PamB8s--that is some fancy house your chickens have! Nice going!

We used to buy fresh eggs and the trick is to put plenty of salt in the water and it makes it so much easier. I already posted a thread as to how I do mine; step by step and it always works rather with new or older eggs.

I put about a table spoon of vinegar in the water when I cook them, then into cold water , after they're cooled I roll the egg in my palms to crack the shell & loosen the membrane the you shouldn't have a problem. try that.

The prettiest chicken coop I have ever seen!