Ground oyster shells vs. egg shells

[B_Chickle01]

Was curious to see who uses ground oyster shells or who uses eggs shells to ensure extra calcium to help with egg laying especially during the colder months. Which did chickens prefer and did you introduce it to them by itself in a dish or mixed in with their feed?! I was worried about them starting to peck at their eggs after laying cause I read that happens because they end up enjoying the taste of egg shells!

 

[Aapomp831]

Egg shells are more economical bc they’re free... you want to bake and then crush them down so they’re unrecognizable as eggs. I will mix them into their food on occasion, but I keep oyster shell on the side if that’s what I’m using so they aren’t forced to consume more calcium than they need. Chickens know when they are lacking in calcium and will eat the shells (egg or oyster) accordingly.

 

[3KillerBs]

I use both.

They want to eat more egg shells than I have so I give them oystershell to make certain. It's cheap enough, after all.

Both are always put into the calcium feeder.

 

[Rysktal]

When production slows down, I give them oyster shell. Now that production is back up, giving them back their egg shells works well and it's free.

I've never done anything special to the egg shells to hide what they are, never baked them or crushed them up...almost 4 years into having chickens and they have never eaten their own eggs.

 

[drinkoj]

We were doing egg shells along with free choice oyster shell. We just cook the eggs, take them out to the run the next day, and that was that. No more, we think by not baking and smashing them up to tiny pieces has lead to us having an Egg Eater(s) in our flock. So we only offer oyster shell and use layer feed since all are laying pullets.

 

[drinkoj]

I've never done anything special to the egg shells to hide what they are, never baked them or crushed them up...almost 4 years into having chickens and they have never eaten their own eggs.

Hope it doesn't happen to you, but we went from 8 to 11 eggs daily, to 0 to 3 eggs daily, and now that we're checking our nests every hour in the mornings we are back up to 8+ eggs a day. Sucker(s) are just going after brown eggs, as I have white golf balls mixed in the nests/coop.

 

[MissE]

I give them all the egg shells I have, but out of 6-8 dozen eggs a week, I sell all but one dozen, so I supplement with oyster shells. They prefer the egg shells, and almost attack me when I bring them in. They don't pay much attention to the oyster shells, but will eat them occasionally. I will need several dozen eggs shells soon for my tomato plants, so they girls will just have to deal with the alternative for a while.

 

[drinkoj]

. I will need several dozen eggs shells soon for my tomato plants, so they girls will just have to deal with the alternative for a while.

That's what I've started doing, adding them to the raised garden beds.

 

[wf1992]

My eggshells go in the compost, because I'm too lazy to wash/dry/crush them, and too paranoid to give them to the girls raw. The garden needs it too, and it's just not worth the time - oyster shell is cheap, and my 6-10 hens have been working on the same bag for about 4 years now.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I use large flake oyster shells, which will sit in their system longer and offer up more calcium.

All my eggshells get smashed up and go into my compost.