feeding chickens egg shells

[Coldspringchicken]

Is there anything wrong with breaking up the egg shells and feeding them back to the birds mixed with the other greens and table scraps they are getting? Some one said that once they get a taste for this they will start pecking the eggs open.

 

[Chickens n' more]

May just be coincidence, but I started doing that same thing 2 weeks ago and since then I have found 3 eggs that have been pecked to death. Never had it happen before then.

 

[paparootzi]

I rinse the eggsshells out with a little water first and then pop them in the toaster just a bit, put them in baggie and mash them up. It replaces the calcium (rather than purchasing oyster shell)
They need calcium replaced to keep from having "soft shells" that break (if they ever taste the egg they will like it and will start breaking the eggs to eat them).
You can even scramble eggs for them to eat but if they taste "raw" egg, THAT's what's not good!

 

[Judy]

If I did this, I would nuke them, or otherwise be sure the egg adhering to the shell was cooked. I don't because it is a bother, and I have read on here from some experts that crushed egg shells are not sufficient calcium supplement, that they really need layer plus oyster shell. If they don't get enough calcium, they can be more prone to serious problems like egg binding or stuck shelless eggs. Not worth the risk to me.

 

[paparootzi]

I actually do BOTH ... I buy the oyster shell AND mix the eggshells in occasionally with the oyster shell !

 

[vnploveschickens]

Quote:
I do both as well and have no problems with my flock. I just throw the eggshells into a bag and every week or so, crush them up as small as possible. Then I mix with oyster shell. Works very well.

 

[Chickens n' more]

I feed them layer and they also have a feeder of oyster shell. I have never seen them touch the oyster shell, so i thought I would try egg shells. I was just giving them to them directly from the kitchen. Maybe that was my mistake. I probably wont mess with it anymore and just stick to the layer and oyster shell. I was not having any calcium issues, just thought I could get some use out off the shells. Hopefully, whoever has been eating eggs will forget how good they are. I have since started collecting eggs several times a day to try to avoid the mystery hen getting to them first.

 

[JewellFarm]

Quote:
I do both as well, with no problems.

 

[card5640]

I always save my eggs shells and place them in the oven when baking, it changes the taste and smell and they break up easy in a double gallon baggy, I add it to their food. Seems to work and Ive had no eggs pecked.

 

[isabrownmom]

My chicken's egg shells are so hard I have trouble cracking them! They just get a layer feed and once or twice a week I give them plain yogurt with meal worms. Egg shells are great for your garden so I just smash them and put them in the garden.