Feeding eggs back to chickens to supplement feed.

[cutiekk17]

So pretty much the title. I'm getting more eggs than I can manage right now. Last year we had pigs and I would cook a batch of eggs and freeze them to give to the pigs as a nice protein boost every week. This year we're not doing pigs but I have 27 egg layers and we're also going to be getting 25 meat chickens in about a month. I've given my eggs layers what I call "egg cake" occasionally and they love it especially when it's frozen on a hot day but I'm afraid to give them too much.

What I would like to do is supplement the meat chickens feed with half egg cake and half meat bird feed but I wasn't sure how healthy it would be for them, has anyone every tried this?

I've been stocking up on egg cake and have a bunch in the freezer. Is it safe to give my chickens so many eggs? I could probably feed them a dozen eggs a day.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Eggs are nutritious... with lots of nutrients. They are high in protein... but also FAT.

I wouldn't personally do half eggs and half feed... but yes, I would feed some of it back to them... as much as I thought I could get away with... in my meat birds, but not too much for my keepers. Don't forget the shells are a good source of calcium when fed back also. For my layers I don't mind doing scrambled eggs maybe once a week.

There are methods of dehydrating eggs too that might be easier or less space consuming than freezing. And you could always consider donating to food pantry organization or other families you can see work hard but struggle make ends meet.

Just be aware of the fat content.

 

[TheYLWFlock]

What is “egg cake”? Just wondering!

 

[oregonkat]

I wish I had your issue, I can't keep up with my customer requests for eggs. I just added another 7 layers to my flock with another 3 chicks coming and I still don't think I'll have enough. Do you not have folks you can sell them too?

 

[Kiki]

With 27 layers eating 12 eggs a day, they are only eating about 1/2 an egg each a day.
That is a nice treat.
I don't think that amount can be considered food though...just a good treat.

 

[cutiekk17]

Eggs are nutritious... with lots of nutrients. They are high in protein... but also FAT.

I wouldn't personally do half eggs and half feed... but yes, I would feed some of it back to them... as much as I thought I could get away with... in my meat birds, but not too much for my keepers. Don't forget the shells are a good source of calcium when fed back also. For my layers I don't mind doing scrambled eggs maybe once a week.

There are methods of dehydrating eggs too that might be easier or less space consuming than freezing. And you could always consider donating to food pantry organization or other families you can see work hard but struggle make ends meet.

Just be aware of the fat content.

Thank you so much for your opinion! I think i'll lean more toward supplementing a quarter of the meat birds feed with eggs and see how they do on it. I've looked into dehydrating eggs but i feel like that would be a more time consuming option for me.

What is “egg cake”? Just wondering!

Its just a bunch of eggs cracked into a baking dish that i throw in the oven, sometimes i'll add veggies or any leftovers i might have. I've always called it egg cake for some reason

I wish I had your issue, I can't keep up with my customer requests for eggs. I just added another 7 layers to my flock with another 3 chicks coming and I still don't think I'll have enough. Do you not have folks you can sell them too?

I have tried selling eggs to friends and family but in my area there are a ton of people that have chickens and everyone's trying to sell their eggs. On my road pretty much every other house has backyard chickens!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

If you can't sell the eggs it might be a good idea to downsize the flock. We feed the overly dirty eggs and old eggs back to the birds. If it's a one off poop covered egg I just toss it on the ground to break open. If a stock pile of eggs I break them up shells and all in a bowl then mix in cracked corn until stiffened then feed that to the birds.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Eggs are nutritious... with lots of nutrients. They are high in protein... but also FAT.

I wouldn't personally do half eggs and half feed... but yes, I would feed some of it back to them... as much as I thought I could get away with... in my meat birds, but not too much for my keepers. Don't forget the shells are a good source of calcium when fed back also. For my layers I don't mind doing scrambled eggs maybe once a week.

There are methods of dehydrating eggs too that might be easier or less space consuming than freezing. And you could always consider donating to food pantry organization or other families you can see work hard but struggle make ends meet.

Just be aware of the fat content.

@EggSighted4Life Just had to let you know, how great this post is. Extremely educational. We feed crushed eggshells, free choice instead of oyster shell, although we can get oyster shells free, but have to crush them ourselves. We also supply a neighbor with 2 teenage boys with extra eggs, the boys take care of the chickens if we go out of town. Real win-win situation. There are always families who could use eggs. If the food pantry or homeless shelter in your town won't take them, a church may be able to help distribute eggs to needy families. Thanks for letting people know about these options.

 

[cutiekk17]

If you can't sell the eggs it might be a good idea to downsize the flock. We feed the overly dirty eggs and old eggs back to the birds. If it's a one off poop covered egg I just toss it on the ground to break open. If a stock pile of eggs I break them up shells and all in a bowl then mix in cracked corn until stiffened then feed that to the birds.

I hope my husband never see this! I know it sounds like alot but seriously my 27 chickens are my pets and i could never get rid of them. Everyone has a name and I have a serious chicken math problem. I don't mind having so many chickens or eggs I'm just trying to make sure i can find a nice way to recycle all my eggs and make make sure everyone stays healthy.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Would your husband feel better if he knew you were helping family or friends by giving them your healthy eggs, instead of them buying store bought?