Feeding Egg Shells

[BarbiD]

I've always given my girls crushed oyster shells since they started laying, free choice. However, my Ayam Cemani's egg shells still seem thin. I've been saving egg shells for about a week and was getting ready to crush them up and offer those two. I read though somewhere you should rinse out the membrane? I haven't done that. Is it safe to give them the egg shells or ditch these and start washing them out first?

Thanks!!,

 

[junebuggena]

Go for it. I don't meticulously clean eggshells when I've got enough to use as calcium. They gobble them up just fine.

 

[carlf]

I keep my empty shells on the counter top all week.
Then when I bake on the weekends, put them in a tray and bake them at 350 for about 15 minutes.
It sterilizes them and makes them easier to crush.
BTW, some hens just lay thin shelled eggs, my dominant hen does all the time and she gets plenty of calcium and protein.

 

[RonP]

I've always given my girls crushed oyster shells since they started laying, free choice. However, my Ayam Cemani's egg shells still seem thin. I've been saving egg shells for about a week and was getting ready to crush them up and offer those two. I read though somewhere you should rinse out the membrane? I haven't done that. Is it safe to give them the egg shells or ditch these and start washing them out first?

Thanks!!,

What other source of calcium are they getting?

 

[chickens really]

To be honest....I wash them out...Bacteria can grow....Next time rinse and dry on paper towels....Not a big deal..Just what I was taught by older wiser Chicken keepers...

Cheers!

 

[FlyWheel]

I rinse out the goo, but don't bother with the membrane. When they're dry I put them in the toaster oven and bake them at 250F for 5 minutes or so. This not only sterilizes them but it also seems to make them more brittle. The membrane just drys to almost powder consistency. I then crunch them in my hand and grind them into sand in my "Magic Bullet" blender.

Odd thing I noticed, Muffins' green eggs are blue on the inside of the shells, (obviously) but after baking them the inside has turned white, the outside however stays green.

 

[lazy gardener]

I rinse out the goo, but don't bother with the membrane. When they're dry I put them in the toaster oven and bake them at 250F for 5 minutes or so. This not only sterilizes them but it also seems to make them more brittle. The membrane just drys to almost powder consistency. I then crunch them in my hand and grind them into sand in my "Magic Bullet" blender.

Odd thing I noticed, Muffins' green eggs are blue on the inside of the shells, (obviously) but after baking them the inside has turned white, the outside however stays green.

I think the white you are seeing after baking is the membrane that has dried out.

I used to be concerned about bacteria, egg goo in shells, and such. Now, I just toss them in the run and stomp on them. Not an issue. Any goo left in the shell dries out before they go in the run, and if it hasn't dried out by the time I toss them in there, it's still plenty fresh. Albumen has it's own anti-bacterial properties. I've read that it's been used over superficial wounds to speed healing. I have yet to work up the courage to try it, but... may do so one day.

 

[aart]

Albumen might have antibacterial properties, but it is also an excellent growth medium and is used commercially as such.

I rinse it out and let air dry, but don't bake...and crush after large quantity accumulates to mix with oyster shell.
Many way to process and feed back egg shells.

But regarding the OP's thin shell layer.......
......if only one bird has thin shells and all birds are on same diet, it's the bird not the diet.
I have had a few birds that consistently lay thin shells, probably something wrong with their ability to uptake nutrients, probably genetic and uncurable.

 

[BarbiD]

Thanks aart! Yes, they are all on the same diet - free range all day and full access to organic layer feed whenever they like.