Egg Shells

[ice329]

Sorry for the 90 questions.... I read people use eggs shells for extra calcium. How do you prepare them for the birds? Are the shells boiled or baked and cooked in anyway also do they need to be pulverized in a blender or just mashed up.

 

[Imp]

Quote:
Any and all of the above.
Mostly I read that people bake them and crush them up, by hand. I haven't done it, but I believe the shells get brittle from baking. Some just dry them in the microwave.

Imp

 

[chickeydee]

I wait until I get a lot then I put them on a pizza tray and bake them for 10 minutes at 400 and break them up and give them to the chickens . They love them and there good for them .

 

[bietsch624]

Do you rinse them with water until you have enough to prepare in the oven.

 

[chickeydee]

No I just let them dry .I have a oat meal box that my husband gave me to keep them in . When it gets full I smash them until I can not anymore than bake them .

 

[RocketDad]

I put the shells into a cottage cheese tub on the counter. I don't rinse them or anything - I figure any egg left in is just more protein. When it gets full I put them in the toaster oven. For frugality, I usually wait until it's hot from a mini-pizza or something and put in, or I just set the thing to one cycle of "toast."

I put the toasted shells into a plastic peanut butter jar I keep on the counter. I have a rock in it. I kinda crunch them as they go in, or not, and then shake the jar to bust the shells smaller.

For presentation to the hens I usually mix them into goopy food like oatmeal or mashed potatoes. That keeps them from eating around the shells as much.

 

[card5640]

I just set mine in the oven after cracking them, when I preheat for anything they are done by the time the oven is ready, I place them in a bread bag and crush them with a Pam can, or anyting else thats on the counter, toss them in the feed. Been doing it for years.

 

[ice329]

I baked some today, crushed them and put in a bowl and gave it to the quail.. They attacked it and flug it everyplace.. gone in less then a 2 min. heheh

 

[cluckcluck42]

I microwave them if they are fresh, but if they have sat out for awhile, they are good to crush with my mortar and pestle. They are REALLY handy for crushing eggs, I highly recommend it, we got a really good one for 10 bucks. We crush up flax in it too.

The chickens really like it, if I put it in their food dish, one hen eats it all so I mix it in a rice mash with scraps and feed it to them. I'm about to go out and feed them this concoction after this episode of Reno 911.

Gratuitous bunny dancing smilie.

 

[vstoltzfus]

I don't bake mine. I just take them and crush them up by hand. I do usually rinse them so my hands don't get gooey from handling the shells. And I don't have a problem with the hens eating their eggs, which I know is sometimes a concern when you give uncooked shells.