Cracked fresh laid eggs

[WendyK]

For the past week or so, we have been finding at least 1, sometimes 2, if my Khaki Campbell girls eggs cracked. I have 7 girls and no males. I collect the eggs each morning. They tend to lay them clumped in groups of 3 or 4. I believe each girl is laying just 1 egg.
Is it possible that the eggs are getting cracked from another laying or pushing the egg aside? What could be other reasons for them cracking? I'm attaching picture of one badly cracked one. Others have more of a line crack. The one I had this morning almost looks like it has selfhealed. Can they do that?

 

[Welshies]

Many cracked eggs happen in young or mature layers from being stepped on, etc. More nest boxes might be your answer. This happens often. They can't self heal, but the membrane may not have been broken, which means it is safe to eat.

 

[MageofMist]

I have had cracked eggs on occasion, if the membrane is still intact, I usually cook it within a day or two. If not, I just sneakily toss the broken egg hard onto the food tray and watch the madness ensue over the yolk and shell. None of mine are egg eaters and leave intact eggs alone unless it is a jelly (shelless) egg, which they kick and peck at until it breaks.

Makes me wonder how they manage to crack the eggs accidentally as the shells are so tough, even dropping a damaged egg onto the counter and it rolls and falls onto the floor hardly phases it! And the shells are thick and require 3-4 hard taps on the side of the frying pan to break properly...

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Egg laying depletes calcium levels from egg laying hens. They need plenty of it. Are you providing them with a calcium rich feed? Do you offer oyster shells in a side dish?

 

[chickens really]

Possible calcium needed in the form of oyster shell plus young layers using the same nest..