Feeding egg shells

[Glenda Heywoodo]

yes oyster shell and grit are both necessary
in seperate containers.
and always dump the left over amounts on the soil in the outside chicken pen soil each week
the birds will scratch thru it.
so limit the amount of oyster shell and grit you have in feeders.
ALSO ABOUT COOKING EGG SHELLS
yes the chickens note the left over taste in egg shells raw.
and as some times soft shelled eggs are laid will start to eat eggs by breaking them to eat
I always crushed them and cooked them in small amt of water for a couple of minutes
then let stand in hot water and then drain and feed
more work but saves in the long run

 

[velittlechik]

I still save and crush my chickens' egg shells, and I do have different hens now (3 breeds) but the last two bags of oyster shell I bought, the shell has been smaller and the hens eat it very well. I sort of mix the two when I fill their container. I emptied the bags into another container so I don't remember the brand but one of the bags I bought at Tractor Supply and the other at my local feed store. I have not had any problem with them eating their own eggs. I don't give them any grit but they get to free range for at least a couple of hours a day (most of the day on my days off) and we have lots of sand in our soil.

 

[That One Guy]

Is it okay to give egg shells to my chickens if they have enough calcium in their diet? Sorry if it sounds like a dumb question but I just want what's best for them.

 

[Glenda Heywoodo]

Is it okay to give egg shells to my chickens if they have enough calcium in their diet? Sorry if it sounds like a dumb question but I just want what's best for them.

http://www.communitychickens.com/eggshells-crushed-oyster-shells-or-both/
here is an article that explains the need for egg shells and oyster shell for the calcium hens need.
Eggshells, Crushed Oyster Shells or Both?
by Donna McGlasson from Gardens & Chickens & Worms, Oh My!
Laying hens need calcium to lay and have strong shells. A healthy diet and a separate container with a calcium source are very important to offer your girls. If your laying hens do not get enough calcium, their bodies will pull calcium from their bones and this is obviously not good for the chickens.
A lot of folks, including myself, offer crushed oyster shell that can be bought where you buy your feed. Or, you can feed them their own crushed egg shells which I also do.
It seemed a bit odd to me to feed them their own egg shells, at first. However, it is a really great source of the calcium they need and they seem to prefer them.
Why do I offer both oyster shell & eggshells? Because when they molt they don’t lay eggs. When they are broody they don’t lay eggs and when they hatch chicks, it usually takes them about five to six weeks to start laying again. When egg production is low, I can use the crushed oyster shell as a substitute.
I will say this, I did a little test to see what my girls would do if I offered both at the same time. Guess what they chose? Their own eggshells! They will eat the oyster shell only if they don’t get eggshells after a day or two.
Here’s how I give them back their own shells. First, when we use the eggs we rinse them really well and leave them on a paper towel to dry.

Then, I store them in a kitchen counter compost bucket until I need them or the container gets full.
I then put them in a warm oven of 200F and let the oven dry them out for two hours.
After they cool, they are very crunchy and much easier to grind into little pieces with my mortar and pestle. I have a large one so I can put a lot of eggshells in the oven in the bowl and then crunch them up later.
Glenda Heywood
this last part is very important
Always cook the egg shells as she suggests in the oven as that kills the fresh taste
so the hens do not want to eat their eggs.

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[kstough]

OK so this may be a silly question but would feeding them eggshells also be considered grit for them?

 

[Den in Penn]

OK so this may be a silly question but would feeding them eggshells also be considered grit for them?

No egg shell is too soft and dissolves too rapidly for it to work as grit.

 

[Glenda Heywoodo]

No egg shell is too soft and dissolves too rapidly for it to work as grit.

Glenda Heywood
No grit is for a different purpose
that of grinding the feed etc that chicken take in.
Cooking and feeding crushed egg shells is for calcium and oyster shell has to be given also.
they are needed by the chicken to replace calcium in the body
so that the chickens body does not delete their bones of calcium.
When they are not being fed these two products.

ALSO MAKE SURE YOU WASH THE SHELLS BEFORE COOKING TO TAKE ANY RESEDUE FROM THE SHELLS.

Cooking the egg shells by using hot water and boiling for a few minutes and,
then let the egg shells sit in the hot water off the fire in the boiling water til I cools
then drain and cool and crush before feeding so theydo not get the idea they are eating eggs.
thanks for asking this question.

OK so this may be a silly question but would feeding them eggshells also be considered grit for them?

 

[Glenda Heywoodo]

Is it okay to give egg shells to my chickens if they have enough calcium in their diet? Sorry if it sounds like a dumb question but I just want what's best for them.

No question is dumb when t concerns your chickens health
Please be sure and
ALSO MAKE SURE YOU WASH THE SHELLS BEFORE COOKING TO TAKE ANY RESEDUE FROM THE SHELLS.
I am glad you asked.

 

[SNJChickieGal07]

Reviving this thread!

I have one of 7 laying. Will my other non laying girls eat the oyster/ egg shells if I leave it out in the coop or will they not bother with it since they don’t need the calcium?

 

[blackdog043]

They shouldn't really bother with it, if they eat some it's fine. Chickens will eat calcium when they need it.