egg shells

[tammybur]

Hi everyone,

Did I read somewhere that you can give chickens the "egg shells" or am I wrong???

Thanks

Tammy

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Yes. You can clean and crush the egg shells and feed them back to your laying birds for extra calcium. (I'm also using crushed egg shells around tender little plants in my garden).

 

[Arielle]

Hi, I read this too. I have been collecting most of our eggs shell; then I heat them in the oven for about 20 minutes at 350. This is strictly a convenience in time and temp. Oven is preset for 350 and by the time I'm back in the kitchen, 20 min or more has passed. From what I have read, egg shells are not as easily absorbed compared to oyster shell. I do heat mine just as a precaution against any diseases. IMO.

 

[Ivywoods]

I feed back eggshells to my hens. They much prefer them over the oyster shell. I used to microwave them to dry them, but I have started just letting them air dry, crushing them and then giving them back to the hens. It just seems a lot more natural that way. Some people worry that by doing this they will teach their hens to eat their eggs. I've not had a problem with that at all.

 

[Noymira]

I rinse them in hot water, air dry them, crush them in a bag with a rolling pin and give them with treats to my hens. They love them!

Once we get everyone in the coop together and on Flockraiser (3 different age chickens) I'll leave egg shells on the side for the hens to eat as they choose. I'm all for not buying an additional calcium supplement when we have plenty of egg shells!

 

[LarryPQ]

I nuke mine in the microwawe for 45 seconds. Much faster.

 

[In His Service]

I put mine in the oven after I turn it off from cooking something else...put that leftover heat to good use, lol.

 

[CarolynF]

Quote:
That's what I do with my cast iron skillet to keep it well seasoned -- and it's in there when I'm preheating the oven, too. Guess I'll just pop those shells in the skillet and make it a double header! Thanks for the idea!

Oh, I almost forgot, my mother (age 91) and her older sisters always threw the shells back to the chickens. But I understand they fed oyster shells as well.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
x2. Or just let them air dry. In a week, they crush up just fine.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

I also air dry. Seems fine. Chickens love them. They keep producing hard solid shelled eggs.