Feeding egg shells

[heffesfarms]

Someone told me that feeding the chickens egg shells would make there eggs stronger any truth here

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Egg shells are primarily calcium carbonate. So if they eat calcium carbonate, they will have been provide the basic chemical structure for building those shells. If you do feed them, dry and crush them so they aren't recognizable as such to prevent egg eating.

 

[barneveldrerman]

Someone told me that feeding the chickens egg shells would make there eggs stronger any truth here

Yes they do make the eggs stronger. I dry mine out then crunch it into small peices.

When they are still wet it has a flavor. Then after a a while they will relise that their eggs taste the same. Then they will become egg eaters. Just make sure the eggs are dry.


Hope this helped and good luck.

 

[RonP]

I think you will find that size matters when it comes to supplementing the calcium requirement of your flock.

The bigger the source of calcium, the longer it stays in the gizzard, the more is absorbed.

Thus the benefit of free choice oyster shell, also known as soluble grit.

If relying solely on crushed egg shell, the required calcium may not have a chance to absorb before being passed off as manure.

Regardless, as others mentioned, when done properly, it won't hurt.

Personally, I keep a coffee can in the bottom of my oven where I add eggshells.

Once "cooked" I crush and offer free choice, along with oyster shell...

Hope this helps.