feeding hens egg shells

[momofchicks]

Is it really okay to feed my hens their egg shells back after we crack them open? Should I wash out all the stuff left inside just incase? should I only mix it with their regular food or can I just put a pile of crushed egg shells in their run? Thanks!

 

[Mr. Nappy]

If they are not consuming a layer feed, then they'll eat the crushed egg shells for their needed calcium. You can just put it in a small feeder near the food, so they can eat it at their will. Their bodies will tell them how much they need. If they are eating a layer feed, they don't need any extra calcium.
We actually heat ours in the toaster, but I've read on here that most don't. I find though, that trying to crush them with wet egg stuff inside is messy and sticky, and toasting them dries that stuff out.

 

[LT]

I keep mine until I know I will be using the oven, then I pop them in for about 5 minutes, and then I grind them in the food processor. I try to get the shells as small as possible so they don't recognize it as "shell." Whatever is left, goes into the compost, where I know it will be good for the garden next spring. I love knowing that none of my girls' eggs goes to waste.

 

[Harrietsmum]

I put mine in a container on a sunny window sill in my kitchen. They dry out very quickly, then I crush them down with a wooden spoon and put them in a container in the run. The girls help themselves. I usually top the container up every week.

 

[ChicKat]

all my egg shells go back to my chickens..... They love them. (I put the crushed shells on top of the oyster shells in container). My process too is to nuke them in the microwave when it is running for some other purpose, and then crush and take out to the chickens.

I knew that I had read something somewhere about the size of the calcium pieces. This is from the University of Florida Extension:

"Calcium can be supplied in the diet as either ground limestone or oyster shell. Particle size affects calcium availability. Usually the larger the particle size, the longer the particlewill be retained in the upper digestive tract. This means that the larger particles of the calcium source are released more slowly, and this may be important for the continuity of shell formation, especially in the dark period when birds do not ordinarily eat."

Underline is mine....so I don't crush the eggshells too finely.