Consistent soft shelled egg

[laceychicken]

Actually the water is used so you can grind the egg shells in the blender. And I leave them in the water to cook them. I strain the water off and drain the egg shells and just put it on the ground or in their food. I suppose the cooled cooked water would be good for them too. I just have not done that. But I too will give that a try. Someone asked about a coffee grinder?? I don't know about that, You can put the egg shells in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin..... Blender is the easiest.

 

[chickenmom66]

I put my egg shells in the microwave for 1-2 minutes- depends on how many I do at a time. This kills any bacteria that might be on the egg shells. Then I crunch them up with my hands into very small bits and scatter them in the run. You can also bake them in the oven if you don't want to use the microwave.

 

[Messipaw]

I want to try using these in my hens water - Spring Valley Calcium plus Vitamin D3 Dietary Supplement Softgels, 1200mg. I could poke a hole in them and add it to their water. ImI'having a problem with softed shelled eggs?

 

[cicknmama]

Actually the water is used so you can grind the egg shells in the blender. And I leave them in the water to cook them. I strain the water off and drain the egg shells and just put it on the ground or in their food. I suppose the cooled cooked water would be good for them too. I just have not done that. But I too will give that a try. Someone asked about a coffee grinder?? I don't know about that, You can put the egg shells in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin..... Blender is the easiest.

I tried the coffee grinder and it worked great for turning the shells into a powder. I wash the shells and air dry them first. I put a tablespoon of the powder in 1/2 gallon of water. Will see how it works.

 

[TalkALittle]

I always thought that the calcium in eggshells was the insoluble kind. That means it won't dissolve in water, right. Won't the powder just settle to the bottom of the waterer? You can dissolve eggshells with vinegar. The calcium carbonate is broken down, carbon dioxide is produced and the calcium remains behind. Water has a neutral pH so I don't think just adding it to water will do anything. Yes, some water can be slightly acidic (just like some can be slightly alkaline) due to other minerals being dissolved in it, but I don't think it's enough. I think you'd be better off dissolving the powdered eggshells in vinegar first and then adding that solution to the water. Of course I have no idea how much vinegar you'd need to dissolve an entire eggshell. And it's been a long time since I've sat in a chemistry class, so I could be wrong.

 

[Messipaw]

I want to try using these in my hens water - Spring Valley Calcium plus Vitamin D3 Dietary Supplement Soft gels, 1200mg. I could poke a hole in them and add it to their water. Im Ihaving a problem with soft shelled eggs?

 

[TalkALittle]

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin. Excess is stored in the liver and can build up and cause damage. I'd be worried about incorrect dosing. Because it's not water soluble it will just sit on the surface of the water rather than mix in so you won't be able to determine at what concentration they are ingesting it.

 

[cicknmama]

I always thought that the calcium in eggshells was the insoluble kind. That means it won't dissolve in water, right. Won't the powder just settle to the bottom of the waterer? You can dissolve eggshells with vinegar. The calcium carbonate is broken down, carbon dioxide is produced and the calcium remains behind. Water has a neutral pH so I don't think just adding it to water will do anything. Yes, some water can be slightly acidic (just like some can be slightly alkaline) due to other minerals being dissolved in it, but I don't think it's enough. I think you'd be better off dissolving the powdered eggshells in vinegar first and then adding that solution to the water. Of course I have no idea how much vinegar you'd need to dissolve an entire eggshell. And it's been a long time since I've sat in a chemistry class, so I could be wrong.

Thanks for the Chem lesson Im just trying to avoid giving my young pullets to much calcium. I guess I can mix up some crushed shells into a mash. My hens eat first so maybe they will eat most of it before my pullets get any.