Can you use clam shells for extra calcium?

[redhen]

Hi, i had some steamer clams tonight. and i got to thinking...well...whats the differance between these and oyster shell? so, my question is, can i give them these clam shells for extra calcium? and if i can, how do i prepare them? Bake them and crush them?..or crush un-baked? ...thanks, Wendy..

 

[d.k]

*You'd probably have to put them in a pillowcase and whack em hard and repeatedly with a hammer until well crushed. I don't envy you the job!!: Clam's shells are tough!!

 

[redhen]

i wonder if baking them will make it easier to crush?..i just hate to waste them..i have like 6 lbs of them...plus all the clam bellies that i dont eat...

..the chickens will get those tomorrow...

 

[d.k]

* Not sure is baking would help-- unless maybe you have a high temp self-cleaning cycle or something. We dissected clams in marine biology. I remember the shells seeming almost as hard as stone. (Didn't cover baking them, though. Too bad, because baked clams sounds really good at the moment.

) They may soften up if you soak them in ACV and let the acid work awhile, at least a week, I'd guess-- Then, you could also re-use the ACV soak and boost their calcuim uptake with it.

 

[d.k]

* d.p. scratched.

 

[redhen]

so...anyone else have any info on this brain storm that i have....they dont come around to often...

..any one???........

 

[Portia]

Whenever we have mollusks we put the shells in one of the drywashes in the yard. The chickens polish off any morsel left and over time pick at the shells here and there. I suppose I could crush them, but they do look nice among the rocks. When we walk the wash we often crush them, or they get crushed by the mower when the girls move them into the yard.

 

[MaineChickens]

If you free range your hens, just dump the shells somewhere they will get run over by vehicles. (the shells, not the hens)... or set up to be done intentionally. They break up pretty easy in this fashion. They do make a pretty driveway too. If you have concrete or tar, you can just do this and then sweep them up and put them in their run.

 

[redhen]

thanks for the ideas guys...

 

[Homersolo]

Nine years later I'm following up:

Use an old sock as the clam sack and whack it with a hammer several times (with a rock as a backstop, not your hardwood floors). This will get your pieces small enough for them to consume without making a mess.