eggshells for calcium question

[gvntofly05]

My flock is currently 8 weeks old. I have started saving eggshells to offer to them with their feed when they start laying. So far I have just been rinsing the eggshells and letting them dry out in a container. What exactly do I need to do to them to prepare them and store them for later use?

 

[digitS']

Personally, and it is only my own way, I get the oven good and hot. The eggshells go on a cookie sheet and into the oven. The oven is turned off and "hopefully" I remember to take the eggshells out before turning the oven back on to cook something else

.

The dried eggshells can then go into a bag and be crushed down to a size and shape that no longer resembles an egg.

Fresh eggshells can go into a bag with kitchen scraps as they become available. A few squeezes and they are broken and mixed with the food.

I feed FlockRaiser (low calcium) to the birds. They have oyster shells as they want them. One thing you cannot do is to rely entirely on recycled eggshells for your layers. Their digestion is just not that efficient.

. . . just my 2¢.

Steve

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't store them but just crush them and feed them. I have not had problems with egg eaters, but I do make sure they are crushed.

Since you are storing them until you have layers, I'd suggest just rinsing and drying them, then store them already crushed in a bag. As long as they are rinsed and dried, I don't think they need to be cooked. If you don't rinse them well, they could start to smell, so cooking would take care of that. I'd look for a simple method that suits the way you do things and adjust as necessary.

 

[BirdBrain]

I rinse mine and when they are dry crush them and dump them in a shoe box. If they are not completely dry they will continue to dry since they are not in plastic.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Dry and crush is all I've ever done.

.....Alan.

 

[gvntofly05]

Thanks everyone!