Feeding store bought egg shells...

[JeanR]

Yes, Oyster shell and granite grit are always free choice in their pens, not ever mixed with their feed. Surprising how much Oyster shell they eat. Grit lasts a long time in the gizzzard, and smashes feed well, sand and dirt, do not, may not give the hens the best breakdown of grains, even cracked mix grains. No matter if your are not hatching but since I hatch, it is important for good shells! And because commercial layer feed may not keep vitamins very long, when I am saving eggs for hatching, I hand feed (birds in each breeding pen of 3) Codliveroil sandwiches 2 or 3 x a week. 2 T of plain cod liver oil on a slice of multigrain bread and another slice over the tip. 1/4 of the sandwich for each pen of 3. This insures the Vit A-D, they need for NO splayleg chicks (hip bones not finished at hatch time). They love it and fly up when opening their pen door--hearing the plastic wrap unfold!--- Also a very good taming practice. Always learning new happy things with the bantams--and always looking for new "what works for me" trials.

 

[Cryss]

Actually when following back-to-eden gardening practices, feeding chickens egg shells means they get their needs and their poop ends up in the run soil and composted for use in the garden. Check out L2survive on YouTube, specifically the back-to-eden episodes. This is my master plan!

 

[lazy gardener]

Yes, Oyster shell and granite grit are always free choice in their pens, not ever mixed with their feed. Surprising how much Oyster shell they eat. Grit lasts a long time in the gizzzard, and smashes feed well, sand and dirt, do not, may not give the hens the best breakdown of grains, even cracked mix grains. No matter if your are not hatching but since I hatch, it is important for good shells! And because commercial layer feed may not keep vitamins very long, when I am saving eggs for hatching, I hand feed (birds in each breeding pen of 3) Codliveroil sandwiches 2 or 3 x a week. 2 T of plain cod liver oil on a slice of multigrain bread and another slice over the tip. 1/4 of the sandwich for each pen of 3. This insures the Vit A-D, they need for NO splayleg chicks (hip bones not finished at hatch time). They love it and fly up when opening their pen door--hearing the plastic wrap unfold!--- Also a very good taming practice. Always learning new happy things with the bantams--and always looking for new "what works for me" trials.

Good post. MY flock get multi vits starting about 2 weeks before I start collecting hatching eggs. And even with my flock on layer, I offer all egg shells back to them, and offer OS when egg shells are not abundant.

Actually when following back-to-eden gardening practices, feeding chickens egg shells means they get their needs and their poop ends up in the run soil and composted for use in the garden. Check out L2survive on YouTube, specifically the back-to-eden episodes. This is my master plan!

I am sold on BTE, and am working on converting my whole garden to BTE. I also have an orchard that is BTE style. Who needs a gym membership when you can get all the exercise you want while working your garden. I just harvested 4 WB loads of awesome compost from my DL run. Any readers who don't want to do the BTE wood chip method would benefit from the Ruth Stout method of keeping garden under permanent mulch (no till gardening). IMO, bare soil should be a rare event.

 

[Cryss]

Good post. MY flock get multi vits starting about 2 weeks before I start collecting hatching eggs. And even with my flock on layer, I offer all egg shells back to them, and offer OS when egg shells are not abundant.



I am sold on BTE, and am working on converting my whole garden to BTE. I also have an orchard that is BTE style. Who needs a gym membership when you can get all the exercise you want while working your garden. I just harvested 4 WB loads of awesome compost from my DL run. Any readers who don't want to do the BTE wood chip method would benefit from the Ruth Stout method of keeping garden under permanent mulch (no till gardening). IMO, bare soil should be a rare event.

Sorry I'm such a newbie. What is a DL run?

 

[lazy gardener]

Sorry. Deep Litter.

 

[Cryss]

Sorry. Deep Litter.

Doh! LOL

 

[Eggcessive]

When I collect egg shells, I place them on a baking sheet in my oven after rinsing them with water. When it is full, I turn my oven on to 200 degrees F and place them in their for about 5 minutes, then remove. In a few minutes after they cool, I place them in a freezer bag. They crunch very easily into small bits inside the bag, and I use a cup or jar to smash them. For some reason, the low heat for just a few minutes makes them shatter more easily than air drying them.