Ok to feed uncooked shrimp shells?

[7&8]

It's shrimp season here in Maine. I've just cleaned a few pounds of shrimp and am contemplating portioning the uncooked shells to the flock. I am a little concerned about how the greedy birds will process the shrimp's rostrum - its wicked sharp, pointy beak. I could boil the shells for 20 min., dry them, and then crush them. But for time's sake, I would prefer just tossing out the raw shells to the birds.

What do you think...can the birds handle ingesting the shrimp's sharp rostrums, or should I boil, etc. before offering?

I could just compost the shells.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[redsoxs]

Living smack dab in the middle of the U.S. I never really thought about feeding shrimp shells. I'm sure the chickens would like them but I would be concerns about the sharpness of them and the birds choking. I wouldn't risk it but maybe others have had good luck.

 

[chfite]

I can't imagine that there would be much nutrition in shrimp shell, even including the heads. You might throw a few out there, but I would venture that they won't eat them. Mine eat some beetles with some rather nasty looking sharp claws and pincers, so that does not seem to be a problem.

Chris

 

[92Pony]

I don't know what to say about the uncooked shells, but I can attest that mine go NUTS for the shells that I have peeled off of boiled shrimp!!! Not being familiar with shrimp anatomy, I can't say that I know what the rostrum is, but I do avoid giving them the tail, as it's pretty sharp. My girls love those shells/legs.

 

[Tigertrea]

When I peel shrimp I microwave the shells and crush them a bit. I've used my mini food processor for this and that made it much faster. I have only fed them shrimp shells a few times but, no problems yet.