How big to mash the eggshells

[Bluebee]

Hello all,
I had a question about how big to mash up the eggshells that I feed back to my chickens. I put the shells in a coffee grinder and grind them until a powder with small chunks. Should they be bigger? Please help if you can!


Bluebee

 

[zekeman615]

They should be a little big, but not so big that they think it is a full egg. Each "chunk" should be about half the size of a penny. Then again, all chickens like different things, so try different sizes and see which they like the best. Again, remember not to feed them the egg shell just in two, it will look like a real egg! Good luck!

 

[dace316]

I give them to my 7 year old son, who puts them in a flat spot on the driveway and steps, stomps, and jumps on them. Then, he scoops up all the pieces and puts them in my oyster shell dish in the coop. He loves his "special job"!

 

[Bluebee]

Thank you for all your help it was really useful!

 

[Hamstery]

i just gave my girls their first taste of egg shells yesterday. they gobbled them up. i just used a meat tenderizer and gave the shells a couple whacks. about the size of a fingernail or smaller.

 

[Eggcessive]

I put mine in the oven for 10 minutes at 220 degrees to make them dry and crunchy. Then I put them in a freezer bag and crush them with a cup, glass, or my antique wooden masher. Each piece is 1/8 to 1/4 inch. The chickens seem to prefer this to when I ground them in a coffee grinder, and it's much easier and low tech.

 

[zbraswell92]

I usually put my shells in a plastic Walmart grocery bag and use a brick to pound them and then toast mine in my toaster-oven for 2 mins. on medium-high heat, then I serve them. The shells usually end up around a pea size, or maybe a wee bit smaller?
My girls LOVE them toasted soooo much more than raw!!!

They gobble them up in a matter of seconds after they've been toasted!

I try to toast them so the chickens don't taste the actual egg that was inside... just to try to help prevent any egg eating.
Does toasting them cripple the nutritional and/or Ca value at all?

Just wondering cause I've been out of oyster shells for just over 4 days. (Going to get some more today.)

 

[Bluebee]

Thanks for all the info! I just tried to toast the eggshells and my girls loved them!

 

[yankeehill]

Forgive my newness - are you feeding the egg shells to them in place of oyster shells for the calcium? I assume so, but I've never heard of such.

 

[Bluebee]

Yes, I am.