Eggshells for Chickens?

[Pine9]

I wondered today, while preparing scrambled eggs alongside hardboiled eggs, if the eggshell really needs to be wasted. I know that feeding the crushed-up eggshell to hens can restore some of the calcium that they lost while laying. However, there are two small problems:
1. Will giving the chickens the eggshell, even in crushed form, encourage them to eat the eggs they lay?
2. The layena feed is supposed to give them all the calcium they need. Is there such a thing as too much calcium, then?

 

[Ridgerunner]

1. 
   Will giving the chickens the eggshell, even in crushed form, encourage them to eat the eggs they lay?
   

No. Some people crush the shells, bake them, or microwave them to get the fresh egg smell and taste off of them. Some of us just toss the half shell not crushed, cleaned, or cooked to them. From what I’ve seen it does not encourage egg eating but if you are concerned crush them and cook them.


2. The layena feed is supposed to give them all the calcium they need. Is there such a thing as too much calcium, then?

Is there such a thing as too much calcium? Yes, excess calcium can lead to kidney and liver problems. But that doesn’t have to be a problem with you. You can manage that.

Layer feed gives laying hens all the calcium they need for their egg shells IF the layer feed is the only thing they eat. IF is a big word. If they eat other things low in calcium in addition to the Layer they may not be getting all they need for their egg shells and normal body function. The hens are pretty good at knowing how much calcium they need. The simple solution is to not mix excess calcium with their feed to try to force them to eat it but offer it on the side. If they need more calcium they tend to eat it. If they don’t need excess calcium that calcium supplement tends to last a very long time. It doesn’t go bad and they don’t eat enough to harm themselves.

A lot of us offer oyster shell on the side for that purpose. Crushed egg shells will add additional calcium too. Your egg shells will tell you if they are getting enough calcium. If the shells are hard and thick you are doing great. If they are thin or soft, they need more. Mine tend to ignore the egg shells but I also offer oyster shell on the side. The egg shells are pretty hard.

 

[Patinas]

I feed OS on the side to my flock and have never given them shells. But, about a week ago, there was a small egg laying on the ground in the run just under one of the roosts in the run. I turned to go into the run to fetch it and one of the hens jumped off the roost and the egg broke open. Before I could even get the gate open the frenzy was on so I just let them have at it. I came back about an hour later and there was no trace of that egg left, including the shell. I was actually kinda shocked that they had eaten the shell too so now it has me considering feeding their shells back to them along with the OS.