A really good blender??

[Duckfarmer1]

The calcium need to be large source to be absorbed by chickens. The tinier you make it the less it benefits them.

Best blender and worth the cost... Vitamix!

Oh geez! I had no clue it needed to be big! When I gave it to them kind of big the first time, not in their food, they didn’t really eat it...

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Oh geez! I had no clue it needed to be big! When I gave it to them kind of big the first time, not in their food, they didn’t really eat it...

Maybe go for somewhere in the middle.

 

[PirateGirl]

I realize it’s not Necessary...but, I feel like it does them some good, and since it’s free.. I might as well.

I'm not saying don't feed the eggshells back to them. I do this myself. I'm just saying it's not necessary to put them in the blender first. I just collect them in a bowl on the counter and when the bowl is full, crush them with my fist a maybe 3-4 times and then give them back to the flock.

 

[PirateGirl]

Here is a good article about calcium supplementation and particle size. It's got links to more references at the bottom as well.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/for-strong-eggshells-size-matters/

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

How do you let them dry without stinking up the kitchen?

They don't have any odor, actually, while drying. They just sit in a repurposed container on the counter until it's full, then the crushing commences.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Here is a good article about calcium supplementation and particle size. It's got links to more references at the bottom as well.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/for-strong-eggshells-size-matters/

Good info - glad I feed both oyster shell and eggshells!

 

[Duckfarmer1]

They don't have any odor, actually, while drying. They just sit in a repurposed container on the counter until it's full, then the crushing commences.

Ok, I rinse them, then let them dry a bit on a paper towel...but when I put them in the container, they are always leaking the sticking egg whites and they stink inside that container. Do need to do more than just a rinse?

 

[NatJ]

Ok, I rinse them, then let them dry a bit on a paper towel...but when I put them in the container, they are always leaking the sticking egg whites and they stink inside that container. Do need to do more than just a rinse?

Feed them sooner? I just assume that each day's eggshells get taken out that day. They get a squish so they no longer look like an egg, then dumped on the ground/floor of the chicken pen. I squish with my hand, a fork, a spoon--or my foot, if I see that they still look like an egg when they land on the ground.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

I usually break them down into large pieces, toast in oven for a short while (but don't burn them, they stink when that happens). Then I toss the pieces into a plastic bag and smash them down with a rolling pin. I cut the tip off of the plastic bag, and they funnel into a mason jar for storage/use. The smashing part is fun.

 

[Molpet]

I dry shells in a large potato salad container on the counter.
I put dried shells in the food processor to make a powder to treat powdery mildew on plants.
For chickens I use the potato masher method.