egg shells as food?

[jrabbit]

I thought I had read that the shells provide some nutrition.

Due to fruit flies, I can't leave eggshells in the kitchen to dry out. I put some in the microwave just now, but I'm having no luck with crushing them well.

I am looking for tips and suggestions.

thanks!
--janis

 

[Freckle Face Farm]

when you bake them they seem to get a little crispy and crunch up good.Never microwaved..I normally boil the whole egg and mix with shells on and feed that to them they love it ...

 

[Judy]

I don't suppose it does any harm, but it is not a substitute for oyster shell. Has to do with bioavailability, as I understand it.

 

[purpletree23]

Give them crushed oyster shell and put the egg shells in the compost pile.

 

[Akane]

You can feed egg shells for extra calcium. Plenty of people do and it definitely does no harm. They won't crush easily till they dry and the microwave probably won't do a good job of it. You can stick them in the oven or throw them in a small bucket or other container and leave it somewhere for a day or 2. No they will not get all the calcium they need from egg shells since they will not absorb 100% of the calcium and therefore need extra but there is calcium in layer feed and you can always feed oyster shell and egg shells. Just depends if you want to take the time to dry them or have other easier uses for them.

 

[Georgia Rose]

My hens won't eat oyster shells. I put a dish out for them and they didn't touch it. The bowl filled with rain water and I ended up just throwing it out. Egg shells, on the other hand, go like hot cakes! Their eggs have nice strong shells on them also. I just put the egg shells in a bucket (cute little quart and 1/2 galvanized from TSC) and make sure they're not stacked/spooned. They dry real fast. Morning shells are usually dry by the evening, definitly by the next morning. I then crush them with a strong plastic bottle or jar, whatever is handy. I feed when their egg shell dish is empty or near empty.

 

[MIKE555444]

For years my father always baked the egg shells in the oven just enough to dry them out good but not enough to brown them much. I do this and crush them and it works great.

 

[ebonyann]

My mom has never fed an ounce of oyster shell to our chickens and we have never had a problem with weak egg shells. She saves them for a few days to a week and then crisps them in the oven. Then she uses a potatoe masher to break them up. I think she has been overdoing lately though, some of the eggs I tried to crack were a pain!

 

[Mr_Jeff]

I microwave mine on high for at least a minute. Take them out and let them cool. Then I crush them between two layers of paper towel with my hands. I finish the job by using a rolling pin on the shells(still between the paper towel). I know I'm done when all that is left is a pile of very small egg fragments. Then just tip the pile into a bowl or something and mix with food. Total time invested is about three minutes, with minimal mess.

 

[journey's end]

I've never baked or crushed them. I just throw them in the way they are, maybe I'll break up th large pieces but that's it. They handle it fine. They do it on their own. If an egg is broken, it rarely lasts more than a few seconds anyhow. They eat it shell and all.