Feeding chickens eggshells for extra nutrients?

[igorsMistress]

I feed back smashed egg shells, these go before the oyster shell. My girls have never been egg eaters in the nest and I've tossed whole eggs in a dish, shells and all. They love them.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I've tossed whole eggs in a dish, shells and all. They love them.

I give my girls a raw egg smashed on the ground once a week, as a treat. I sprinkle mixed bird seed over it. I need to take a pic next time.
The only time my girls eat an egg is if it breaks. Like dropped from roost overnight or if it's a soft shell, thin shelled egg that breaks in the nest. Haven't had one of them in a month.
But I also feed a 18% Protein feed, available 24/7. So they're not lacking in Protein. GC

 

[igorsMistress]

I give my girls a raw egg smashed on the ground once a week, as a treat. I sprinkle mixed bird seed over it. I need to take a pic next time.
The only time my girls eat an egg is if it breaks. Like dropped from roost overnight or if it's a soft shell, thin shelled egg that breaks in the nest. Haven't had one of them in a month.
But I also feed a 18% Protein feed, available 24/7. So they're not lacking in Protein. GC

My girls are on 20% chick starter and I've had a couple broken eggs they've eaten but there were two chickens in the nest box arguing over it lol.

 

[PirateGirl]

I don't even wash my shells. I just let them dry 24 hours and crush with my hands.View attachment 1446937. GC

This picture is a perfect example of crushed egg shell size. Small enough that they can easily pick it up and eat it, and they are no longer in the shape of eggs. As others have mentioned, the key with calcium supplementation is Free Choice. Do not mix it in the food. They will eat what they need. Some birds eat more than others. Some go through spells when they eat a lot and then phase back. Somehow they just know.

 

[nessa.morg]

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.

Thanks

 

[lazy gardener]

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?

I don't even wash my shells. I just let them dry 24 hours and crush with my hands.View attachment 1446937. GC

I feed back smashed egg shells, these go before the oyster shell. My girls have never been egg eaters in the nest and I've tossed whole eggs in a dish, shells and all. They love them.

You will hear a lot of "they say" advice here and elsewhere. Chickens will eat an egg if it has a weak shell, is cracked in the nest, is shell-less, or if the birds have nutritional deficiencies. Giving eggs to chickens in any form will not turn them into "egg eaters". @Beekissed who has many years of poultry experience will often toss a whole egg onto the ground. Of course the girls will pounce on it like a piranha feeding frenzy. Yet, she has never had an egg eater in her flock.

As for egg shells: When I first started returning them to the flock, I would rinse them, peel out the membrane, dry them, bake them, grind them very fine, then give them to the birds. Then I stopped removing membranes. Then, I stopped rinsing them. Now, I put them in a bowl. When I have a bowl full, I take them out to the run. I toss the shells into the run. If I feel like hearing a crunch, I will give them a stomp. If I'm in a hurry, I simply walk away. Only time an egg gets eaten by my birds is if it's a defective egg.

The flip side of the statement, "If you give egg shells to your chickens, they will turn into egg eaters." is this: "If you give your chickens extra nutrition by giving them eggs to eat, and extra calcium by giving them egg shells, their nutritional needs will be met, and their eggs will be stronger, so there will not be any weak shells which the hens will then have to eat to keep the nest clean."

 

[igorsMistress]

 

[nessa.morg]

You will hear a lot of "they say" advice here and elsewhere. Chickens will eat an egg if it has a weak shell, is cracked in the nest, is shell-less, or if the birds have nutritional deficiencies. Giving eggs to chickens in any form will not turn them into "egg eaters". @Beekissed who has many years of poultry experience will often toss a whole egg onto the ground. Of course the girls will pounce on it like a piranha feeding frenzy. Yet, she has never had an egg eater in her flock.

As for egg shells: When I first started returning them to the flock, I would rinse them, peel out the membrane, dry them, bake them, grind them very fine, then give them to the birds. Then I stopped removing membranes. Then, I stopped rinsing them. Now, I put them in a bowl. When I have a bowl full, I take them out to the run. I toss the shells into the run. If I feel like hearing a crunch, I will give them a stomp. If I'm in a hurry, I simply walk away. Only time an egg gets eaten by my birds is if it's a defective egg.

The flip side of the statement, "If you give egg shells to your chickens, they will turn into egg eaters." is this: "If you give your chickens extra nutrition by giving them eggs to eat, and extra calcium by giving them egg shells, their nutritional needs will be met, and their eggs will be stronger, so there will not be any weak shells which the hens will then have to eat to keep the nest clean."

Yeah what you say makes complete sense

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Feeding the hens eggshells back to them will not produce any appreciable nutritional boost. The main reason for this is the short length and fast action of a chickens digestive track. This means that after the eggshells are ground and reground in your hens gizzard that the calcium in used eggshells will just race out of your hens vent.

 

[lazy gardener]

https://watermark.silverchair.com/j...x_TKqSeXnR-LPA9OvqqnfCeSI83tVe0LuLW1yqRwyahkA

CONCLUSIONS AND APPLICATIONS 1. Eggshell products from breaker plants are very similar to fine limestone in their effects on 2. Eggshell products should be combined with a large-particle Ca source to produce the 3. It is not necessary to grind eggshell product used as a calcium supplement in layer rations.

Chicken George, can you back your statement up with a pertinent study?

The reading I've done states that egg shell is a viable dietary additive for the back yard chicken. To achieve the best results, the egg shell should be offered late in the day, and offered in large particle sizes. I would not depend on egg shell as the only calcium source, but it is certainly a viable option.

Other studies are pointing to egg shell as being a superior dietary addition to prevent osteoporosis in post menopausal women.