Egg shell or oyster shell?

[Swamp Roo]

Are there any real advantages to feeding egg shells back to chickens as compared to feeding oyster shell? One way or another I expect to need some oyster shell. I figure the chickens will need more that what the give me in eggs, since some of the Ca will go towards bone and body mantinence. Just wondering if egg shells were "better" and if I should bother to save them from going onto the compost. Thanks.

 

[MissPrissy]

Th oyster shell is used to help make the egg shell. Why throw the egg shell away when it is proper nutrition and a calcium source for making more egg shells? My hens get both - free choice oyster shell is avaiable at all times. Everything from my kitchen they can eat goes back including the shells.

 

[Swamp Roo]

Thanks. I was just wondering if egg shell was in a form that could be utilized better by the chickens than oyster shell (or another Ca source). I plan on feeding my chickens lots of things from the kitchen, just wondering if I should make sure to get them all of the egg shells I could or if it didn't really matter. Thanks again.

 

[BaronRenfrew]

egg shell... sure feed it back. I highly suggest you let it dry out (to get rid of the raw egg taste) and break it up or crush it so it doesn't resemble those round things in their nest.

 

[Swamp Roo]

LOL yeah, I could see that being a problem. Sort of like a trufle pig getting a taste for trufles.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I feed the egg shells back. They love them!

 

[gumpsgirl]

I have also read where people bake the eggshells to make sure there is not any egg taste left in them. That's what I will do when the time comes. You don't want to start an egg eating problem!

 

[My Little Sister's Farm]

I feed back the egg shell and provide plenty of oyster shell too. I never have a problem with egg eaters. Sometimes an egg breaks and I find bits of shell in the nestbox, but they don't seem to really be going out of their way. We don't bake the egg shell, just let it dry and crush it. I like pulverizing it as a stress reliever in the kitchen

 

[Sunny Chook Farm]

Quote:
That's what I do.. bake then crush up w/ my hand.. no need in spending money, feed it back to them...