.

Other than that, congratulations on a job well done.