egg shells

[nccatnip]

I have been saving all my shells from hard boiled eggs for months to give to my girls. Two questions: How fine should the shells be crushed before offering? I think I read somewhere that if they get larger pieces, they might see a freshly laid egg as food and crack them.
Second question: Is it safe to use the shells from raw eggs? If so, how do I clean them to keep them sanitary?

 

[justusnak]

I take mine and bake them in the oven....325..for about 20 min or so. Then cruch them up really fine with a rolling pin. My girls love them! They will eat them over the crushed oyster shell any day.

 

[ChickaChickaBoomBoom]

Maybe I should be careful. I've been rinsing our shells really good, letting them dry, then crushing them in my hand for the hens. They go nuts over them!

-Dave

 

[silkiechicken]

I'm real lazy... when eggs get used here, their half shells, cooked or raw, in whatever condition, just go into the chicken bowl and they eat away at them... doing that for years... *knock on wood*

The only shells I don't give them are shells from hatched out chicks.

 

[aran]

thank god someone else started this thread...i have a bunch of shells building up and had no idea what to do to get them ready to feed...seems i will just dry em, crush em and feed em and see if they will eat em! Man is oyster shell expensive!!!!!!!!! i got a little bag ( 1-2lbs max) for $9 at TSC!

 

[Zenbirder]

Quote:
That is outrageous! My one lb. bag at the local feed store was $1.50. I am going to err on the side of caution and cook my eggshells and crush them.

 

[SandraChick]

TSC is obvioulsy charging WAY too much.

I just let my eggshells dry in an old pie tin in the oven (i have an old type with a pilot lite that keeps the oven lukewarm at all times). I crush them by hand and put them in jars.

Hard boiled egg shells go directly to the chickens as I have EE eggs that are hard to peel no matter what, and this way they get some cooked eggwhite too!

I also use eggshells that I grind in a coffee grinder for my squash, tomato, eggplants.....blossom end rot has been linked to a calcium deficiency--so when I plant the seedlings, I sprinkle some eggshell (ultra fine) in the hole and then I add some more mixed int to the top 1" or so mid season. This year so far, I only have one tomato with blossom end rot and little to none in the zuchinis. I'm sold on the method!

Oh...and if you have a compost, don't forget to put a few egg shells in there every once in a while. It's good for the worms.

I started a list of what to do with eggshells a long time ago--I'll have to find it.

Sandra

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

I give my hens egg shells daily when I have them... (got idea from another member) I put the egg shells in the microwave for 15 seconds to kill anything that is on them, let them cool... and then I take them out to the coop... my girls go crazy over them... I also have oyster shells out for those that want them or incase I do not have shells for the day... I found out though that my girls would rather wait for the shells... quit interesting.
Tes

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

oh yah.. and I do crush them up really good too.

 

[SandraChick]

oh- I've read that it takes 2-4 eggshells to make one egg, so it's important that their own eggs are not the only source of calcium

Sandra