Anyone feed the egg shells their chickens lay back to them?

[Bocktastic Quackles]

Not sure if my question makes sense - I feel it’s wrong to feed the chickens the egg shells of their own eggs they lay or is it ok to give them that extra nutritious dose of calcium?

Even if it comes from their own eggs that they lay. For some reason (morally) feels wrong to give them something that came from them I guess it’s ok since I’ve given them grocery store egg shells before they started laying as an added snack bonus. Curious to hear what more experienced folk think have on the topic

 

[21hens-incharge]

It is absolutely fine to give their shells back to them.
They need more than a single shell consumed to make another shell so do keep oyster shell available too.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I crush eggshells, & feed back to my ladies.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I routinely (daily, sometimes more frequently, depending upon what I'm cooking) feed my dinosaurs their egg shells right back to them. Still free choice oyster shell on the side, of course - they don't get as much calcium back in shell form as they put into making them in the first place. Perfectly fine.

Human morality, and the morality of nature herself, seem to have diverged greatly in the past few thousand years.

 

[jreardon1918]

All kitchen scraps are tossed to the girls daily. The shells are crunched up enough to prevent them getting any ideas.

 

[Pentatonchix]

All kitchen scraps are tossed to the girls daily. The shells are crunched up enough to prevent them getting any ideas.

Yes, make sure to crush them enough so they don't start eating their eggs.

 

[FuzzyCritters]

I bake the shells and crush them up, then feed them back to the chickens. They need the calcium and feeding them their shells is a lot cheaper and less wasteful that buying oyster shell. I also feed mine layer, so their main source of calcium is the feed. The shells are on the side in case they need a little extra calcium.

 

[Docdetective]

Honestly, chickens aren’t very morally inclined. They will eat their own eggs, raw, try to kill younger, sick, or weak flock members, and even eat chicken meat scraps. I know it’s disgusting but I think eggshells are fine! My girls love them.

 

[KarynVA]

I do. I can understand having a feeling of .... squeamishness ... at the idea of doing it though. But I think it's perfectly, and morally, just fine. It's the way of the earth - everything is used for a beneficial purpose.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I do and they love them! I don’t think they really know they come from themselves anyway and actually, if you’ve ever had a broody hen, they usually clean up the nest by themselves by eating all the shells and gunk leftover! So they will naturally eat them anyway. So it’s fine!

That said though, feeding them chicken meat feels wrong to me and I wouldn’t do that, but egg shells are fine and it’s not cannibalism or anything like that. And there are people that do feed them chicken meat and they love it but but just not for me. Other types of poultry like turkey etc. are fine but chicken feels wrong lol

Sorry, I know not what you asked but just wanted to say I do understand being concerned about it or whatever but shells are perfectly fine!!