Giving chickens hard boiled eggs

[CrzyChicLady]

Will giving my flock hard boiled eggs give them "the taste for eggs" making them crack eggs open to eat? I would crack the shells and chopped the hard boiled eggs up before serving them.

 

[ranchhand]

Should be fine, as long as they don't see it in original egg form. Chickens are fairly visual eaters.

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

My chickens love eggs , but only cooked.

They get cooked meat and cooked eggs. No problems with parasites, pecking, or raw egg eating.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I agree with Ranchy. I rarely feed hard boiled eggs to my flocks anymore, though they loved them as babies. So cute to watch them play keepaway with the pieces of egg white.
I'm lazy. My adult birds get scrambled eggs because I rarely feel like peeling boiled eggs.

 

[Teach97]

why peel them? Just grind up the whole hard boiled egg...returns the lost calcium in the shell....

I do it all the time....

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
I agree with Ranchy. I rarely feed hard boiled eggs to my flocks anymore, though they loved them as babies. So cute to watch them play keepaway with the pieces of egg white.
I'm lazy. My adult birds get scrambled eggs because I rarely feel like peeling boiled eggs.

PEELING????

I never peel them, I just mush/chop in the foodprocessor or with a spoon. The shells are good for them too, more calcium. As far as scrambled? I toss whole eggs, shell and all into the blender. Then I pour them into a skillet and scramble, shell bits and all.

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
Yep, I agree.

Personally, I don't believe feeding the birds eggs cooked or uncooked is bad. It is actually good for them. People try and think they will somehow figure out it is the same thing. But it is just paranoia in my opinion.. I've been suggested to feed my hens store bought eggs if they eat theirs, as it'll help break them by giving them nutrients. I'm not saying give them the whole egg unbroken and letting them break it, that will let them know what they taste like. But tossing a egg in the pen then it breaking and them eating it, they will not figure it out.

But what do I know, I just speak from personal experiences mostly. It's a lot like people saying not to feed a dog uncooked meat, or even cooked chicken. They don't make the connection. We're not against giving our dogs any, but if they find an actual dead chicken with feathers they're rather hesitant to pick it up because they've been taught that chickens are off limits.

-Daniel

 

[Teach97]

totally agree with Daniel...

only reason i feed cooked eggs is cuz i figure too much of the liquid egg soaks in the ground...

 

[Mervin]

Mine get them. Scrambled, boiled, whatever. I crunch up the shells and feed them back as well. I had never thought of grinding them up shells and all though. I might just try that.

 

[CrzyChicLady]

Awesome!

Eggs, hard-boiled with shells but broke up into bits (or in food processor) it is then!!