How about egg shells?

[feathersnuggles]

Mine are not interested in egg shells. Several times I've dried them and crumbled (by hand) and mixed a little into their treat. Whenever I offer the "shell-infested" treat... first, they push & shove to get to the bowl, then they step back, raise their heads like "Yuck, there's shell in there, we can't eat it!" Then they gingerly approach and pick out everything except the shell, leaving it behind in the bowl. I'm puzzled why.

 

[95yj]

i throw mine onto the wood stove to make them brittle then grind them up with a mortar and pestel and mix it with their food, only in the spring when their laying alot.

 

[SallyF]

I was mixing crushed eggshells with used coffee grounds (a tip from Mother Earth magazine) and mulching cabbage with the mixture. First my chickens ate the eggshells, then they scratched up all the coffee grounds, and then they ate the cabbages. Now I just give them the shells, compost the coffee, and fence the cabbage!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I sometimes crush the egg shells and throw them in the run without cooking them. They eat them and I do not have any problems with egg eaters. Sometimes I put them in the compost. It just depends on what is in the kitchen garbage that day.

You will not give them all the calcium they need by giving them back the egg shells. There is some inefficiency involved and they need some for their bones. However, layer feed has calcium in it and many areas have limestone occurring naturally. If the egg shells are hard, they are getting enough calcium.

 

[cluckcluck42]

I used a mortar and pestle today to break up the egg shells, worked great and the shell was gone in a minute.

 

[cybercat]

To dry out shells fast nuke in microwave. I too use a pestle.

 

[Farmer Benjii]

Yes you can but be carful -

Dont feed the eggshells to your chickens if chicks hatched form them
And crush the eggshells up so the chickens dont lay eggs and eat them because they think you gave them an extra treat

lolz