is it a bad idea to feed egg shells back to chickens?

[mercedes]

My girls are 61/2 month old now and everybody is laying

They give me the most beautiful and delicious brown eggs, one even presents me with a HUGE double yoker about twice a week.For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to feed the shells back to them after I enjoyed the egg(calcium,treat and so on)Last week I found several crushed eggs and thought that one of the hens had stepped on them going in or coming out of the nest box.However,yesterday I found two that had peck marks on them.Did I teach the girls a bad habit?

 

[OregonChickenGal]

It's ok to feed eggs shells, just make sure they're cooked.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

Feeding back eggshells doesn't create egg-eating. It sometimes happens from boredom, though I think some chickens just have a predispostion to become egg-eaters.

I disagree that is necessary to cook the shells.... we just throw ours in with the rest of the kitchen scraps and toss them in the chicken yard daily. We have rarely had an egg eater in all the years we've had chickens.

 

[mamabigbird]

I don't cook mine either. I give them a bit of a rinse and let them dry out. Then I crush them up finely with my mortar and pestle so they don't look like egg shells. I sprinkle some each day into their pellets and on the floor of the coop. I don't bother with the oyster shells and my hens eggs are solid.

 

[PunkinPeep]

I used to boil and bake and crush my egg shells, but i don't anymore. It just isn't necessary, and i've never had a problem with egg eating - not even shelless eggs. The sooner i throw the egg shells out to the girls, the less time they spend in my kitchen and the less work i go through to replenish their calcium supply.

I also don't use oyster shells - never have, and i have great egg shells.

 

[Olive Hill]

I don't cook the shells either, just rinse them under running water to remove any raw egg and send 'em back to the girls.