Egg shells

[Jennie5193]

I have a question about feeding egg shells (ground up) back to the chickens. Is that just *wrong* or will it be beneficial for them?

 

[1mommahen]

Beneficial. Extra calcium. I do it all the time!

 

[thechickenchick]

I do it too. It is good for them. Just make sure it doesn't resemble an egg when you feed it back to them.

 

[Jennie5193]

Thank you! It just seemed to me that since I feed them special nutrients so they can make those shells, that maybe I could recycle them.

Would you bake them or boil them first to kill any germs, or just straight from being cracked?

 

[laurenlulu]

I gave my hens the crushed up shells from the eggs they laid me yesterday- they were SO excited! They gobbled them up

I have a question also- can egg shells replace oyster whatevers? It seems very economical to just feed them back their shells.

 

[Chauntecleer's Keeper]

Ground oyster shells or egg shells are a great source of calcium. My chicken feed has calcium built in, so I do not have to suppliment it. If the chickens do not get the calcium they need, their bodies will start consuming their own bones for the egg shells. You will get chickens with weak bones and thin egg shells.

 

[speckledhen]

I usually just put them on a cookie sheet in the oven for about 20 minutes at around 200 degrees. Kills whatever germs, but really, it's just easier to crush them up small when they are really dry like that.

 

[cherig22]

I just dry them on the counter for a few days, then crush them and feed them back.

Cheri

 

[Judy]

I would crush and microwave the shells, or put the whole eggs in the food processor or whatever (with shells) then scramble.

However you do it, you don't want to feed raw egg -- might give them ideas.

 

[ChickenNoodle]

We let them dry in an egg carton, grind them up in the blender and keep in a lidded container. I add add a handfull to their scraps. You'll know if you're feeding too much because their eggshells will get alot thicker and be difficult to crack. When that happens, I back off on the eggshells. Has worked well for us so far.