Feeding eggshells - bake first?

[Zenbirder]

My ex-Mother-in-law, wonderful woman whom I miss, used to bake her eggshells. Then she would crush them with a rolling pin and put them back out for the chickens. I believe she baked them to make sure they were not carrying any bacteria. Does anyone else do this? Do you bother to feed the egg shells back or just use the oyster shell?

 

[bayouchica]

I usually bake mine for 30 mins. or so at 350 spread out on a cookie sheet. I just crush them with my hands after they cool, but I'm sure a rollin pin would work good too.

My chickens like the eggshells more than their oyster shells.

 

[MayberrySaint]

That is a great idea...I was given calcium chips instead of oyster shell and the pullets are not touching them.

 

[speckledhen]

I bake mine at low temps, maybe 200 degrees for 30 minutes then just turn off the oven and let them cool down inside it. Makes them extra brittle for crushing and kills bacteria since we plop our shells into a container next to the stove for a few days before baking them.

 

[SandraChick]

I leave my egg shells in the oven on a pie tin. It has an old style pilot lite and dries everything.

Chickens get some of it, but they need 3-4 eggshells to make one egg, so they still need another source.

I also use my egg shells for gardening...add ground eggshells in the soil when planting tomatoes, squashes, any blossom end rot suseptible plants. THe calcium helps the plant fight off blossom end rot.

Also, spreading very small eggshell fragments under your brocoli/cauliflower type plants keeps supposedly makes those white butterflies think they'res already too many eggs around and they look else where. Not sure if it really works, but this year I've had the least number of those little green caterpillars I've ever had.

Sandra

 

[CutestChickenFarmer]

Hi, everybody! I raise zebra finches and give them egg shells regularly. What I do, and this is for two eggs, is put the shells on a microwavable plate and zap them for a minute and 45 seconds. This cooks them up, kills any germs, and they're ready in a flash. They crumble up so easily and into tiny pieces for the finches.

Why turn on the oven in this godforsaken heat?! Whew!

Susan

 

[Bubba]

Quote:
Not only are you gorgeous but your smart to! Can you put up a new pic with a different outfit

Yes Bubba is bad and can't help himself!

Bubba

 

[MayberrySaint]

Now Bubba that's funny...thanks for saying what all us single guys were thinking...

 

[FamilyOfChickens]

I've never baked the egg shells that we feed to our hens...Just collect them in a dish whenever we have any and bring them out to the girls.

 

[MayberrySaint]

Quote:
I am not sure but I think the baking and crushing makes the eggs not so recognizable to the hens. Feeding them fresh shells might lead to egg-eating...experts please chime in...otherwise I don't want to waste energy baking them either.