Baking Egg Shells???

[Carebear5]

I've been crunching up any shells from used eggs and throwing them back to my girls. They seem to like them. I haven't had any problems. However, I read today that I'm suppose to bake any shells in the oven (350 for 10 minutes) before giving them back to the chickens to prevent any bacteria on shells. Seriously?!

Does anyone else do this?

Anyone else just throw the shells in and have problems?


My girls free range most of the time or have a large pen to hang out in. They are pretty doggone happy and thus far, I've had no problems. (I have 8 assorted types of chickens.)

 

[krcote]

No need to bake. I just air dry mine.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I don't bake mine per se. I just keep the shells in an old pan in the oven. After I'm done with the oven I put them in to let the residual heat dry them. Just dry is all you need.

 

[chickenbottom]

i bake mine but not for 10 minutes maybe 3 to 5.

 

[jojo54]

I keep mine in a pan by the wood stove. Of course, in the summer, the stove is not on!

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

Just let mine air dry, then crush up some and give to the girls. No need to pay for gas/electric to dry them.

 

[lvesdg1]

i bake mine due to readin on here that they might to into carivals and/or eat there own eggs so there for i bake mine befor i give them to the girls..

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

Quote:
Once they are crushed up they don't look anything like what they laid.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

A.T. Hagan :

I don't bake mine per se. I just keep the shells in an old pan in the oven. After I'm done with the oven I put them in to let the residual heat dry them. Just dry is all you need.

Ditto.

Don't forget to take them out when you preheat the oven. Those things can stink up the house if they start to burn!!​

 

[ND Sue]

I microwave mine for a couple minutes to make them brittle so they crush easier. I don't know if that is right or wrong, just something I started doing on my own.

I microwave eggs and oatmeal for them and so I just started leaving the shells on the rack in the microwave, so they cook at the same time. Then I crush them up in the eggs and oatmeal, add a little apple and yogurt and that's breakfast! I got lazy and stopped making them breakfast for a few weeks this summer and egg production went way down! It's back to their normal egg laying now that I've started making them their breakfast again! Demanding little things!