Giving the egg shells to my hens ...?

[HeyItsDebV]

Question...I have broken up the egg shells in scrambled eggs for my 13 laying hens...yes, they ate them all up...no problems...but I read here on the forum that I am to bake my eggs shells in a 400 degree oven before feeding them crushed up to my hens...? Is that correct? Do I have to bake them?
I baked a dozen shells yesterday and fed them to the hens and they gobbled them up like kids with potato chips...

So do I bake them first????

 

[pawsplus]

I don't bake mine. I usually wash them and put them back in the egg box in the fridge. After a few days they're dried up enough to crush up well--I just crush them into whatever I'm giving them.

 

[cravenchx]

I like to wash the shells well first, then
lay in a sunny window to dry out. Don't
want the girls to be able to recognize
an egg!!

 

[LoreenH]

I nuke mine for 15-20 seconds, better than heating up the oven. They crush easier after they've been nuked or baked in my opinion.

 

[HeyItsDebV]

I like the 'nuking' idea...and I was also laying them out to dry out...OK! ...then my GIRLS will still be getting their eggs shell 'chips'!

I think their eggs have grown from small to large because of feeding them their own egg shells...they dont seem to have much to do with the oyster shell ...I guess they eat it...but not like their egg shells!