Feeding chickens eggshells for extra nutrients?

[nessa.morg]

I have read that washing and crushing your chickens eggshells are nutritious to add to there feed but I have also read that you shouldn't do that because they might start eating there eggs? What are y'alls opinions on this? Im trying to decide whether to do this or not. HAs anyone else done this?

 

[The Phantom]

I did that and my hens started eating the eggs. I wouldn’t. Oyster shell would be safer.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The nutrition provided by egg shells is calcium carbonate. If they feel the need, they will consume more. That is usually highly productive hens that need more Ca.

As long as you can make them not look like eggs, they can be OK to feed.

Egg shells and oyster shells are both made of calcium carbonate so the nutrition is the same. However, the fact that OS is made up of large particles, makes them superior to egg shells because they will spend more time in the upper digestive tract and generally make contact with the calcium absorption sites in the small intestine at night when the egg is in the uterus (shell gland).

 

[nessa.morg]

The nutrition provided by egg shells is calcium carbonate. If they feel the need, they will consume more. That is usually highly productive hens that need more Ca.

As long as you can make them not look like eggs, they can be OK to feed.

Egg shells and oyster shells are both made of calcium carbonate so the nutrition is the same. However, the fact that OS is made up of large particles, makes them superior to egg shells because they will spend more time in the upper digestive tract and generally make contact with the calcium absorption sites in the small intestine at night when the egg is in the uterus (shell gland).

What do you mean make them not look like eggs? How do u do that? Would I like grind them into a powder?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes, or at least very tiny particles. You be the judge and then your chickens will judge.

 

[PirateGirl]

I feed my chickens and ducks both eggshells back to them. I have a bowl on the kitchen counter next to the stove that any eggshell goes into, when the bowl gets full I crush them up and give them to the girls. I have been doing this as long as my girls have been laying. No washing, no baking, no special prep really. No egg eaters. I was told that the size of the calcium particles are important in terms of how fast/slow they are absorbed into the system and how usable they are for the chickens in the production of new eggs. There are some good studies on this. Essentially the eggshells fed back to the flock is not an adequate substitute for oyster shell and oyster shell should still be offered on the side for laying hens.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/for-strong-eggshells-size-matters/

There are more links at the end of the article as well.

 

[CrazyChickenDude]

What I do is I peel the membrane off the shell. I then crush up the shells and put them in a strainer and wash the shells. I wash them to get any remaining flavor off. I then put it in their food for calcium. My chickens never eat their eggs, unless one cracks when it's layed.

 

[nessa.morg]

Ok thank y'all for yalls input. I think I'm going to grind up the shells to a powder and then mix into treats I give them like oatmeal and see what happens

 

[GC-Raptor]

I don't even wash my shells. I just let them dry 24 hours and crush with my hands. . GC

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Ok thank y'all for yalls input. I think I'm going to grind up the shells to a powder and then mix into treats I give them like oatmeal and see what happens

Do NOT mix any calcium supplement in feed. They need to choose whether or not to consume it based on each bird's calcium needs. Mixing calcium carbonate into feed forces them to over consume calcium. Bad idea.