What do you do with the eggs your chickens accidentally break?

[AllChookUp]

I have around 16 chickens right now, with a generous 12 nest boxes. Of course, they use the same 3-4 boxes, and pile the eggs up in there daily.

I collect eggs every day, but I'm gone a couple days in a row once in a while. When I'm gone more than a day, either the pressure of the eggs on each other breaks one (or more), or a chicken must step on an egg and crack it - or bust it completely.

If the egg is ruined or cracked and old, I have to get rid of it. Sometimes I freeze it and put in the garbage on garbage day.
I don't like the idea of just throwing broken eggs out in the field where the scent might attrack predators, or chance having my dog develop a taste for eggs.


What do you do when this happens? I always think I am missing some great idea.

 

[Amyable]

A broken egg makes the dog's day.

 

[Illia]

Do you have dogs? Feed it to your dogs - Far healthier than most dog foods, as there's plenty of live enzymes in there that dogs miss out on, and plenty of protein and minerals. We actually found that one egg has far more calories than the equivalent dog food scoop. It's much cheaper, too. At least, for us it is.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might consider cooking it, either boiling or poaching depending on how broken it is, and feeding it to the chickens. Also, break up the egg shell and offer that to them. As long as it doesn't look like an egg shell, I don't worry. Mine apparently get enough calcium free ranging so they usually don't eat the egg shells I offer, but some of them sometimes do.

 

[AllChookUp]

OK, it sounds like giving an egg to my dog isn't such a bad idea.
Do you cook it, or is raw OK?


Whoops, looks like Ridgerunner posted a reply the same time I did. Thanks!

 

[IWantATurbo]

is it best to feed it to them raw or cook the eggs?

i just drop them on the ground and the chickens or the dogs get it quick!!

 

[ck8run]

I have recently discovered that my chicken's most favorite treat is scrambled eggs... we give them our leftovers on the weekend. They go absolutely crazy for it!! We also save our eggshells, baked them in the oven for 20 minutes, and smash them up and mix them in with their pellets for a little extra calcium.

 

[Illia]

When giving it to dogs - Give it raw. Otherwise you'll cook out the enzymes. Dogs naturally should eat more raw food, especially meat.

 

[HighNDryFarm]

My dogs get them, but I recommend you install those egg catchers under your laying boxes so that the eggs roll out of the box into the bin below. That'll take care of the problem. My daughter just installed them in her coop due to one of her chickens eating the eggs, but I think they'd be great for your situation.

 

[AllChookUp]

I've seen the egg catchers, and like the idea, but don't like the cost. Any resources for the best place to buy them?

I'm also wondering about eggs freezing more quickly in the winter. When they are in straw-lined boxes, they seem to keep OK until day's end when I get out to collect eggs.