eggshells as diatamaceous earth?

[leonphelps]

read some articles that is is a suitable substitute for DE. Was wondering if anyone used is in feed or as pesticide?

 

[Judy]

Eggshells provide extra calcium. Some people give them separately as you would oyster shell, to laying hens. I don't know that they do anything as an insecticide. DE will work as an insecticide but only in the stored feed, or (to a point) in the coop, but not inside the chicken.

I don't use DE or eggshells at all. I do offer mine oyster shell. They rarely eat it, and I've had the same small $8 bag for over a year.

 

[chfite]

Diatomaceous earth is fundamentally an absorbent and an abrasive. Due to the nature of its structure is is abrasive at almost a microscopic level, It is absorbent on account of its high surface area, similar to activated charcoal's high surface area. I doubt that one could crush egg shells as finely as diatomaceous earth exists without simply producing a powder that would lack these characteristics.

Chris