Eggshells from hatching - can they be given to hens as calcium supplement?

[hypnozze]

Hello everyone!

After incubation and hatching a lot of dry and quite clean eggshells are left and I was wondering if I could use them the same way I use unincubated eggshells - by crushing them and heating them in the oven for 10-20 min at 200C and later giving those crushed shells to my hens.
Has anybody done this?
I am asking this because I hatch a lot and seem to run out of crushed eggshells to give to my hens.

P.S. I could not find an answer to my question nor here, nor in google, therefore I am asking it here.

 

[Punkybrewster]

Yes. No problem at all.

 

[cluckadoodledoo13]

Sounds ok to me!

 

[hypnozze]

Thank You both! I have heated them in the oven and these shells seem to be a lot thinner than the non-hatched ones. Interesting

 

[AltonaAcres]

DO NOT. They are LOADED with bacteria. It will make them very sick.

 

[Punkybrewster]

Shes baking them in the oven

 

[Punkybrewster]

Chicks absorb calcium from the shell as they develop so the shells are more brittle.

 

[AltonaAcres]

I still think that's a risky idea. Putting bacteria in your oven is not very smart. I have read about why not to do this, so i am confident in my answer.

 

[AltonaAcres]

Besides, it's not worth feeding these because the chicks already absorbed a high percentage of the calcium. The hens won't get very much calcium at all.

 

[Friendly_Lurker]

You can feed them regular eggshells, from your cooking. That's always fine.