Can we grind Cortunix Egg Shell and feed back for Calcium?

[MicroFarmMom]

I am just wondering if I couldnt pop the egg shells into a coffee grinder and mix into their feed for added calcium rather than oyster shells? Also - is there some trick to cracking Quail eggs for eating them sunny side up. I made them the other day but it was HELL trying to get them out of the shell!

 

[shelleyd2008]

You can feed them any kind of shell, though I'd put it in a separate dish and not in the feed. I think if you plan to give it to them as a supplement you should bake them for a while. I just mash my eggs up shell and all so I don't worry about that. As for opening them easier, try this: http://korin.com/Quail-Egg-Shell-Cutter

 

[pascopol]

I do not bother grinding shells, neither putting them in separate dish.

I crush dried up coturnix and chicken egg shells in small chunks, and mix them with their regular feed.

If they need extra calcium they will eat them, it they do not, they with eat the feed leaving shells uneaten.

No rocket science here.

 

[MicroFarmMom]

Thanks for the link to the cutters - I plan to order some for sure!

As for crushing the entire egg into the feed - I've never heard of this. Sounds easier for sure - but won't that make them want to eat eggs? Do you just crack egg - beat and it and then crumble the shell? Does the egg help the shell stick to the feed maybe?

 

[shelleyd2008]

It doesn't make them want to eat eggs, I've cracked some eggs open for mine on the spot and let them eat them. Of course, my way makes them want to eat broken eggs, but I have no use for broken eggs anyway

The reason I said to put them in a separate dish is so they don't make the feed spoil. If you use 'fresh' egg shells (not baked) they'll probably be damp and have some remnants of the egg still in the shell. If you put this in the feed it could make the feed spoil. Plus they'll waste more of their feed looking for the shells if they want them.